What does Matthew 28 report about the women, guards and commission, and what does its note argue?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

The risen Jesus meets the women and commissions the eleven; the guards take money for an instructed report, while a distinct annotation explains enduring apostolic succession.

Chapter breakdown

# Matthew 28

At the end of the sabbath, as dawn approaches the first day of the week, Mary Magdalen and the other Mary come to see the sepulchre. A great earthquake occurs: an angel of the Lord descends, rolls back the stone and sits on it, with countenance as lightning and raiment as snow. For fear of him the guards are terrified and become as dead men. No diagnosis of paralysis or unconsciousness is supplied. The angel tells the women not to fear, knowing they seek the crucified Jesus. He says Jesus is absent because he has risen as he said, invites them to see where he lay, and directs a quick message to the disciples that he is risen and will precede them into Galilee, where they will see him.

They leave quickly with fear and great joy, running to tell the disciples. Jesus meets them with “All hail”; they take hold of his feet and adore him. He likewise tells them not to fear and to tell his brethren to go into Galilee to see him. The account does not say they are the first witnesses in every possible chronology.

After their departure some guards enter the city and report all that occurred to the chief priests. The authorities assemble with the ancients, consult and give the soldiers a great sum of money. They instruct them to say that the disciples came at night and stole Jesus while they slept. They promise to persuade the governor and secure them if he hears of it. Taking the money, the soldiers do as instructed. The account says the story circulated among the Jews to its own day. Neither the money’s metal, an emergency meeting, fleeing guards nor a specific penalty is specified. The paid report is presented as an instruction, not the events the narrative records.

The eleven go to the appointed mountain in Galilee. Seeing Jesus they adore, but some doubt. The duration or cause of that doubt is unstated. Jesus declares all power given to him in heaven and earth and sends them to teach all nations, baptizing in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. They are to teach observance of all he commanded. He promises to be with them all days until the consummation of the world.

**Source commentary.** The note on all power calls this the warrant and commission of the apostles and their successors, bishops and pastors of Christ’s church. It says power received from the Father sends them to teach and disciple all nations in all truths, comparing John 20:21. The promised assistance lasts all days, not merely three or four hundred years. The note then argues that the Catholic Church cannot go astray with Christ always accompanying her pastors, naming him the way, truth and life and citing John 14. This doctrinal argument remains the annotation’s reasoning, separate from the verses and from added claims about earthly authority or human consensus.

The story inside

The angel directs the women; Jesus meets them; guards report and accept money; the eleven receive the commission.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The guards become as dead men, without a medical diagnosis.
2
Some disciples doubt, with no duration or motive given.
3
The annotation expressly extends the commission to bishops and pastors and argues the Church cannot go astray.

Test your recall

Two Marys; angel; paid theft report; appointed Galilee mountain; baptismal names; all days.

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 114227–114271
28:1. And in the end of the sabbath, when it began to dawn towards the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalen and the other Mary, to see the sepulchre. 28:2. And behold there was a great earthquake. For an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and coming rolled back the stone and sat upon it. 28:3. And his countenance was as lightning and his raiment as snow. 28:4. And for fear of him, the guards were struck with terror and became as dead men. 28:5. And the angel answering, said to the women: Fear not you: for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 28:6. He is not here. For he is risen, as he said. Come, and see the place where the Lord was laid. 28:7. And going quickly, tell ye his disciples that he is risen. And behold he will go before you into Galilee. There you shall see him. Lo, I have foretold it to you. 28:8. And they went out quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy, running to tell his disciples. 28:9. And behold, Jesus met them, saying: All hail. But they came up and took hold of his feet and adored him. 28:10. Then Jesus said to them: Fear not. Go, tell my brethren that they go into Galilee. There they shall see me. 28:11. Who when they were departed, behold, some of the guards came into the city and told the chief priests all things that had been done. 28:12. And they being assembled together with the ancients, taking counsel, gave a great sum of money to the soldiers, 28:13. Saying: Say you, His disciples came by night and stole him away when we were asleep. 28:14. And if the governor shall hear of this, we will persuade him and secure you. 28:15. So they taking the money, did as they were taught: and this word was spread abroad among the Jews even unto this day.
Lines 114273–114298
28:16. And the eleven disciples went into Galilee, unto the mountain where Jesus had appointed them. 28:17. And seeing him they adored: but some doubted. 28:18. And Jesus coming, spoke to them, saying: All power is given to me in heaven and in earth. All power, etc.... See here the warrant and commission of the apostles and their successors, the bishops and pastors of Christ’s church. He received from his Father all power in heaven and in earth: and in virtue of this power, he sends them (even as his Father sent him, St. John 20. 21) to teach and disciple, not one, but all nations; and instruct them in all truths: and that he may assist them effectually in the execution of this commission, he promises to be with them, not for three or four hundred years only, but all days, even to the consummation of the world. How then could the Catholic Church ever go astray; having always with her pastors, as is here promised, Christ himself, who is the way, the truth, and the life. St. John 14. 28:19. Going therefore, teach ye all nations: baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. 28:20. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world.