Matthew 27 ended with some of the Sadducees and Pharisees thinking they had control. They set a guard at the tomb. They had managed to get Jesus killed. That had been their decision and they made it happen. They weren’t recognizing God’s control over it all or the part they had played in redemptive history.

Of course, the religious leaders had no control that God didn’t give them. The guards see the angel and faint. The women do not even though they are afraid.

The women are given a job to do. They are asked to come and look at the empty tomb and then to go quickly tell the disciples that Jesus has risen and that He will see them in Galilee.

You probably know this point, but women were not considered reliable witnesses. They couldn’t testify in a trial, for instance. Anyone making up this story at the time would never have chosen women to be the witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection. That women are the witnesses and messengers is a proof that it’s a true story.

God chose these faithful women who had remained at the cross through the whole ordeal to be the first Jesus reveals Himself to. They worship Him, falling at His feet.

The guards know what happened, at least somewhat and are bribed to say that the disciples stole the body while they were asleep. Of course, if they were asleep, they didn’t see what happened and so couldn’t know they stole the body. The story makes no sense, but it is spread and was accepted to the point that I had a Jewish girl tell me that’s what happened. I showed her this Scripture!

The book of Matthew ends with what we call the Great Commission. Jesus states that all authority has been given Him. I think we need to be careful of thinking we have authority and can act in authority. It all belongs to Jesus. Only Jesus through us can speak in authority.

He gives us our task. We’re to make disciples of all nations. We’re not sent to get decisions for Christ. We are sent to make disciples. We’re given two steps to follow. We’re told to baptize them, which is bringing them into salvation through death to self and new life in Christ, and we’re told to teach them to observe all Jesus commanded.

That’s not something you can do in a minute. That’s a continued effort to raise up followers of Jesus who will walk with Him to the death.