The Empty Tomb
Passage: Matthew 28:1-10
The tomb was sealed and guarded (27:62-66).
Overview
An angel rolled back the stone and told the women, 'He is not here: for he is risen, as he said.' Jesus met them on the way.
Going deeper
Matthew includes the guard and the bribe story (28:11-15), showing the empty tomb was not disputed, only explained.
Key verses (KJV)
- Matthew 28:6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said.
- Matthew 28:9 Jesus met them, saying, All hail.
From the commentaries
M A T T H E W. CHAP. XXVIII. In the foregoing chapters, we saw the Captain of our salvation engaged with the powers of darkness, attacked by them, and vigorously attacking them; victory seemed to hover between the combatants; nay, at length, it inclined to the enemies' side, and our Champion fell before them; behold, God has delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemies' hand. Christ in the grave is like the ark in Dagon's temple; the powers of darkness seemed to ride masters, but then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine, Ps. lxxviii. 61, 65. ...
Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1706-1721)
6. He is not here; for he is risen, as he said—See on Lu 24:5-7. Come—as in Mt 11:28. see the place where the Lord lay—Charming invitation! "Come, see the spot where the Lord of glory lay: now it is an empty grave: He lies not here, but He lay there. Come, feast your eyes on it!" But see on Joh 20:12.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory (1871)
Verse 6 Come, see the place - The tomb in which our Lord was laid was no doubt like the rest of the Jewish burying places, a receptacle for the several dead of a whole family, divided into separate niches, where each had his place. Come and see the place - was tantamount to, Come and see the niche in which he was laid - it is now empty; nor was there any other body in the place, for the tomb was a new one, in which no man had ever been laid, Joh 19:41; so there could be no deception in the case.
Adam Clarke, Adam Clarke's Commentary (1810-1826)
Verse 6. He is risen, as he said. He had often predicted that he would rise, but the disciples did not understand it, and consequently did not expect it, Mt 16:21; 20:19. The place where the Lord lay. The place where a body was deposited in a sepulchre was commonly a niche cut in the wall of the sepulchre. The sepulchre was usually large; that of David was more than a hundred feet in length, cut out of solid rock under ground, and separated into various apartments. All round the sides of those apartments were niches for the dead; or they were ranged around the sides, in places cut in the solid rock just large enough to contain the body. In such a place our Lord lay. {h} "he said" Mt 27:63 TH
Albert Barnes, Barnes' Notes on the New Testament (1834-1885)
Application
- Why are the women's witness important?
- What did Jesus 'say' that came true?
- Tell someone what Easter means to you.