Matthew 28 Overview
Women come to the tomb and find it opened; an angel announces that Jesus has risen. Jesus meets the women, receives their worship, and sends word to the disciples. The guards are bribed to spread an alternative story. In Galilee the risen Jesus declares all authority in heaven and earth and commissions His disciples to make disciples of all nations, baptizing and teaching them, with the promise of His presence to the end of the age.
Before you read Matthew 28
Coming from
Matthew 27 established the immediate context: Judas returns the betrayal money and dies.
In this chapter
Matthew ends not merely with an empty tomb but with the risen King possessing universal authority and sending a worldwide disciple-making mission.
Leads into
Mark follows canonically with a shorter, rapid Gospel that begins with John the Baptist and moves quickly into Jesus’ public ministry, authority, service, suffering, death, and resurrection.
Key understandingExplore deeper
The resurrection is bodily and historical in Matthew’s presentation: the tomb is empty, witnesses encounter Jesus, He is worshiped, and an opposing explanation is deliberately manufactured.
The Great Commission places baptism after disciple-making conversion response and includes ongoing teaching. Baptism is commanded, but the passage does not teach that water baptism is what gives eternal life.
Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper
Jesus has risen as He said
The resurrection confirms His earlier predictions and defeats the finality of death.
The risen Jesus receives worship
The women and disciples respond to Him as more than a revived teacher.
His authority is universal
Mission rests on all authority in heaven and earth belonging to Christ.
The mission now embraces all nations
Matthew’s earlier Israel-focused mission expands openly to the world.
Discipleship includes baptism and teaching after conversion
The commission is not merely securing professions but training people to observe Christ’s commands.
Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper
Daniel 7:13–14
Universal authority over peoples and nations strongly resonates with the Son of man’s dominion.
Acts 1:8
The risen Christ likewise sends witnesses outward to the ends of the earth.
Romans 6:3–4
Paul uses baptism as identification with Christ’s death and resurrection, not as a human work that earns salvation.
1 Corinthians 15:3–8
Paul summarizes the gospel around Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, and appearances.
What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper
Do not treat baptism as the cause of eternal salvation
The New Testament repeatedly places eternal life in believing on Christ; baptism is commanded as obedient identification after salvation.
Do not reduce the Great Commission to foreign travel only
Making disciples includes evangelizing, baptizing, and teaching wherever the nations are reached.
Do not overlook the promise of Christ’s presence
The mission is carried out under His continuing authority and presence, not human energy alone.
Read Matthew 28 watching for…
Who first discovers the empty tomb.
The angel’s announcement and invitation to see.
Jesus receiving worship.
The competing story promoted by the guards.
The scope of Jesus’ authority.
The verbs and elements of the Great Commission.