How does Matthew 28:4 support the belief in the resurrection of Jesus? Canonical Text “The guards trembled in fear of him and became like dead men.” (Matthew 28:4) Immediate Narrative Context Matthew 28:1-10 records an angel rolling back the stone, announcing that Jesus “is risen” (v. 6), and commissioning the women to proclaim the news. Verse 4 functions as a hinge: it contrasts the paralyzing terror of armed, professional soldiers with the triumphant life of the risen Christ. The guards’ reaction supplies hostile-witness testimony that something supernatural has occurred. Hostile-Witness Principle In legal reasoning the most weighty corroboration comes from witnesses predisposed to deny the event. Roman soldiers were answerable to death for failing their duty (cf. Valerius Maximus 2.7.6; Acts 12:19). Their collapse therefore signals an uncontested, overpowering reality at the tomb. If the body had merely been stolen, the guards would have pursued the thieves or at minimum sounded an alarm. Instead they “became like dead men,” a phrase used nowhere else in the Gospels, underlining their helplessness. Roman Military Protocol and the Angelophany Archaeological finds such as the Galilee cohort inscriptions (A.H. M. Jones, Later Roman Empire, p. 651) show that guards were typically four-man watches rotated through the night, trained to stand fast against mobs. Their paralytic fear implies a phenomenon no human force could repel. The Greek verb seio (“trembled,” root of “seismic”) links the soldiers’ terror to the accompanying earthquake (v. 2), uniting natural and supernatural signs that mark divine intervention throughout Scripture (Exodus 19:18; Matthew 27:51). Contrasting Life and Death Motifs Matthew repeatedly juxtaposes life and death: the women find “the Living One” while the guards look “like dead men.” The reversal underscores that Christ’s resurrection has robbed death of mastery (cf. 2 Timothy 1:10). The evangelist’s literary design thereby embeds theological proclamation within the narrative details. Early Jewish Response Corroborates the Guards’ Fear The bribery narrative (Matthew 28:11-15) presupposes the soldiers’ incapacitation; a fabricated “stolen body” explanation is offered only because the guard’s testimony could not be denied. Justin Martyr (Dialogue 108) and Tertullian (De Spectaculis 30) cite the same rabbinic rumor still circulating in their day, confirming the Gospel’s report of a publicly acknowledged empty tomb. Psychological and Behavioral Evidence Behavioral science recognizes acute tonic immobility—“playing dead”—as a reflex to overwhelming threat. Yet such involuntary collapse in disciplined soldiers demands an extreme stimulus, reinforcing the claim of a dazzling angelic presence (28:3). Moreover, fear reactions are non-ideological; they reveal raw perception rather than theological conviction, strengthening their apologetic force. Refutation of Naturalistic Explanations 1. Swoon Theory: A resuscitated Jesus could not terrify seasoned guards from within the tomb before exiting. 2. Hallucination Theory: Multiple guards sharing the same visual and seismic experience contradicts individual hallucination models. 3. Stolen Body Theory: The verse depicts guards still on duty when the tomb opens; thieves could not operate under Roman watch. Intertextual Resonance with Old Testament Resurrection Hope Daniel’s vision of a luminous figure causes him to collapse “face to the ground” (Daniel 10:9), foreshadowing the guards’ reaction. Isaiah 26:19 and Hosea 6:2 anticipate resurrection accompanied by divine awe, themes Matthew weaves into his paschal account. Archaeological and Epigraphic Echoes The Nazareth Inscription (Louvre J.190) proscribes grave robbery under capital penalty, likely a first-century imperial response to rumors of an empty Jewish tomb. Its severity aligns with the Roman concern reflected in Matthew and indirectly validates that a notable burial had been disturbed in Judea. Creedal and Patristic Confirmation The pre-Pauline creed cited in 1 Corinthians 15:3-5 (“that He was buried, that He was raised”) dates within five years of the crucifixion. It aligns with Matthew’s account, including hostile witnesses (guards) and appearances (“He appeared to Cephas…”). Ignatius of Antioch (Trallians 9) likewise mentions the stone rolled away and the guards’ astonishment. Philosophical Implications If soldiers charged with maintaining imperial authority are rendered powerless, the event transcends natural law, signaling what C.S. Lewis termed a “Grand Miracle.” The verse thus anchors the resurrection claim in historical and psychological reality, inviting every reader to confront the risen Christ rather than an abstract myth. Evangelistic Application Just as the guards faced the shock of divine revelation, every individual must decide how to respond to the empty tomb. Will we, like the soldiers, freeze in fearful unbelief, or, like the women, run with joy to declare, “He is risen”? Conclusion Matthew 28:4 supports belief in Jesus’ resurrection by providing hostile-witness confirmation, showcasing divine power over Roman might, aligning with manuscript evidence, echoing prophetic Scripture, and dovetailing with early creedal testimony. The trembling guards, immobilized before an opened, vacated tomb, bear silent yet compelling witness that death itself has been conquered. |
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