How does Matthew 28:6 support the belief in Jesus' resurrection? Text of Matthew 28:6 “He is not here; He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He lay.” Immediate Narrative Setting The words are spoken by a heavenly messenger to the women who arrive at Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb at dawn on the first day of the week. The imperative “Come, see” invites empirical verification; the indicative “He has risen” announces a completed historical event, while “just as He said” anchors the event in Jesus’ repeated passion-predictions (e.g., Matthew 16:21; 17:22–23; 20:18–19). Syntactical Force of the Greek Ἠγέρθη (“He has been raised”) is aorist passive—God the Father is the implied agent. The verb’s aspect denotes a punctual, once-for-all action whose results continue. The empty locative clause, “He is not here,” supplies physical evidence, distinguishing resurrection from mere spiritual survival. Angelic Testimony as Legal Witness Second-Temple jurisprudence required two or three witnesses (Deuteronomy 19:15). Matthew records two: the angelic envoy and the women. Jews and Romans alike viewed angels as messengers of divine truth (cf. Acts 7:53). Thus the statement carries juridical weight in a first-century milieu. Women as Primary Eyewitnesses In the patriarchal culture of the day, female testimony was ordinarily discounted, yet all four Gospels retain them as first witnesses (Matthew 28:1–10; Mark 16:1–8; Luke 24:1–10; John 20:1–18). Invented propaganda would not place the most crucial claim of the faith on socially “unreliable” sources, underscoring authenticity (cf. Josephus, Ant. 4.8.15). Harmonization with Parallel Accounts Mark 16:6 records the identical angelic declaration; Luke 24:6 reiterates “He is not here, but He is risen”; John supplies the empty-tomb data independently. Convergent yet non-collusive testimony satisfies the criterion of multiple attestation used in historiography. Early Creedal Resonance The proclamation “He has risen” anticipates the pre-Pauline creed cited in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4—dated within five years of the crucifixion (cf. G. Habermas, Historical Jesus, pp. 152-157). The phrase “according to the Scriptures” therein echoes “just as He said” in Matthew. Historical Plausibility of the Empty Tomb No early source—Christian, Jewish, or Roman—produces Jesus’ body. The Jewish polemic recorded in Matthew 28:11–15 admits the tomb’s vacancy, alleging theft. Tacitus (Ann. 15.44) and Josephus (Ant. 18.3.3) acknowledge Christian belief in the resurrection without disputing the missing corpse. Archaeological Parallels First-century rolling-stone tombs matching the Gospel description are catalogued at the Dominus Flevit necropolis and tomb #1 at the Talpiot ridge. Osteoarchaeologist Amos Kloner notes that such tombs accommodated a single family and could be sealed securely, rendering a grave-robbery conspiracy implausible under Roman guard (Matthew 27:65-66). Refutation of Alternative Explanations • Swoon theory fails medically: Roman crucifixion inflicted asphyxiation and hypovolemic shock; the spear-thrust (John 19:34) guarantees death (Forensic Pathology, JAMA 256.11). • Hallucination hypothesis conflicts with group appearances to more than five hundred (1 Corinthians 15:6), contradicting clinical hallucinatory dynamics that are individual and subjective. • Legend theory is ruled out by the rapid proclamation in Jerusalem, traceable to A.D. 30. Legends require generations, not immediate public venues. Prophetic Fulfillment Psalm 16:10, Isaiah 53:10–11, and Hosea 6:2 forecast resurrection. Matthew repeatedly cites fulfillment formulas (Matthew 1:22; 2:15; 27:9), and 28:6 consummates that trajectory, confirming Jesus as Messiah foretold. Psychological Transformation of Disciples Pre-Easter cowardice (Matthew 26:56) contrasts with post-Easter boldness (Acts 4:13). Behavioral science identifies such radical, enduring change under threat of death as best explained by perceived reality, not fabrication. Coherence with Intelligent Design Resurrection entails re-ordering of biological information at the cellular level—precisely the domain where naturalistic mechanisms falter. The event exemplifies the same intelligent causation observed in DNA’s specified complexity (cf. S. Meyer, Signature in the Cell, ch. 17). Pastoral and Evangelistic Implications “Come, see” invites seekers to examine evidence. “Go quickly and tell” (Matthew 28:7) commissions believers to proclaim. The verse simultaneously answers doubt and mandates mission. Conclusion Matthew 28:6 supports belief in Jesus’ resurrection by combining empirical invitation, eyewitness testimony, prophetic fulfillment, historical corroboration, and theological necessity. The angel’s announcement is the linchpin of Christian faith, grounding personal salvation and cosmic hope in an irrefutable, empty tomb. |
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