What is the meaning of Matthew 28:1? After the Sabbath - “After the Sabbath” (Matthew 28:1) locks the moment into the literal calendar God gave Israel—sunset Friday to sunset Saturday (Leviticus 23:32). - God’s pattern of rest began in creation (Genesis 2:2-3) and was codified in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:8-11). By waiting until the Sabbath ended, the women honored that command (Luke 23:56). - Mark records the same timing: “When the Sabbath was over…” (Mark 16:1). The rest is complete; a brand-new work of God is about to be unveiled. at dawn on the first day of the week - The phrase pinpoints Sunday at daybreak—just as “Very early on the first day of the week” appears in Mark 16:2 and “Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark” in John 20:1. - Dawn highlights new beginnings. The resurrection happens when the first light dispels the darkness—an echo of “Let there be light” in Genesis 1:3 and a prelude to the “new creation” theme in 2 Corinthians 5:17. - From this point on, believers meet on this day (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2), underscoring its significance without abolishing the principle of rest (Hebrews 4:9-10). Mary Magdalene and the other Mary - Mary Magdalene, once freed from seven demons (Luke 8:2), had followed Jesus faithfully to the Cross (John 19:25) and burial (Matthew 27:61). - “The other Mary” is the mother of James and Joseph (Matthew 27:56). Both women had watched Joseph of Arimathea lay Jesus in the tomb (Mark 15:47). - God chooses these women—not the Twelve—to be first witnesses (John 20:14-18). This fulfills Jesus’ upside-down kingdom principle that “the last will be first” (Matthew 20:16). went to see the tomb - Their purpose was simple: confirm where the body lay and finish anointing it (Mark 16:1; Luke 24:1). - Matthew notes they “were sitting there opposite the tomb” the evening of the burial (Matthew 27:61), so they knew exactly where to go. - Their devotion overcomes obstacles—a sealed stone (Matthew 27:66) and guards (Matthew 27:65-66). God will roll away every hindrance (Matthew 28:2). - What began as an act of mourning becomes the moment they encounter the risen Lord, turning grief to joy (John 20:18). summary The verse anchors us in real time (“After the Sabbath…at dawn”), spotlights faithful disciples (“Mary Magdalene and the other Mary”), and sets the stage for history’s greatest announcement. Sabbath rest has passed; a new day dawns. Devoted followers, rising early, approach a sealed grave—unaware that God has already opened it and inaugurated resurrection life for all who believe. |
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