Matthew 28b

 The Gospel with the stories that Matthew chose to tell about Jesus is drawing to a close. We will consider later what Matthew was trying to do, and what editing he did to his copy of the Gospel according to Mark, whose outline he followed. Mark is well-known for having a rather brief ending (see notes in your Bible). Matthew presents us with a different story because his gospel concludes with a strong ending. 

28:11-15.  While they were going, some of the guards went into the city and told the chief priests everything that had happened. After the priests had assembled with the elders, they devised a plan to give a large sum of money to the soldiers, telling them, “You must say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep’. If this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story is still told among the Judeans to this day.

 “While they were going”; while who was going? This refers back to the female followers of Jesus who saw the empty tomb, were startled to meet an angel, and then even more surprised to meet Jesus while they were going. Jesus confirmed the commission of the angel that they should go and tell the male disciples the news and remind them to go to Galilee.  

 

 So, while they were going to tell the disciples, the guards awoke. Looking around, they saw to their dismay that they had failed in their responsibility to guard the tomb. The stone had been rolled away and they did not hear the noise of it. The tomb was empty, and they did not see anyone carry the body away. They had been tasked with the job of guarding the tomb with the body inside, but the evidence is clear that they did not carry out their duty. They are dumbfounded. 

 Some of them went into the city to report to the priests, so some must have stayed at the tomb. Ben Witherington III says that it is significant that they did not report to Pilate (Matthew 2006, page 530). Pilate might have had them executed for sleeping at their post, but the priests have no such power. At any rate, they were seconded to the priests and so they made their report to them. It was a safer option. 

 Unfortunately, on hearing the news, the priests do not reconsider their evaluation of Jesus. Instead they double-down on the scheme to protect what little power they have. This is a common practice. Power corrupts, and even a little power can twist people’s behavior. Ethics, transparency, and accountability become the enemies of the powers that be.   

 The logic of the situation, though, is beyond them. If the guards were awake, then how could the disciples, who at any rate haven’t been seen for days, have stolen the body? On the other hand, if the guards were asleep, how could they verify that it was the disciples who came and took the body? Further, why didn’t they wake up at the sound of the stone being rolled away? The story concocted by the priests does not add up.  

28: 16-17.  Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped him, but they doubted. 

 This is important to Matthew since this is how he chose to bring his gospel to a close. The other gospels do not end this way, so we have here a hint of what Matthew intended to say by organizing his gospel this way.

 Which mountain in Galilee? Matthew doesn’t say. Throughout his gospel, Matthew does link mountains with significant moments in his account of Jesus’ ministry. First, there is a negative instance. The devil took him up to a high mountain for the third temptation where he showed a vision of all the kingdoms of the world saying, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me” (Matthew 4: 8). The implication, as Luke 4: 6 also implies, is that the devil claims that he has been given authority over the kingdoms and can give them to Jesus. The devil does not have that authority. It’s a scam.

 Second, Jesus ascends a mountain to preach (Matthew 5: 1), to pray (Matthew 14: 23), to heal the sick (Matthew 15: 29), and for the Transfiguration (Matthew 17: 1). Interestingly, after the Transfiguration Jesus says to the disciples, “Tell no one about this vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead” (Matthew 17: 9). 

 None of this tells us for certain which mountain Jesus intended. The Greek, as the English, is no help for it just says ‘the mountain’. The only hint may be the comment Jesus made when they came down the mount of Transfiguration. Two points are relevant. Jesus commands them not to tell anyone as they leave that mountain because the time is not right. Now, on the mountain he will command them to tell everyone because the time is right. Note that Jesus says they are to keep quiet about his divinity until after he has been raised from the dead. Now he has. This is not conclusive evidence, but it is suggestive that this may be the mountain.

 Like the women, the disciples also fall down and worship Jesus. A few translations say that ‘some hesitated’ implying that they were ‘uncertain’ at first. The word also could be translated as ‘they wavered’. 

28: 18-20.  And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” 

  This is a well-known verse, one that people love to quote, some incorrectly. Let’s take a closer look because it is Matthew’s masterpiece.

 I will try to not get too technical. The first phrase, “And Jesus came and said to them” has a verb that is a participle. A literal translation would be “And having come, Jesus spoke to them.” Witherington suggests that this implies that the disciples saw Jesus coming from a distance (Matthew 2006, page 532). It is similar to the participle in the previous verse, which is, literally, “And having seen him, they worshipped.” 

 Why not translate it that way? The NRSV translators are probably remembering their English teacher who warned them not to start every sentence with a participle, so they translate to English using the more direct verb forms: ‘Jesus came’ and ‘they saw him’. More on this point in a minute.

 Jesus first explains the difference between this appearance and his previous appearance as the Son of Man (a mortal). Now God has given him all authority in heaven and on earth. This is in contrast to the claim of the devil that he had authority over the kingdoms of the earth. It was an empty claim; the devil did not have the authority to hand over a kingdom. Jesus did have the authority to preach the Kingdom of God, which is above all others, and to give it to his followers. In Luke we find this. 

  “But not so with you; rather, the greatest among you must become like the youngest and the leader like one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. You are those who have stood by me in my trials, and I confer on you, just as my Father has conferred on me, a kingdom, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Luke 26-30).

 I introduced the concept of a participle above for a reason. The verb translated as “Go” makes it sound in English like it is a command. However, the word in Greek is a past participle, and so it reads more like, “While going.” Jesus was providing the context for their ministry. The context is every day in every way while you are going from here to there. 

 There is a verb in that sentence that is in the imperative (command) mood; it is “make disciples.” That is the command. 

 The two verbs that follow are, again, participles. They tell the disciples precisely how they are to make disciples, that is, by “baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” and by “teaching them to obey everything that Jesus commanded them.” 

 One does not make disciples by convincing people to repent and then walking away in search of getting more ‘decisions’. Whether it is mass evangelism or ‘button-hole’ evangelism, those evangelism practices may make some converts, usually only temporary converts, but they do not make disciples.  

 Baptism is a sacrament, a means of grace that signals to the baptized and the community of the King that God has made a commitment to this one, and this one has made a commitment to God. 

 The gathered people of God, that is, the local assembly of the baptized and the seekers, is not a club with membership fees. Notice that Jesus did not say, teach them to memorize everything that I taught you. Some churches seem to think that teaching the right beliefs is their mission. The pastor explains and the people learn their lessons and then go home. That method does not follow Jesus’ command. 

 Look again at what Jesus said. “teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.” The operative verb here is ‘to obey’, an infinitive, if you’re keeping track. ‘To obey’ means to act, to be a doer of the word, not just a believer of the word. And this is Matthew’s point. What did Jesus command us to do? More next week.