Matthew 28:2Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Lastly, we have the night of the Sabbath and the dawn of the Lord's Day, as noted in Matthew: “on one Sabbath, at daybreak,” which indicates that the morning is included in the count for the entire day—therefore representing the third twenty-four-hour period.

Alternatively, we can account for the three days differently: on Friday, the Lord breathed His last, which is one day; on Saturday, He lay in the tomb, making it another day; and during the night leading to the Lord's Day, He arose, which, from His perspective, counts as a third day. Consider this: even regarding the deceased, if one one dies at the tenth hour and another at the first hour of the same day, they are said to have died on the same day.

Let me provide another method for calculating the three days and three nights. On Thursday evening, the Lord shared a meal with His disciples, saying, “Receive, eat My body.” Since He possessed the authority to lay down His life at will, it is evident that He willingly surrendered Himself while teaching His disciples about His body, as no one consumes anything that hasn’t been pierced first. Ponder this: in the evening, He instructed about His body, and that night until the sixth hour of Friday constitutes one complete twenty-four-hour period. From the sixth hour to the ninth, there was darkness, followed by light until evening, accounting for a second twenty-four hours. Again, the night after His crucifixion and the day of the Sabbath form the third twenty-four hours. The Lord then rose on the Sabbath night, totaling three full twenty-four-hour spans.

Concerning the angel, Matthew describes him as sitting on the stone, while Mark notes that after rolling it away, he sat inside the tomb on the right side. Are these accounts contradictory? Not at all! Evidently, the angel first appeared perched on the stone, and upon the women’s arrival, he guided them and then took his place inside the tomb on the right side. He addressed the women, saying, “Do not be afraid,” indicating that the guards should indeed be fearful, but that the disciples of the Lord need not fear. After calming their fears, he proclaimed the joyous news of the resurrection, for he needed to dispel fear before declaring the glad tidings. He proudly speaks of the Lord's crucifixion, for he sees the cross as a victorious standard, which has brought us all blessings.

Upon entering, they experienced a similar encounter with the angel sitting on the right inside the tomb, who is acknowledged by Mark but not mentioned by Matthew. Should this interpretation fail to satisfy, one might visualize the interior of the tomb resembling a fortified space, possibly allowing for some area in front, as it was hewn from rock. In that case, they would have seen the same angel discussed by Matthew on the stone, given that the stone had been moved during the earthquake that had occurred.

The angel Gabriel visits the Virgin Mary, an angel speaks to Joseph, and he shares glad tidings with the shepherds; the joyous song of the angels can be heard: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men’ (Luke 2:14). He is tested in the wilderness, and following His triumph, angels attend to Him. Even now, an angel guards His tomb, clad in radiant attire, displaying the glory of the Victorious One. Furthermore, at the time of the Lord's ascension into heaven, two angels appear on the Mount of Olives, assuring the apostles of the Saviour’s return (Acts 1:10).

However, while they discussed their concern, an earthquake took place, and an angel descended from heaven to roll away the stone, enabling them to see the tomb was already open. Mark, aiming for conciseness, did not mention the earthquake or the angel's action. Likewise, Luke succinctly noted, "But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb," thereby indicating the women's arrival but omitting the moment of the Lord's resurrection. This timing is known solely to Him, who uniquely experienced His own rising. Nonetheless, the holy Fathers and Teachers collectively affirm that the resurrection of Jesus Christ occurred at the first crowing of the rooster, signaling the dawn of the resurrection day. Consequently, after the sixth hour, or the twelfth hour of the night, the faithful conclude their fast and begin the celebration. As Jesus proclaimed, He was raised on the third day. Having died at the ninth hour on Friday, the sequence is as follows: Friday is the first day, Saturday the second, and Sunday, at dawn, marks the third when He rose, shortly before the arrival of the women, encompassing both the end of Friday and the start of Sunday. Regarding Jesus' remarks about Jonah, "So shall the Son of man also be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights" (Matt. 12:40), there is certainty about the days counted, though let us focus briefly on the nights. The Jews positioned guards over the tomb for three days, from Friday until sunset on Sunday, at least according to their decree, leaving the third night unguarded. If Jesus was to wait until the entire third night had passed, it could raise doubt about the Resurrection. The Jews might claim that since He did not rise while the tomb was secured, His resurrection was not credible, suggesting that He was taken away during the unguarded period. To counter this, Jesus rose while the tomb was still guarded to dispel any such objections; He did not wait for the entirety of the third day but arose at its inception. A resurrection that occurred while the tomb was still watched raised no suspicions, yet one that occurred afterward might provoke doubt. Rising before the appointed time demonstrated power, while a resurrection after that would imply weakness. Furthermore, a king who grants a favor before the promised time not only fulfills his word but enhances it, reflecting the quickness of its delivery. With the seals and guards in place, the Jews inadvertently facilitated the immediate proclamation and witness of the resurrection of Jesus Christ by their own sentinels.

For Her honor, He sent an Angel whose brilliance resembled lightning, allowing Her, even before dawn, to witness not only the empty sepulcher but also the neatly arranged grave clothes, providing abundant evidence of the Resurrection of the One Who had been laid to rest.

Just as He was born with the integrity of virginity preserved, so too did He rise with the seals of the tomb unbroken (E. Zigaben). None among humanity was deemed worthy to witness this glorious resurrection; mortal eyes could not endure the blinding radiance with which the Risen One departed from the realm of the dead. The heavenly being rolled away the stone merely to reveal to all that the grave was already empty.

The Holy Fathers and revered teachers concur that the moment of Christ's resurrection coincided with the first crowing of the rooster, heralding the dawn of Sunday. Thus, following the sixth hour, that is, at the twelfth hour of the night in our notation, the faithful, having ceased their fasting, commence the celebration (E. Zigaben). He indeed rose on the third day, fulfilling the prophecy, rising at the very dawn of that day, eager to declare triumph over death. “Accomplishing something before its appointed time emphasizes strength, whereas fulfilling it afterward suggests weakness. When a king promises to bestow a favor on a given day but then confers it earlier, he not only fulfills the promise but adds another blessing due to the swiftness of the accomplishment” (E. Zigaben). St. Athanasius of Alexandria remarked that He could have instantly raised His body at the moment of death and shown Himself alive again, yet He wondrously and purposefully refrained, for it could be claimed that the body had never truly died. One can only imagine the sheer terror that overwhelmed the guards stationed at the entrance of Christ's tomb in that moment.

Some hurried to the chief priests, who had ordered their watch. The tremor was likely felt only in the vicinity of the tomb, and with such a massive stone being displaced, the guards perceived it as significant. As for the details regarding the earthquake, the angel rolling away the stone, and the discovery of the empty tomb, the Evangelist Matthew may have learned these truths from the soldiers who remained unbribed by the chief priests—eyewitnesses to the miraculous events—or from those credible individuals to whom the soldiers recounted their experience.

Suddenly, a violent earthquake shook the ground, awakening the world from its slumber, as young men, gleaming like lightning and clothed in garments white as snow, descended from heaven into the garden. One approached the stone entrance, touched the tomb, and at once, the seal was broken, the heavy stone rolled away, and from the grave emerged the Life-giver, enveloped in heavenly light. The guards stood petrified with fear. Regaining her composure, one of the angels hurried to Jerusalem to announce the miraculous event. What fervor she would have brought to the city with her message, had it not still been the early hours, with the city lost in deep sleep.