Matthew 28:3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Then, there was the night of the Sabbath and the morning of the Lord's Day, referenced in Matthew: “on the Sabbath, at daybreak,” as the morning is included in the calculation for a full day—this represents the third twenty-four hours.

Alternatively, one can tally the three days as follows: on Friday, the Lord surrendered His spirit, marking the first day; on Saturday, He remained in the tomb, the second day; and during the night leading into Sunday, He was resurrected, which can also count as the third day. This method aligns with the idea that if one person dies around the tenth hour and another around the first hour of the same day, both are said to have died on that day.

I have another way to recount the three days and three nights. Listen closely! On Thursday evening, the Lord had supper and instructed His disciples, “Receive, eat My body.” Since He possessed the authority to lay down His life voluntarily, it becomes evident that He also willingly gave Himself up as He taught His disciples about the body, for nothing is consumed until it has been sacrificed. Consider this: in the evening, He imparted His teaching about His body, continuing through that night and Friday until the sixth hour—marking one twenty-four-hour cycle; from the sixth hour to the ninth hour, darkness prevailed, followed by light from the ninth hour until evening—this constitutes the second twenty-four hours; finally, the night after His crucifixion and the day of the Sabbath creates the third twenty-four hours. On the night of the Sabbath, the Lord arose, totaling three complete twenty-four-hour cycles.

Regarding the angel, Matthew notes that he sat on the stone, while Mark describes him as sitting inside the tomb on the right side after having rolled the stone away. Are these descriptions contradictory? Not at all! It seems that the angel first appeared seated on the stone and, upon the women’s arrival, led them inside the tomb and once more appeared on the right side. He addressed the women, saying: “Do not be afraid,” indicating that it was the guards who should be fearful, while the disciples of the Lord need not be alarmed. After dispelling their fear, he proclaimed the joyous message of the resurrection, as it was necessary to alleviate their fright before delivering the good news. He is unashamed in referring to the Lord’s crucifixion because he proudly regards the cross as a victorious symbol that has brought us countless blessings.

The angel Gabriel visits the Virgin Mary, an angel speaks to Joseph, and brings glad tidings to the shepherds; simultaneously, the voices of angels resonating in song declare: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men’ (Luke 2:14). He faces temptation in the wilderness but emerges victorious, afterward being attended to by angels. At this moment, an angel guards His tomb, showcasing the glory of the One who triumphs with a radiant garment. Additionally, at the ascension of our Lord into heaven, two angels appear on the Mount of Olives, assuring the apostles of the promised return of the Savior (Acts 1:10).

Mark recounts (Mark 16:3-4) that these women wondered among themselves, “Who shall roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?” As they pondered this, an earthquake struck and an angel descended from heaven to address their concern, revealing that the stone had already been removed. In his brevity, Mark chose not to mention the earthquake or the angel responsible for the stone being rolled away. Similarly, Luke (Luke 24:2) summarized the event by stating, “But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb.” Thus, while the evangelists noted when the women arrived at the tomb, they did not specify the exact moment of the Lord's resurrection, known only to Him who rose. The holy Fathers and Teachers consistently declare that Jesus Christ rose at the first crow of the rooster, signaling the dawn of the resurrection day. Therefore, in piety, after the sixth hour, which is the twelfth hour of the night, faithful individuals end their fasting and begin to celebrate. Jesus Christ rose on the third day, as He proclaimed. He perished at the ninth hour on Friday, with Friday as the first day, Saturday as the second, and Sunday as the third, the day He rose shortly before the women arrived, thus including both the conclusion of Friday and the dawn of Sunday. Regarding Christ's statement about Jonah, “So shall the Son of man also be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights” (Matt. 12:40), the counting of the days is clear, but we will focus on the nights. The Jewish leaders secured the tomb for three days, from Friday until sunset on Sunday, believing they had full control until then, yet they did not guard it on the third night. Therefore, if Jesus was still expected to wait until after that night, doubts about His resurrection could arise. The Jews might argue that since He was not raised while the tomb was under guard, any resurrection after that would be questionable, suggesting He had been taken when the guards were absent. Thus, Jesus Christ rose while the tomb was still watched, eliminating any potential doubts, and He did not wait for the entire third day to complete His resurrection, but rose as it was just beginning. The reality of the resurrection occurring during the watch of the guards did not provoke suspicion, whereas one after would. A premature execution shows power, while a delayed one suggests weakness. Likewise, a king who bestows a favor earlier than promised demonstrates not only reliability in fulfilling his commitments but also adds an extra blessing due to the alacrity of execution. The Jews, fully aware of the seals and guards at the tomb, inadvertently publicized and confirmed the resurrection of Jesus Christ through their very measures of control.

Only Joseph, a covert disciple of Jesus and a member of the council who had once spoken in His defense, had the courage to request Pilate for the body of Jesus for burial. He was joined by Nicodemus, who had received profound revelations from the Lord during an early conversation about His death: "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up." The two men carefully wrapped the Lord’s battered body in a burial cloth infused with spices and placed it in Joseph's new tomb. Some women, who accompanied Jesus from Galilee, were also present. Demonstrating less fear for their own safety or perhaps demonstrating greater loyalty out of love for the Lord, they remained at the cross. When the burial occurred, they stayed by the tomb until the stone was rolled across the cave’s entrance where Jesus lay. Those involved in Jesus’ burial were convinced that He would not rise again. This conviction drove Joseph and Nicodemus to meticulously care for the burial, despite the time constraints; it was their final act of gratitude to their Divine Teacher, who had imparted profound truths that resonated within them. The Galilean women, eager to contribute their offerings of fragrances to the tomb, expressed their commitment to duty, waiting until the anticipated day of resurrection before fully honoring Him.

Even after two days had passed, when the apostles had time to reflect and recollect the Lord's promises regarding His resurrection, they remained skeptical, though not all held the same steadfastness in doubt. It was difficult to be persuaded given the unprecedented nature of such an event. While the dead had been raised before, it was through the intervention of great righteous figures, and who among them could resurrect the body of the greatest righteous person they had known? They lacked understanding of the Scriptures, and both Jesus’ enemies and His friends were unified in the belief that His death marked the end; they regarded resurrection as a mere illusion. When the third day of His death arrived, enough time had elapsed to affirm the truth: He had risen. This transformational event occurred without visibility, leaving questions about when it actually took place. It required messengers to bring news of this miraculous occurrence. An angel descended to remove the stone from the tomb, not for the benefit of the Risen One but for those who would visit the grave. A significant earthquake shook Jerusalem, but how many in the city recognized that this tremor represented the end of the shadowy imprisonment of Jesus following His death that had been heralded by a prior quake? The guards stationed at Jesus’ tomb, who alone could bear witness to the reasons behind the startling events, were themselves paralyzed by fear at the site until they could provide a clear testimony. Thus, the initial announcement of the Resurrection, which was meant for all, brought trepidation to both Jesus' supporters and adversaries alike.

Some went to the high priests, who had ordered them to keep watch. The quake likely resonated only near the tomb, and due to the substantial stone being displaced, it appeared significant to the guards. Overall, regarding the earthquake, the angel's role in rolling away the stone, and the subsequent emptiness of the tomb, the Evangelist Matthew could have only learned from those soldiers who were not bribed by the high priests—eyewitnesses to the miraculous events—or from other trustworthy individuals to whom they relayed the account.

From celestial heights, young men gleaming like lightning and clothed in garments as white as snow descended into the garden. One approached the tomb, touched the stone, and in an instant, the seal was broken, the heavy stone rolled away, and the Source of Life emerged, enveloped in divine light. The guards stood paralyzed in terror. Once they regained their composure, they hurried to Jerusalem to share the astonishing events they had witnessed. How fervently she would have spread the news throughout the city, if only it were not still in the early morning, immersed in deep sleep.

This display, wherein nature and divine forces served the Buried One, made a powerful impact on the hardened hearts of the witnesses, who realized they stood before a superior authority, an otherworldly strength, rendering their earthly means of protection utterly powerless. An angel descended amidst a grave tremor, approached the tomb, rolled back the stone sealing the entrance, and sat upon it. The act of moving the stone, unnecessary for the Lord, who had already risen, was essential for the guards, who needed to witness the resurrection of the Living One firsthand, as well as for the Lord's followers, particularly the devoted women, so they too could be convinced that their search for the Living among the dead was futile. The angel was sent to reassure the seekers that the Lord had indeed risen, not been stolen away. His visage shone like lightning, and his garments were as white as snow. The sudden appearance of this light-bringing messenger amidst the night's darkness filled the guards with terror: they trembled, lost in fear, and became as motionless as the dead. Thus, the earthly guardians' watch at the Lord's tomb was concluded, making way for the heavenly guards—the joyful messengers of the resurrection.

The Jewish tradition determined the timing of Easter based on the spring equinox and the full moon, and the Orthodox Church follows this tradition to establish the date of the Lord's Resurrection—Pascha of Christ. On Good Friday, coinciding with the Passover celebration, Christ willingly endured the sufferings of the cross and lay dead in the tomb for three days (partial days are accounted as full days). On the first day of the week, referred to as Sunday—the day upon which God created light—the Lord rose from the dead. Hence, Christians celebrate Easter after the spring equinox, following the full moon, on the first Sunday after the Jewish Passover. To determine the date of Orthodox Easter, we observe the equinox, find the 14th day of the moon, and account for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from there. If the 14th day of the moon occurs before the equinox, we disregard it and seek the next 14th day thereafter, refraining from selecting any date before the vernal equinox. The ancient Passover symbolizes liberation from temporal captivity, while the new Passover signifies deliverance from eternal death and destruction. To celebrate the Passover on the same day as the Jews would compromise and obscure the significance of the Gospel. It was on the full moon, a day marking the old Passover celebration, that the Lord was crucified. The next day marked His time in the grave, and the third day was Sunday.

The holy myrrh-bearing women were the first to hear the joyous announcement of the Lord's resurrection and the first to witness Him, having received, as St. Gregory the Theologian noted, the remedy from Christ for the previous disobedience, because it was Eve, who fell initially, who first recognized Christ and relayed the news to the disciples. Early on the first day of the week, while the night’s darkness still lingered, Mary Magdalene, who was consumed with ardent love for the Master, approached the tomb and, perceiving that the stone had been rolled away, immediately raced to inform the Apostles Peter and John.