Matthew 28:5-6
‘There was a great earthquake. For the angel of the Lord descended from Heaven…. The angel…said to the women…: “I know that you seek Jesus Who was crucified! He is not here! For He has risen!… Go quickly, and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead!”‘ Matthew 28:2-7.
Calvin comments: “The Son of God had obtained a victory over death…. It was necessary to remove all doubts, so that the divine majesty might openly and manifestly be presented to the eyes of the women. Matthew says…there was an earthquake….
“Through fear, the guards trembled! The Lord struck the guards with terror!… The terror had…the effect of hindering them from treating with careless mockery the report of the resurrection which was to be spread abroad shortly afterwards…. When they were at liberty to talk freely among their acquaintances, they frankly admitted what they did not dare openly to avow in consequence of having been gained over by money (paid to them by the Judaistic priests and elders to say that Jesus’ disciples came and stole Him away while they were asleep, Matthew 28:11-15)….
“A similar terror seized the women. But their minds…were restored by the consolation which immediately followed, so as to begin…to entertain some better hope….
“It is proper that the majesty of God should strike both terror and fear indiscriminately into the godly as well as the reprobate, so that all flesh may be silent before His face. But when the Lord has humbled and subdued His elect, He immediately mitigates their dread so that they may not sink under its oppressive influence….
“The reprobate, on the other hand, He either overwhelms by sudden dread — or suffers to languish in slow torment. As to the soldiers themselves, there were no doubt like dead men…. Though they as well as the women were afraid, no medicine was applied to soothe their terror.
“For to the women alone, did the angel say: ‘Fear not!’ He held out to them a ground of joy and assurance, in the resurrection of Christ.
“Luke adds…: ‘Why do you seek “The Living” among the dead?!… Go quickly, and tell His disciples!’….
“They were expressly enjoined to carry this message to Peter…, to assure him that Christ had not cast him off…. He had already entered into the sepulchre, and beheld the traces of the resurrection of Christ. But God denied him the honour which He shortly afterwards conferred on the women, of hearing from the lips of the angel that Christ was risen!”
The crucified Jesus is not here, but risen! Is that too your belief?
