Matthew 28:1 Meaning and Explanation
“In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →As the first light breaks, two grieving women walk to a grave, not knowing the world is about to change forever.
The Context of Matthew 28:1
The sabbath has ended, and at first light on Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene and another Mary make their way to the tomb where Jesus was buried. They had watched Him die and seen where He was laid (Matthew 27:61). They come in sorrow, to be near His body, with no idea of what they are about to find.
What Does Matthew 28:1 Mean?
The scene is quiet and heavy. The sabbath rest is over, the sky is barely turning gray, and two women walk toward a sealed grave. Matthew names them, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, witnesses who do not look away. They come simply to see the place where their Lord lies, the last act of love a mourner can offer. Everything in the verse breathes grief and faithfulness, the slow steps of people whose hope has been buried with Him.
But the timing is everything: 'as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week.' They are walking into the morning of the resurrection, though they do not yet know it. In a few verses an angel will roll back the stone and tell them He is risen (verses 5-6). Their faithful, sorrowing walk leads them straight to the greatest joy. The God they thought they had lost is alive, and He meets the ones who came looking for Him in the dark.
Matthew 28:1 in the Original Language
mia ton sabbaton (μία τῶν σαββάτων), 'the first day of the week' -- literally 'one of the sabbaths,' the day after the sabbath, which became the Lord's day.
Where Matthew 28:1 Echoes in Scripture
All four Gospels record women coming to the tomb at dawn on the first day of the week (Mark 16:1-2; Luke 24:1; John 20:1). That this 'first day' became the day of resurrection is later honored by the early church gathering 'upon the first day of the week' (Acts 20:7).
How to Apply Matthew 28:1 Today
When we walk toward our griefs faithfully, even in the dark before dawn, we may be closer to joy than we know. The same Jesus who met these women at the tomb is alive, and He meets those who come looking for Him.