Matthew 28:6
“He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”
King James Version (KJV)
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On the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary come to the tomb. After an earthquake and the appearance of an angel who rolls back the stone, the angel speaks these words to them.
What Does Matthew 28:6 Mean?
This verse is the angel's announcement at the empty tomb that Jesus is alive -- He is risen, just as He had promised. The women who came at dawn to the grave hear the greatest news in human history from the messenger seated where the body had been.
Each phrase carries weight. "He is not here" confronts the women with the startling fact: the tomb is empty, the body gone. "For he is risen" gives the reason -- not theft, not relocation, but resurrection. The words "as he said" anchor the event in Jesus' own repeated predictions; He had told His disciples plainly that He would be killed and rise again on the third day. The resurrection is therefore not a surprise reversal but the fulfillment of His word, vindicating everything He had taught. Then comes the invitation: "Come, see the place where the Lord lay." The angel does not ask for blind belief but points to evidence, calling the women to look for themselves at the spot now vacant. This verse is the turning point of the Gospel and the foundation of Christian hope. Death did not hold Him, the grave could not keep Him, and His promise proved true.
In the Original Language
The Greek "ēgerthē" (he is risen) is a passive form, often rendered "he was raised," pointing beyond the event to the power that accomplished it. The phrase "kathōs eipen" (as he said) ties the resurrection to Jesus' own foretelling.
Cross References
“From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.”
- Matthew 16:21
“And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”
- 1 Corinthians 15:4
“He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee.”
- Luke 24:6
Application
Let the reality of the empty tomb anchor your hope; because Jesus rose exactly as He promised, His every word can be trusted, even in the face of death.
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