The Promised King: All Authority Given to the Risen King

Matthew 28 is the dawn of the new creation.

The women come at first light. The earth shakes. An angel descends and rolls back the stone. The guards become like dead men. The angel speaks:

"He is not here, for he has risen, as he said."

The risen Christ meets the women on the road. He sends them to His brothers. He meets the eleven on a mountain in Galilee. And there He gives the Great Commission — the closing word of Matthew's Gospel, the opening mandate of the Church's mission:

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations… And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

The Promised King is risen. The Promised King reigns. The Promised King will be with His people until the end of the age.

At dawn

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.

Behold, there was a great earthquake. An angel of the Lord descended from heaven, came and rolled back the stone, and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men.

The earthquake at the cross shook the foundation of death. The earthquake at the tomb shook death itself loose. The same Lord who tore the curtain of the temple now rolls back the stone of the tomb.

Notice: the angel did not roll back the stone to let Jesus out. Jesus was already gone. The stone was rolled back to let the witnesses in.

"He is not here"

The angel said to the women:

"Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you."

The first apostles of the resurrection are women — sent by an angel, before any of the eleven knew anything.

They departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy and ran to tell His disciples.

"Greetings!"

And behold, Jesus met them and said:

"Greetings!"

They came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him.

Then Jesus said to them:

"Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me."

The risen Christ calls His disciples my brothers. After they had fled. After Peter had denied. After He had been forsaken at the cross — He still calls them brothers. The resurrection includes their restoration.

The guards' lie

While the women were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. When the chief priests had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers and said:

"Tell people, 'His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.' And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble."

So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.

The first response to the resurrection was a bribe. Some of the witnesses chose money over truth — and a fabricated cover story was launched that has had a long life.

But truth does not die because a lie is well-funded. The risen Christ would be seen, again and again, by hundreds of witnesses.

The mountain in Galilee

The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.

When they saw Him, they worshiped Him. But some doubted.

Even at the resurrection appearance, some doubted. Matthew is honest. The eleven were not all instantly certain. Some still had questions. The Lord did not punish them for it. He simply gave them the commission.

The Great Commission

Jesus came and said to them:

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

This is the closing word of Matthew's Gospel — and it gathers up the whole book.

"All authority." In Matthew 4, the devil offered Him the kingdoms of the world if He would bow. He refused. Now, through the cross and resurrection, the Father has given Him all authority — without compromise, without shortcut. Every knee will bow.

"Go therefore." The therefore depends on the authority. Because the King has all authority, His ambassadors go.

"Make disciples of all nations." No longer to the lost sheep of Israel only (as in chapter 10). Now to all nations. The Promise to Abraham — in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed — is being fulfilled in the King who came from Abraham.

"Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." The Triune name. Disciples are made by being incorporated into the life of the Trinity.

"Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded." Not just believing. Obeying. The Sermon on the Mount and every other teaching is to be passed on.

"I am with you always, to the end of the age." The book that began with the King being named Immanuel — God with us — ends with the same promise. He has not left us. He goes with His Church to the very end.

Closing reflections

Matthew began with a genealogy — a royal line stretching from Abraham, through David, to the Christ.

Matthew ends with a commission — a King with all authority sending His disciples to make disciples of every nation.

The Promised King has come. The Promised King has died. The Promised King has risen. The Promised King reigns.

And the same King who walked the dusty roads of Galilee is with His people now — wherever His gospel is preached, wherever His ordinances are observed, wherever His name is hallowed — until the day He returns to gather every people, tribe, and tongue under His everlasting throne.

Closing prayer

Father, thank You that the tomb is empty, that Your Son is risen, and that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him. Send us, in His name, to make disciples of all nations — baptizing, teaching, going. Thank You for the promise that closes Matthew and opens every day of the Christian life: I am with you always, to the end of the age. In Jesus' name, amen.