Matthew 28:1-15

¹ Now after the Sabbath, when the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.

² And see, there was a great earthquake, because an angel of the Lord descended from the sky and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.

³ He looked like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow.

⁴ And out of dread of him the guards trembled and became like dead men.

⁵ But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are seeking Jesus who was crucified.

⁶ He is not here, because he has risen, as he said. Come, look at the place where he lay.

⁷ Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and see, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.”

⁸ So they left quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.

⁹ And see, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him.

¹⁰ Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

¹¹ While they were going, see, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place.

¹² And when they had assembled with the elders and conspired together, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers

¹³ and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and took him away while we were asleep.’

¹⁴ And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.”

¹⁵ So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.

two other commissions

Before Matthew records Jesus’ Great Commission, he shows us two other commissions—two competing missions that still shape the world today.

First, there is the commission given to the women on resurrection morning. They were the first witnesses of the risen Christ, and they were entrusted with a simple but world‑shaping task: “Go and tell my brothers… tell them I am alive… tell them to meet Me in Galilee.” Their mission was to gather the very people who would soon be sent to the nations. It was a commission to assemble the church before the church was commissioned.

And that calling has never ended. Not everyone is sent across oceans, but every believer is called to help gather, support, encourage, and send those who are. The Great Commission is not only for the goers—it is also for the senders. The women ran with joy to deliver their message. We are invited to run with the same joy today.

The second commission is far darker. The soldiers were paid to deny the resurrection—to suppress the truth before it could spread. They were instructed to use their influence, their authority, and their credibility to keep the world from hearing that Christ had risen. They didn’t have to preach a counter‑gospel. They didn’t have to argue theology. They simply had to stay silent and let the lie stand.

That commission still echoes as well. There are always forces—political, cultural, spiritual—that benefit when Christ is ignored. The world does not need to deny Him outright; it only needs to drown His voice in noise and distraction.

Between these two commissions—the call to gather and send, and the pressure to silence and suppress—hangs the fate of a lost world. One leads to life. The other leads to darkness. And every believer must choose which commission they will obey.

LORD, we choose to gather, to support, and to send those whom You are calling to the nations. Strengthen our resolve to stand with Your mission and not be silent about the risen Christ.