Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Matthew: Chapter 28].
very variations strengthen the independent witness to the
essential fact that Jesus rose from the grave. Let each writer
give his own account in his own way. The stone was rolled away
not to let the Lord out, but to let the women in to prove the
fact of the empty tomb (McNeile).
28:3 {Appearance} (\eidea\). Here only in the N.T. Compare
\morph•\ and \sch•ma\.
28:4 {The watchers did quake} (\eseisth•san hoi t•rountes\). And
no wonder that they became as dead men and fled before the women
came.
28:5 {Unto the women} (\tais gunaixin\). According to John, Mary
Magdalene had left to go and tell Peter and John of the supposed
grave robbery (Joh 20:1f.). But the other women remained and
had the interview with the angel (or men, Luke) about the empty
tomb and the Risen Christ. {Jesus the Crucified} (\I•soun ton
estaur•menon\). Perfect passive participle, state of completion.
This he will always be. So Paul will preach as essential to his
gospel "and this one crucified" (\kai touton estaur•menon\, 1Co
2:2).
28:6 {Risen from the dead} (\•gerth• apo t•n nekr•n\). {Jesus the
Risen}. This is the heart of the testimony of the angel to the
women. It is what Paul wishes Timothy never to forget (2Ti
2:8), "Jesus Christ risen from the dead" (\I•soun Christon
eg•germenon ek nekr•n\). They were afraid and dazzled by the
glory of the scene, but the angel said, "Come, see the place
where the Lord lay" (\deute idete ton topon hopou ekeito ho
Kurios\). Some MSS. do not have \ho Kurios\, but he is the
subject of \ekeito\. His body was not there. It will not do to
say that Jesus arose in spirit and appeared alive though his body
remained in the tomb. The empty tomb is the first great fact
confronting the women and later the men. Various theories were
offered then as now. But none of them satisfy the evidence and
explain the survival of faith and hope in the disciples that do
not rest upon the fact of the Risen Christ whose body was no
longer in the tomb.
28:7 {He goeth before you into Galilee} (\proagei humas eis t•n
Galilaian\). Jesus did appear to the disciples in Galilee on two
notable occasions (by the beloved lake, Joh 21, and on the
mountain, Mt 28:16-20). Probably before the women were
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