Harmony of the Gospels

 HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS

(4) Jesus Appears to the Other Women

Scripture: Matthew 28:9,10

Tom Lowe

9/27/2008

 

Date: Sunday--A.D. 30
Location: Jerusalem

 

 

 

 

He goes before you. When the women ran to share the message, they met the Lord. The Shepherd goes before the sheep and prepares the way for them: "To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out" (John 10:4). You have a living and victorious Savior who has everything under control. Trust Him!

 

9And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.

And as they went to tell his disciples-- an angel advised the women to go quickly to announce the glorious news to His disciples--The Lord was alive again and would meet them in Galilee. After delivering the message, they returned to the empty tomb. It was then that Jesus Himself appeared to them, acknowledging them with the greeting, "all Hail." They responded by falling at His feet and worshiping Him. He then personally commissioned them to notify the disciples that they would see Him in Galilee.

Jesus met them--Christ bestows his graces and comfort by degrees, first by His angels, and then by himself. He does not reveal himself to unbelieving and disobedient souls; he doesn't even appear to these women until he has tested their faith and obedience by his ministering angels. With fear and great joy they actually met Jesus and worshipped Him. We cannot imagine their emotional attitude at this moment when fear and joy gripped them simultaneously. This occurred when they left the sepulchre the second time. Jesus first appeared to Mary Magdalene, when she was alone: "And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus" (John 20:14; KJV). Afterwards he appeared to the other women, as related in these two verses.

All hail--Health be to you! Be ye safe, rejoice. "All hail" is a Greek greeting which is similar to the Hebrew greeting "Peace be to you," which conveys the thought (1.) that Christ has good-will toward us and desires our happiness and comfort. (2.) that Jesus enjoyed freedom, familiarity and fellowship with his disciples. Judas greeted Jesus hypocritically when he went up to Him in the Garden of Gethsemane and said, "Hail, Rabbi!" and then kissed Him (see Matt. 26:49).

And they held him by the feet, and worshipped him--This kind of reverence and adoration  is in daily use among the Hindus: when a disciple meets his religious guide in the public streets, he prostrates himself before him, and, taking the dust from his teacher's feet, rubs it on his forehead, chest, etc. "Held him by the feet" is interpreted by some to mean "threw themselves prostrate before him." This was the usual posture when meeting a person of great importance, such as a king: "Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out" (2 Kings 4:37; KJV). It does not mean that they took hold of his feet, but only that they cast themselves down before him.

10Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.

Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid--The ancients, when in the presence of a heavenly being-an angel, or one who was supposed to be possessed by Divine power-were frequently struck with excessive fear, as well as a great sense of their unworthiness. See Luke 5:8, Judges 6:22, 23, 13:21, 22. The women, that met the Lord while rushing to tell the story of  his resurrection were alarmed, because now they believed He was the Son of God; and having this new consciousness felt they were unworthy of being in his presence. Jesus comforted them. He was the same Jesus with whom they had been with before his death; and they had no reason now to fear him.

Go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me. --This is the first time our Lord called his disciples by this endearing name: they no doubt thought that their Lord would scold them for their past cowardice and faithlessness; but, with these tender words, he gives them a full assurance, that what happened in the past was buried for ever. Note, Jesus Christ is often better than his word, but never worse; He often anticipates, but never frustrates, the believing expectations of his people

Galilee was the northern part of the nation. There the Savior began his ministry; and there, away from the noise and confusion of the city is where He would meet them, to convince them of his resurrection, and to commission them to go forth and preach the everlasting gospel. Jerusalem had forfeited the honor of Christ's presence; therefore he will meet with them in Galilee: that could be expected, since all but one of the disciples was from Galilee.