Category: Matthew

[27:45] At noon the whole country was covered with darkness, which lasted for three hours.

[27:46] At about three o'clock Jesus cried out with a loud shout, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why did you abandon me?”

[27:47] Some of the people standing there heard him and said, “He is calling for Elijah!”

[27:48] One of them ran up at once, took a sponge, soaked it in cheap wine, put it on the end of a stick, and tried to make him drink it.

[27:49] But the others said, “Wait, let us see if Elijah is coming to save him!”

[27:50] Jesus again gave a loud cry and breathed his last.

[27:51] Then the curtain hanging in the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split apart,

[27:52] the graves broke open, and many of God's people who had died were raised to life.

[27:53] They left the graves, and after Jesus rose from death, they went into the Holy City, where many people saw them.

[27:54] When the army officer and the soldiers with him who were watching Jesus saw the earthquake and everything else that happened, they were terrified and said, “He really was the Son of God!”

[27:55] There were many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee and helped him.

[27:56] Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the wife of Zebedee.

[27:57] When it was evening, a rich man from Arimathea arrived; his name was Joseph, and he also was a disciple of Jesus.

[27:58] He went into the presence of Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate gave orders for the body to be given to Joseph.

[27:59] So Joseph took it, wrapped it in a new linen sheet,

[27:60] and placed it in his own tomb, which he had just recently dug out of solid rock. Then he rolled a large stone across the entrance to the tomb and went away.

[27:61] Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there, facing the tomb.

[27:62] The next day, which was a Sabbath, the chief priests and the Pharisees met with Pilate

[27:63] and said, “Sir, we remember that while that liar was still alive he said, ‘I will be raised to life three days later.’

[27:64] Give orders, then, for his tomb to be carefully guarded until the third day, so that his disciples will not be able to go and steal the body, and then tell the people that he was raised from death. This last lie would be even worse than the first one.”

[27:65] “Take a guard,” Pilate told them; “go and make the tomb as secure as you can.”

[27:66] So they left and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and leaving the guard on watch.

[28:1] After the Sabbath, as Sunday morning was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

[28:2] Suddenly there was a violent earthquake; an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled the stone away, and sat on it.

[28:3] His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.

[28:4] The guards were so afraid that they trembled and became like dead men.

[28:5] The angel spoke to the women. “You must not be afraid,” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.

[28:6] He is not here; he has been raised, just as he said. Come here and see the place where he was lying.

[28:7] Go quickly now, and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from death, and now he is going to Galilee ahead of you; there you will see him!’ Remember what I have told you.”

[28:8] So they left the tomb in a hurry, afraid and yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.

[28:9] Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Peace be with you.” They came up to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him.

[28:10] “Do not be afraid,” Jesus said to them. “Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

[28:11] While the women went on their way, some of the soldiers guarding the tomb went back to the city and told the chief priests everything that had happened.

[28:12] The chief priests met with the elders and made their plan; they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers

[28:13] and said, “You are to say that his disciples came during the night and stole his body while you were asleep.

[28:14] And if the Governor should hear of this, we will convince him that you are innocent, and you will have nothing to worry about.”

[28:15] The guards took the money and did what they were told to do. And so that is the report spread around by the Jews to this very day.

[28:16] The eleven disciples went to the hill in Galilee where Jesus had told them to go.

[28:17] When they saw him, they worshiped him, even though some of them doubted.

[28:18] Jesus drew near and said to them, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.

[28:19] Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples: baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

[28:20] and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And I will be with you always, to the end of the age.”