was their sorrow and distress, for they knew not what had become of the Body of their Lord. But immediately two men in shining garments stood[1] before them. Seeing this, the women were afraid[2]. But one of the angels said to them: “Be not affrighted. You seek Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified. He is not here. He is risen. Go, tell His disciples and Peter.”[3] The women went with joy, and told the disciples what they had seen and heard.
In the mean time the chief priests[4] consulted with the ancients, and then they gave the soldiers who had been at the sepulchre a great sum of money, and told them: “Say you[5] that His disciples came by night and stole Him when you were asleep.” The soldiers took the money and did as they were told.
COMMENTARY.
How our Lord rose from the dead. On the third day after His Death our Lord came forth from the grave, alive and with a glorified Body, having risen from the dead by His own power. His Soul rejoined His Body, and His Body itself was glorified, so that He was able to go out from the closed sepulchre, and afterwards appear in the midst of the apostles, having passed through the closed doors (chapter LXXXI).
These prophecies were fulfilled by the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ: i. “Thou wilt not leave My soul in hell, nor wilt Thou give Thy Holy One to see corruption” (Ps. 15, 10, Old Test. LV); 2. “The Gentiles shall beseech Him, and His sepulchre shall be glorious” (Is. 11, 10, Old Test. LXXI1); 3. “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2, 19, New Test. XV); 4. “As Jonas was in the whale’s belly three days and three nights, so shall the Son of man
- ↑ Stood. Standing, the one at the head, and the other at the foot of the empty tomb.
- ↑ Afraid. And “bowed their countenances to the ground”, or looked down, being blinded by the brightness of the angels.
- ↑ And Peter. To Peter especially, because he was the chief of the apostles.
- ↑ The chief priests. Having been, as already stated, informed by the soldiers of all that had taken place, namely that there had been an earthquake, that an angel had appeared, that the tomb was empty, and that the angel had rolled back the stone.
- ↑ Say you. The consistent narrative of the soldiers placed the chief priests in a dilemma, out of which they could see no escape except by heavily bribing the soldiers to tell a lie. At the same time they agreed to stand surety for the safety of these men, saying: “If the Governor hear of this (of your pretended sleep while on guard) we will persuade him, and secure you (from punishment).” For to sleep while on guard was forbidden under pain of the severest penalty.
