Suddenly Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’ And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.’ There is a sense in which Matthew is, if not “fixing,” at...

So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Notice, please, that it’s “fear and great joy.” Not just “great joy,” which is more likely what we would have expected. That is, when we think about the women coming to the tomb on that first Easter...

But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is...

But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid….” Do not be afraid. It is, perhaps, the most succinct summary of the Gospel we can find. Do not live in fear. Do not be limited by others. Do not forget how much God loves you. Do not let circumstances wither your hopes. Do not give up....

After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. Dawn, on the first day of the week. This is when Matthew’s account of the resurrection starts. Dawn, when the sun is just cresting the horizon after a long night, spreading...

Now when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes. So I wonder what Matthew means when he says that Jesus taught “as one having authority, and not as their scribes.” I mean, I...