His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow

Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men. But the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said, Come, see the place where the Lord lay, and go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you." So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word. And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, "Rejoice!" so they came and held him by the feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me."

- Matthew 28:1-1

In yesterday's reading, we read of Joseph of Arimathea's bold claiming of Jesus' body, and his giving up of his own new tomb - fit for a wealthy man, hewn of rock - for Jesus' burial. Mary Magdalene "and the other Mary" were seated outside the tomb, in mourning. The temple authorities, wary of deceit regarding prophecies of Jesus rising from the dead, post a guard outside the tomb.

Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. My study bible notes here that, "the earthquake is a sign of Jesus' great victory over death, pointing to the general resurrection. Neither the earthquake nor the moving of the stone expedites Jesus' Resurrection; they are signs for the benefit of the women and the soldiers."

His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men. But the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified." My study bible notes: "The two women are the first witnesses to the most amazing event in all history: the empty tomb, the first firm evidence of the Resurrection." The description of the angel reflects visions of the appearances of heavenly beings in both the Old and New Testaments (esp. Daniel 7:9 and 10:6). The great light and its extreme white color take us back to the events of the Transfiguration: we know that we are in the presence of something heavenly, the realm of the Eternal Jerusalem - and linked through the visions of Daniel's prophecy we are tied with apocalyptic reality, and Jesus' self-referential title (also from the Book of Daniel), the Son of Man. My study bible also links the phrase describing the guards, telling us they "became like dead men" with the line from Revelation 1:17: "When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: 'Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.' " The angel speaks to these women, the faithful who have been with Jesus, ministering to him and to the Apostles, since the ministry began in Galilee.

"He is not here; for He is risen, as He said, Come, see the place where the Lord lay, and go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you." So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word. And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, "Rejoice!" so they came and held him by the feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me." My study bible notes, "Rejoice is the first word of the risen Christ, a common greeting here filled with great blessing." This "Rejoice!" in the Greek is the same greeting given to the Mary, Jesus' mother, at the Annunciation. (It's often translated as "Greetings!" or "Hail!" and it remains a common greeting today in the Greek language - but its meaning is "Rejoice!") Galilee is mentioned three times in these closing chapters of Matthew: the first is at the Last Supper, when Jesus predicts his betrayal and the scattering of his sheep, in fulfillment of prophecy: "'I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee." Then the angel tells the two Marys to inform the disciples that the risen Christ will go before them into Galilee, and finally Christ Himself affirms his promise to the disciples: "Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me." They (the women) are still ministering to the disciples - Mary Magdalene continues to fulfill her role as Apostle to the Apostles. They are the ones that will break the news to the "scattered sheep," the ones to whom Christ has first appeared, the ones to whom the Angel has given the message - and the ones blessed by the greeting, "Rejoice!"

These women, who play such a strong role in this story, are like earthly angels themselves: they are the messengers of heaven to the disciples. Will the disciples believe them? Jesus has announced, once in his earthly presence, and now in his risen presence, that he will go into Galilee before the disciples, and they will see him there. In this ending story of the Gospel of Matthew, we have several significant episodes in which women played a decisive and pivotal role in the events that unfold: the woman who anointed Christ before burial, and these women who continue to minister to Jesus at his tomb. And, we note, in the beautiful doubling and mirroring we've found all through Matthew's Gospel, each is associated with the name "Mary," as is the greeting of the Angel at the tomb. Let us remember they are there. It's not just significant because they are women - but also because they play roles that are indispensable to the story of salvation, and yet remain, in some sense, secondary in the stories that will unfold from here and the history of the Church. (This gives us a glimpse of the importance of the prominent role of Mary, Mother of God, throughout the history of the Church.) Let us learn a lesson from the inspired message here of the Gospel: there is no one who is secondary in the story of salvation. Whatever role you play, you are someone who counts toward the service of this powerful story and its continual unfolding in the world. Those who serve are loved as individuals, and each is given a role to play. In our relationship to Christ, we are each beloved, each a powerful part of Creation, each important and significant to our Creator. Let us not forget that it's not the nominally powerful who count, but those who serve with all their heart and soul and mind and strength. We choose to serve, to love and participate. Be that person, be that disciple, and let that role unfold in your own life, which is just as significant to Christ as any other. Not everyone's role is the same. We are loved each one for ourselves in relationship to our Lord. How will you respond to Grace?