Matthew 28:18

"When they saw him, they bowed down to him; but some doubted."

Key Reflection

In the narrative of Matthew 28:18, as Jesus emerges from the tomb, his disciples recognize him and immediately bow down in reverence—acknowledging his divine authority and Messiahship. However, some among them doubt the reality of what they are seeing, a tension that reflects the broader struggle many believers face between faith and skepticism even after witnessing miraculous events. This moment captures the complexity of immediate belief versus ongoing disbelief, a dynamic familiar to both first-century audiences and modern readers alike.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

Verse 18. All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. The Son of God, as Creator, had an original right to all things, to control them and dispose of them. See Joh 1:3; Col 1:16,17; Heb 1:8. But the universe is put under him more particularly as Mediator, that he might redeem his people, that he might gather a church, that he might defend his chosen, that he might subdue all their enemies, and bring them off conquerors, and more than conquerors, Eph 1:20-23; 1 Co 15:25-27; Joh 5:22,23; Php 2:6-11.

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