Matthew the apostle wrote how an angel said to the women who came to visit Jesus' grave, “Fear not: for I know that you seek Jesus, which 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, behold, he goes before you into Galilee; there shall you see him: lo, I have told you. And they departed quickly from the sepulcher with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word”, and in chapter twenty-eight and verse nine of his book, Matthew wrote how the women, “worshiped” Jesus where we read:
And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying,
All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshiped him.
The verse reads, “And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, ...” Matthew began words, “and as they went” which means “and when the women departed and left” “to tell his disciples” or “to proclaim and bring tidings to Jesus' students, pupils and attendants”, “behold” which means “look, lo and see”, “Jesus met them” or “Jesus whose name means Jehovah is Salvation and is the Son of God, the Savior of mankind and God incarnate encountered the women”, “saying” which means “uttering, proclaiming and declaring” the following. Matthew shared how the “women” obeyed the “angel's” directive and Jesus “encountered” them as they went to tell His disciples.
The verse continues, “All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshiped him.” Matthew added the words, “all hail” or “salutations, be glad and rejoice exceedingly”. “and they came and held him by the feet” which means “and the women approached Jesus and seized, took hold of and retained Jesus by His feet”, “and worshiped him” which means “paid homage, reverence and obeisance to Jesus”. Matthew shared how Jesus greeted the “women” and they responded by grabbing Him by His feet and “reverencing Him”.
When we consider Matthew's words in this verse, we see how Jesus must have surprised these women as they were in their travels to share Jesus' resurrection with His disciples. Can we imagine how they must have felt when He revealed Himself and greeted them with “salutations” and the encouragement to “rejoice exceedingly”. We can be certain He did not have to tell them twice as in their exuberance they “held” Him by His feet and “worshiped” Him. God loves this type of reaction to the news that “Jesus is Risen”, and upon this foundational truth, all of Christianity hangs. As Paul the apostle wrote, “if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.” (See 1 Corinthians 15:13-14) To God be the Glory! Great things He has done!
Next time Matthew shares how Jesus says, “Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
“Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the
marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the
Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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