Matthew 28:5-6

Matthew 28:5-6 is the resurrection announcement: "Don't be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus, who has been crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, just like he said." Matthew 28:5-6 takes place at dawn on the first day of the week and is spoken to two women who went to the tomb — the first witnesses of the resurrection, a notable detail in a context where women's testimony carried little legal weight.

The announcement has four parts: don't be afraid, I know you seek Jesus who was crucified, he is not here, he has risen. The order matters: the fear is addressed before the news.

The phrase "just like he said" ties the event to the earlier predictions. It is not presented as a happy accident, but as fulfillment.

Then comes a practical command: "come, see the place where the Lord was lying" and, in the next verse, "go quickly and tell his disciples". See and tell — the minimum structure of a testimony.

This is the central text of Christian Easter. For a full reading of resurrection morning, it is worth comparing the four accounts: Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24 and John 20.