not generally use that title, and it is dropped several times in his gospel. The tense of the word translated as crucified specifically denotes a complete act with continuing consequences, emphasizing the importance of the event. Since Matthew has the women still outside of the tomb, this verse also deviates from Mark by having the angel request that the women enter the tomb. In Mark the angel invites the women to see where "they put him", but Matthew had Joseph of Arimathea acting alone, so he drops the word "they" and reorders that part of the sentence. These verses are part of a series of pieces of evidence Matthew presents to prove the truth of the resurrection story and refute the stolen body hypothesis, which at this time was being advanced by non-Christians. Having the women enter the tomb confirms that it was empty just after the stone was removed. These are also the same women who had earlier witnessed Jesus' interment at Matthew 27:60-61, so there is no doubt of a mistake. The angel also refers back to Jesus' prophesies of his own resurrection "as he said" (), thus helping confirm that Jesus was a true prophet. Notes References Bibliography Davies, W.D. and Dale C. Allison, Jr. (1997), A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel According to Saint Matthew. Edinburgh : T. & T. Clark, 1988–1997. Nolland, John (2005), The Gospel of Matthew: a Commentary on the Greek text, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. Matthew 28 Matthew 28:05 Angelic apparitions in the Bible