Matthew 28:5
ESV
But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.
NIV
The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.
NASB
And the angel said to the women, 'Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified.
CSB
The angel told the women, "Don’t be afraid, because I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified.
NLT
Then the angel spoke to the women. 'Don’t be afraid!' he said. 'I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.
KJV
And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.
NKJV
But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.
What does Matthew 28:5 mean?
Matthew's telling of this moment can be confusing if one forgets that he so often groups statements by theme, not in a strict order of time. Read in a modern style, this gives the impression the women who had come to anoint Jesus' body with spices witnessed the arrival of the angel. Mark, Luke, and John, however, show that this action took place before the women arrived. The angel "had" appeared and rolled away the stone (Matthew 27:60, 66), and "then" later spoke to the women as they arrived.When the women come to the tomb, they find the stone door open and the angel seated there. They are understandably frightened. After all, the appearance of the angel was enough to cause Roman soldiers to faint. Virtually everyone who sees an angel, in Scripture, reacts in fear (Luke 1:11–13; 2:9–10; Acts 10:3–4). The angel, though, urges them not to be afraid. He calms the women by revealing that he knows why they have come. They are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.
With these words, the angel reveals that he knows Jesus' body occupied this tomb and is no longer present. What the angel says next are some of the most powerful words spoken in history.
