12 a disciple (Arimathaea) comes forward to display respect (for body).

27:57-66

27:57-28:6 When evening had come a rich man from Arimathea who was called Joseph and who himself was a disciple arrived. This man approached Pilate asking for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded that it be given to him. Taking the body Joseph wrapped it in a clean sheet and placed it in a new tomb which he had hewed in the rock. Then rolling a great stone before the door of the tomb he went away. Mary the Magdalen and the other Mary were sitting opposite the grave. The next day, which is after the preparation feast, the chief priests were

assembled. They sent a message to Pilate saying, “Sir. We remember that when this deceiver was still alive he said “After three days I will rise again.” Command therefore that the grave be guarded until the third day in case the disciples may steal his body and say to the people “He was raised from the dead. Then the last deceit will be worse than the first.” Then Pilate said to them “You have guards. Go and make it fast yourselves.” And so they made the grave fast, making sure the stone was sealed with their own guard there.

In the paragraph preceding this Matthew notes that Pilate knew the chief priests had delivered Jesus out of envy. They had claimed to Pilate that Jesus said he would destroy then rebuild the temple within three days. But now that Jesus is dead the priests switch stories and say that Jesus was talking about himself being “re-built” within three days. Before the secular scepticism of the Romans this makes their religious ‘law’ about blasphemy look like a farce.

13 disciples told of new life (resurrection)

28:1-7

28:1-7 But late on the Sabbath as the first day of the week was near Mary the Magdalene and the other Mary came to view the grave. Behold a great earthquake occurred as an angel of the Lord was descending out of heaven. He approached and rolled the stone away and sat upon it. His appearance was as lightning and his dress as white a snow. From fear of him those guarding the grave were so shaken that they fell down as though dead.

Then on answering the angel said to the women. “Do not be afraid for I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here for he was raised as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.” They went quickly to tell his disciples that he was raised from the dead and to tell them “He is going before you into Galilee and you will see him there as he had told you.”

Is Mary Magdalene is/was as pivotal in the gospels as some modern theorists would claim? Note that here she is not identified with the ointment woman but rather with the disciples. However the whole sequence of events here in Matthew (and Mark) began with an argument and controversy about the ointment woman. Was this controversy really about an argument relating to Jesus' requirement that his disciples become "like children"? It appears he viewed Lazarus "whom Jesus loved" and his two sisters Martha and Mary (named as the ointment woman in John) as coming near to what Jesus was looking for, and what he wanted his disciples to become. Where does the Magdalene fit in? It is to herself that Jesus finally refers to the disciples as being "his brothers."