Matthew 28:4
“For fear of him, the guards shook, and became like dead men.”
What does Matthew 28:4 mean?
The guards at Jesus's tomb experienced something so overwhelming that their bodies simply gave way. Fear isn't just an emotion here, it's a physical force that left them trembling and unable to respond, almost as if life drained out of them. This captures how encounters with the divine, or with events that shatter our understanding of reality, can affect us in ways beyond our control. If you've ever felt so afraid or shocked that your legs wouldn't hold you or your mind went blank, you have some sense of what these soldiers experienced in that moment.