Charles Spurgeon Commentary Matthew 28:8

"And they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring his disciples word." — Matthew 28:8 (ASV)

And they departed quickly from the sepulcher with fear and great joy;

What a mixture, fear and joy! But notice that the fear was not great, and the joy was: "Fear and great joy." Observe the proportions of the mixture; and if tonight you have some fear, yet I hope you will have great joy; and then the bitterness of the fear will pass away. A holy fear, mixed with great joy, is one of the sweetest compounds we can bring to God's altar. Some of us have brought those spices with us tonight. These holy women brought other spices to the tomb; but these were the spices that they took away from it, "Fear and great joy."

And they departed quickly from the sepulcher with fear and great joy;

That seems a strange mixture: "fear and great joy." Yet there was plenty of reason for both emotions. Who would not fear who had felt an earthquake, and seen an angel, and observed the tomb broken open? Yet who would not rejoice who had received such a cheering message, and such an assurance that the crucified Christ had risen from the dead? Experience is the best explanation of experience; you must feel for yourself these two emotions working together before you can understand how they can live in anyone at the same time: "They departed quickly from the sepulcher with fear and great joy."

And did run to bring his disciples word.

Good women! "They did run." These staid matrons ran, and who would not run to tell of a risen Lord?

That seems a strange mixture: fear and great joy, awe and delight, doubt and faith, yet the joy was greater than the fear. It was not joy and great fear, but fear and great joy. Have we never experienced that mixture—drops of grief, like April showers, and peace and joy, like sunlight from heaven, making a glorious rainbow reminding us of God’s covenant of peace?

A holy fear, mingled with great joy, is one of the sweetest compounds we can bring to God’s altar; such were the spices these holy women took away from Christ’s tomb. Fear and joy would both make them run to bring word to his disciples. Either of these emotions gives speed to the feet, but when fear and great joy are combined, running is the only pace that expresses the messengers’ feelings.