Matthew 28:15 (LSB)

Passage

And they took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to this day.

Nearby Context

Matthew 28:13 and said, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.’

Matthew 28:14 And if this is heard before the governor, we will win him over and keep you out of trouble.”

Matthew 28:15 And they took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to this day.

Matthew 28:16 But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated.

Matthew 28:17 And when they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "took", "money", "been", "instructed", "story", "widely", "spread", and "jews". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "took" and "money", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 14's "And if this is heard before the..." into verse 16's "But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee...", so "took" and "money" belong inside that flow. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "took" and "money" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.