Matthew 28:2 (KJV)

Passage

And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.

Nearby Context

Matthew 28:1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.

Matthew 28:2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.

Matthew 28:3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:

Matthew 28:4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "behold", "great", "earthquake", "angel", "lord", "descended", "heaven", and "came". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "behold" and "great", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 1's "In the end of the sabbath as..." into verse 3's "His countenance was like lightning and his...", so "behold" and "great" 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 "behold" and "great" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.