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Mt 27:55-66 has made it clear that Jesus was in fact dead and that his tomb was secured in such a way that no one could steal his body. This is important background for ch. 28, for it indicates that there is no plausible explanation for the empty tomb other than the one offered by the angel: Jesus has been raised by the power of God (vv.5-6).
The events surrounding the Resurrection do not turn the Jews away from their opposition to Jesus. In an attempt to contradict the proclamation of Jesus' resurrection, the religious authorities bribe the soldiers to spread a lie (vv.11-15). Thus opposition to Jesus and his proclamation did not end with his death, but continued on into the life of the church.
The whole of ch. 28 points ahead to the missionary commissioning of vv.16-20. The resurrected Jesus appears to his disciples in Galilee, fulfilling the word of the angel in v.7 and the word of Christ himself in v.10 (also 26:32). Thus Matthew shows that Jesus can be trusted to fulfill the promises he has made to his disciples throughout the gospel.
The declarations of Jesus in 28:18-20 contain two major elements. First, Jesus announces that all authority has been given to him (by God) (v.18). The notion of authority involves both the power to act and the right to act. Although Jesus exercised authority throughout his ministry (e.g., 7:29), in consequence of his resurrection he now possesses all authority everywhere.
Second, because Jesus possesses allinclusive authority, all persons everywhere should be brought under his sovereign rule (vv.19-20a). Previously the disciples were to go only to Israel (10:5-6), but now they are to make disciples of all nations. Jesus indicates that making disciples involves (1) baptizing in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (this is initial and relates to conversion), and (2) teaching them to obey the commandments Jesus has given his disciples throughout the gospel (this is ongoing and relates to the nurture of Christians). As the disciples perform this missionary work, they can be assured of the continuous presence of the resurrected Christ (v.20b). Jesus will be with the disciples to help them overcome all obstacles that stand in the way of fulfilling this mission. Even now Jesus remains in the midst of his people, speaking words of comfort and guidance as the church performs its missionary work in the world.