22010.346 The Great Cover Up

“The next day (which is after the day of preparation) the chief priests and the Pharisees assembled before Pilate and said, ‘Sir, we remember that while that deceiver was still alive he said, “After three days I will rise again.” So give orders to secure the tomb until the third day. Otherwise his disciples may come and steal his body and say to the people, “He has been raised from the dead,” and the last deception will be worse than the first.’ Pilate said to them, ‘Take a guard of soldiers. Go and make it as secure as you can.’ So they went with the soldiers of the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone.” —Matthew 27:62–66

Isn’t it interesting that the unbelieving remembered Jesus’ prediction stating He would rise again after three days while His closest companions seemed to forget that prophecy? The resurrection was something these religious leaders greatly feared and they did what they humanly could to defeat the predictions. What were they thinking? They supposed they could keep Jesus in the grave with their seals and their guards? Humans can never manipulate or overpower God’s plans or purposes.

Psalm 2 comes to mind:

“Why do the nations rebel? Why are the countries devising plots that will fail? The kings of the earth form a united front; the rulers collaborate against the LORD and his anointed king … The one enthroned in heaven laughs in disgust; the LORD taunts them. Then he angrily speaks to them and terrifies them in his rage, saying, ‘I myself have installed my king on Zion, my holy hill … So now, you kings, do what is wise; you rulers of the earth, submit to correction! Serve the LORD in fear! Repent in terror!’” —Psalm 2:1–2; 4–6; 10–11

To be sure, their resurrection fears were well founded. After our Lord’s ascension, when the disciples actually were preaching the resurrection, thousands came to a saving knowledge of Jesus, to the great dismay of the religious leaders. We see in Acts:

“While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests and the commander of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them, angry because they were teaching the people and announcing in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. So they seized them and put them in jail until the next day (for it was already evening). But many of those who had listened to the message believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.” —Acts 4:1–4

Make no mistake about it, these men certainly did not believe in the Lord Jesus or His testimony, yet they were convinced that His followers would come and steal His body, making what they termed a deception worse for them by fabricating a resurrection lie.

The resurrection of Jesus, of course, demonstrated the truthfulness of Jesus’ identity and message as well as the power of God.

It was now the Sabbath day. Instead of finding the religious leaders in devotion, asking for pardon of sins from their past week’s transgressions, we see them laboring to defeat the prediction of Christ’s resurrection, busily petitioning Pilate to secure the tomb. Isn’t it strange how people can become so distorted in their thinking and ways? Christ’s mutilated body has been laid in a borrowed tomb and now they have requested the higher ups to have it sealed and guarded. Even though they had accomplished this mission of having Jesus eliminated, they remained fearful!

Become More

“You know to what extent You have already changed me, You who first healed me of the lust of vindicating myself, so that You might forgive all my remaining iniquities, and heal my diseases, and redeem my life from corruption, and crown me with loving-kindness and tender mercies, and satisfy my desire with good things.” —St. Augustine

Further Reflections

“The amazing care they then took to secure the tomb: ‘They sealed the stone’. However, because they did not trust that very much, they set a watch to keep his disciples from coming to steal him away. This was their intention, but God brought this good out of it: those who were set to oppose his resurrection had an opportunity to see it, and they did so, telling the chief priests what they saw. To guard the sepulcher against the poor, weak disciples was foolish, because it was unnecessary, but to think they could protect it against the power of God was also foolish, because it was useless, and yet they thought they were dealing shrewdly.” —Matthew Henry

When we lose sight of God’s true purposes, we become blind to His truth.

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