Matthew 27-12.26.22

Scripture

Matthew‬ ‭27‬:‭63‬-‭64‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“They told him, “Sir, we remember what that deceiver once said while he was still alive: ‘After three days I will rise from the dead.’ So we request that you seal the tomb until the third day. This will prevent his disciples from coming and stealing his body and then telling everyone he was raised from the dead! If that happens, we’ll be worse off than we were at first.””

Observation-What does it say?

After the crucifixion and death of Jesus, the leading priests and the Pharisees went to see Pilate. They remembered Jesus telling people that he would rise from the dead after three days. So they requested that Pilate seal the tomb, and place guards all around it to prevent anyone, (especially Jesus’ disciples), from stealing the body, and telling everyone that Jesus has risen. They knew the commotion this would bring them, and it would discredit their reputations.

Understanding-What does it mean?

Jesus resurrection is the key to our faith.

“And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.”-1 Corinthians‬ ‭15‬:‭14‬-‭19‬ ‭

There comes a point in every believer’s life where they kind of question their faith. I know I did when I was still young in my faith. Was I just believing and doing this because that is how I was raised, and I wanted to carry on the “family tradition”? Or did I truly believe in my heart of hearts the stories in the Bible and everything it says is true? Well the key for anyone questioning if Christianity is real or not is to prove or disprove the resurrection of Jesus. And the more I think about this story, (particularly this chapter in the book of Matthew), I couldn’t be more firm in my faith knowing that Jesus was raised from the dead, and He was the Son of God.

Let’s me start off by debunking the theories that Jesus’ body was stolen from the tomb by his disciples. Back in those days the Roman Guard were today’s equivalent to our Navy SEALS. I mean, you did not want to mess with these soldiers. So you better believe that the Pharisees and the leading priests took Pilate up on his offer, and used these soldiers to guard Jesus’ body, and placed guards all around the tomb. Also, keep in mind if anything got passed these guards on their watch, their offense would be punishable by death! So you better believe these guards took their watch seriously.

Then you have Jesus’ disciples. They were a group of fishermen and tax collectors; untrained in any form of combat. So you’re telling me this group of men can go behind enemy lines, get passed these Roman soldiers, move the huge boulder in front of Jesus’ tomb, and sneak his body passed everyone? I don’t think so.

Then you have eyewitness of people, not only his disciples, but other people who witnessed seeing Jesus alive after those three days. All accounts can be verified in all four gospels.

The final “kicker” is knowing how Jesus’ disciples, (except John), were brutally martyred. Now you’re telling me that you would be willing to die a gruesome death like that over a lie? I know I wouldn’t. I’d be the first to squeal, “I was just kidding” once apprehended and threatened over a death sentence. But what did Jesus disciples do? They continued to preach the Good News. They were willing to die because they believed in Jesus and all of what Jesus said. They knew the truth! And I know the truth too!

Life Application

Stand up. Stand up for Jesus!

So don’t let anyone try to sway you from what you know is true. This was just one way to know that Jesus was resurrected. This was just one way to know that Jesus said who he said he was. Just think of all of the prophecies in the Old Testament, all pointing to Jesus, all coming true. They were written hundreds of years before they even happened! And for all of those prophecies to line up and come true is like a billion to one! Or maybe, just maybe, it’s how I like to see it. It was a divine plan, from a sovereign God, who knew just how to reconcile the broken relationship of sinful man, to a Holy God.

-Moses Gaddi‬ ‭