Matthew 27.62-66

This passage may not do a lot for your devotional cravings. Here it is in all its glory:

⁶² The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. ⁶³ “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ ⁶⁴ So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.”
 ⁶⁵ “Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” ⁶⁶ So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.


Wow!!!!


This will bring them forward on Sunday Morning!!!!


That's something that will get a bunch of sinners to repent.


But seriously....this passage is part of a series of passages that set up the turning point in the history of the known world. This passage serves to lay the foundation for the proof that Jesus really did rise from the dead. 


The two biggest objections that Jesus rose from the dead are that he didn't really die and that the tomb wasn't empty. 


As we saw yesterday, they buried Jesus. He was pronounced dead by professional Roman guards whose jobs were killing people, and he was buried in a tomb for three days after being flogged, beaten, and crucified. 


Jesus was dead. 


Now, the second biggest objection was that the tomb really wasn't empty three days later. There are a number of theories to try to prove this. Some people say that the disciples went to the wrong tomb. Others said that the disciples stole the body. 


The fact that there were guards posted at the tomb of Jesus make these two theories very hard to believe. 


How could the disciples have gone to the wrong tomb if Roman guards were posted at the tomb of Jesus? Also, how could the disciples have stolen his body if Roman guards were guarding the tomb? Do you see how important this text actually is in comparison to the objections people make to the resurrection?


Honestly, that's all I got on this passage for you. 


But as we journey to the empty tomb, remember, this is a historical event. No one has ever looked at the historical evidence surrounding the resurrection and been able to disprove it. 


The apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15.13-14:


¹³ If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. ¹⁴ And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.


If the resurrection is false, then our faith is useless. It is true, it changes EVERYTHING!!!!!


So I invite you to investigate the resurrection of Jesus. Along the way, you might just experience a resurrection yourself.