guard
22 - 04/25 /12:20
“Take a guard,” Pilate said. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.”
— Matthew chapter 27
The religious leaders had no fear Jesus would rise from the dead. That was impossible. What they feared was His disciples stealing Jesus’ body and proclaiming His resurrection. “This deception will be worse than the first.”
The Roman Prefect assigned a guard to the priests with the rather sarcastic instruction, “Make the tomb as secure as you know how.” The priests put a seal on the tombstone enclosing the tomb and posted the guard at the tomb.
Guarding a dead man—cushy duty. What could happen?
Sunday the three-dimensional reality in which humans are confined was disrupted. Mary from Magdala and “another Mary” were on their way to Jesus’ tomb when an earthquake struck. Arriving soon after they saw three startling things.
Outside the tomb were incapacitated soldiers. Having no knowledge of the guard, they had to be surprised by unconscious legionaries. However, their attention abruptly moved from the soldiers to an angel sitting on the stone that should have been blocking the tomb’s entrance.
The angel spoke to the women, “I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here, He has risen just as He said.” The angel invited the women to investigate the tomb to verify that it was empty. Then commanded they hurry and inform Jesus’ disciples.
After a quick look inside the empty tomb Mary and Mary hurried back toward Jerusalem, fearful yet filled with joy. Very nearby they met the risen Jesus Himself, who told them, “Do not be afraid.”
Before the women arrived back in Jerusalem, the guard recovered enough to abandon their post. While the women told Jesus’ disciples He was risen, the guard reported their experience to the temple priests. The priests could not believe the guard’s wild story. Regardless, decisive action was needed to suppress a terrible hoax.
The priests arranged a payoff. The soldiers were got a large fee to change their story—report the disciples stole the body while they slept at their post. And, “If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.”
What did the guard witness Resurrection Sunday? Matthew’s account suggests the event that incapacitated the guard occurred just prior to the arrival of the two women at Jesus’ tomb. The 2016 movie Risen offers an interesting dramatization.
Matthew alone records that Jesus’ tomb was guarded. None of the four gospels include the guard’s testimony. The purpose of the gospel writers was to proclaim Jesus’ resurrection. The goal of the gospel writers was to announce that human reality has been transformed; the kingdom of heaven is available to all who believe. ~
He is Risen!
Dan Nygaard