So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting a guard. Matthew 27:66
For those who wanted Jesus dead, the crucifixion and burial were not enough. Although he was dead, they still had worries. They were worried about the implications of Jesus’ prophecies concerning His resurrection coming true. One part of them hated Jesus; another part feared Him. They did three things to ensure that Jesus would never come out of the grave they had put Him into.
• Secured the tomb. That means that they sent a special team to inspect the tomb and make sure that nobody was hiding in the tomb with Jesus and that there were no secret passages out of the tomb to ‘vanish’ the body of Jesus.
• Sealed the stone. After they were sure that there were no secret passages or persons, they rolled a stone – actually a huge rock - to cover the opening of the tomb. They then set the official seal of the governor on the stone to warn any intruders of dire consequences if they interfered with the tomb.
• Set a guard. A guard was a small detachment of armed men sent to secure both people and places. They may have numbered between twelve and twenty men. In the case of Jesus, the guard operated under the authority of both the Romans and the Jews.
The question is why all these precautions? For the enemies of Jesus, it was to make sure that His prophecies would never be fulfilled. However, God allowed these strict precautions so that the resurrection of Christ would be seen as authentic by His disciples. God allows Satan to do his worst; He then comes in to show forth His matchless glory.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you Lord that in the darkest night your light will shine. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Scripture Reading: Matthew 27:45-66
