READING: Matthew 27-28
It’s almost funny, actually.
Jesus had died. His body had been buried. The religious leaders remembered that Jesus said He would rise again in three days, so they asked Pilate to secure the tomb heavily until the third day. Their concern was that the disciples would steal His body, hide it, and claim that Jesus was resurrected.
Pilate had a plan to address the situation. He would send a guard to seal the tomb with the royal seal, thus making it off limits. The guard would remain there to protect the grave. Here’s what I find comical about it: Pilate said to the people, “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how” (Matt 27:65). “With whatever knowledge you have, with all your training and experience, do whatever you can to guard the tomb,” he said.
The leaders made the tomb as secure as they knew how, but nothing they could do would stop the plan of God. The battle was now Almighty God against the ingenuity of military and political leaders — and the leaders were no match for the One who created them. All the armies of the world could not have kept Jesus in the grave.
The tomb was secured from the outside in the eyes of the people, but God was not defeated He would simply open it from the inside!
ACTION STEPS:
- If you drive past a cemetery today, thank God for eternal life He gives to His own.
- Rejoice today that Jesus did not remain in the tomb. Sing His praises.
PRAYER: “I praise You, God, for the victory over death. Help me to live in that victory today.”
TOMORROW'S READING: Mark 1-3