62 The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63 and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ 64 Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” 65 Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.” (Matthew 27:62–66 (ESV)
Here are some concluding observations of the ignoble burial of Jesus Christ in anticipation of His glorious resurrection. The Jewish religious leaders’ hypocrisy and their hatred of Jesus Christ is on full display.
First, the chief priests and the Pharisees violated their own Sabbath traditions and rules. Instead of observing the Sabbath by doing no work, they went to Pontius Pilate and negotiated with him ways to secure Jesus’ tomb so no one could steal His body. They did this on the day after the Day of Preparation. In other words, they went to Pilate on the Sabbath. These religious leaders evidenced their true selves, fulfilling Jesus’ words He spoke against them.
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” (Matthew 23:27–28 (ESV)
Second, their full hatred of Jesus is apparent when they called Him an imposter. An imposter (πλάνος; planos) is a deceiver. They also called His claim to rise from the dead a fraud or a deception. Matthew used the same Greek word. These are individuals who cause others to be mistaken. They are liars. They lie purposefully and intently. Ironically, the religious leaders who accused Jesus of being an imposter and His resurrection a fraud were themselves imposters. They lied not only to the people, but also to themselves.
13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.” (Matthew 23:13–14 (ESV)
29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, 30 saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.” (Matthew 23:29–31 (ESV)
John Calvin was a 16th century Protestant reformer, theologian and pastor. He shares the following insights, in his commentary from the Gospel of Matthew, concerning today’s text.
“Cunning men, practiced at least in fraud and treachery, plot among themselves and contrive a method by which they may extinguish the memory of a dead man. For they see that they have gained nothing if they do not destroy the certainty of the resurrection.”
“But while they are attempting to do this, they appear rather as if they had expressly intended to bring it forth to the light, that it might be known. The resurrection of Christ would undoubtedly have been less manifest, or at least they would have had more plausible grounds for denying it, if they had not taken plans to station witnesses at the sepulcher. We see then how the Lord not only disappointed the crafty (Job 5:12), but employs even their own schemes as snares for holding them fast, that He may draw and compel them to render obedience to Him.”
“The enemies of Christ were indeed unworthy of having his resurrection made known to them; but it was proper that their insolence should be exposed and every occasion of slander taken away from them, and that even their consciences should be convinced so that they might not be held excusable for their ignorance.”
“Yet let us observe that God, as if He had hired them for the purpose, employed their services for rendering the glory of Christ more illustrious, because no plausible ground for lying was left to them when they found the grave empty; not that they desisted from their rage, but with all persons of correct and sober judgment it was a sufficient testimony that Christ was risen, since His body, which had been placed in a grave and protected by guards who surrounded it on all sides, was not to be found.”
It’s Saturday, but Sunday’s coming.”
Soli deo Gloria!
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