51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in
two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.
52 The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had
fallen asleep were raised, 53 and coming out of the tombs after his
resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. 54 When
the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake
and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the
Son of God!”
55 There were also many women there, looking on from a
distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him,
56 among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph
and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
57 When it was evening, there came a rich man from
Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. 58 He went to
Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to
him. 59 And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud
60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he
rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. 61 Mary
Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.
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.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2001 (Mt 27:51–66 ). Wheaton : Standard Bible
Society.
I love how fraudulent the chief priests and Pharisees
actually are. They go to Pilate and
recount that Jesus said, "After three days I will rise." Naturally they assume there will be some kind
of fraud by his disciples. But the
phrase always strikes me, "and the last fraud will be worse than the
first."
But we know the rest of the story. We know that Jesus actually did rise from the
Dead. We know that the soldiers and the
chief priests actually commit the fraud.
They commit the great fraud by telling this exact lie to the people. They have the soldiers say, "his
disciples sole the body in the night."
Even then the Church faced fraud. The Church continues to face frauds but no
fraud greater than the denial of the resurrection. The Church will continue to face frauds and
false teachings. But even in this text
there are those who stand up for the greater truth. During the earthquake, many saints are raised
from death to life. They come into the
city on Sunday and proclaim the Resurrection of the dead.
Who is telling the truth?
Are the ones who come back from the dead telling the truth? Or are the soldiers who were paid to lie
telling the truth? Actually, the
Soldiers told the truth to the Chief Priests and Pharisees. But who tells us the truth?
We find the truth in the Holy Scriptures. We find the truth in Jesus Christ. He is the one who died for the forgiveness of
our sins. He is the won who rose from
the dead as the first fruits of our own resurrection. Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the
life.
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