Matthew 27:66 (KJV)
So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.
One must see the context of this passage.
Matthew 27:62-65 (KJV)
Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,
Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.
Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.
Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.
The crucifixion of Christ was filled with drama. The song says, "Hold on, my child, joy comes in the morning." But on that morning, joy had not yet come for Christ.
• He was taunted.
• He was mocked.
• He was reviled.
• He was crucified.
Like a sheep before its shearers is dumb, Jesus—who could have called all the forces of heaven to aid Him—patiently bore the most excruciating death.
All the while, the crowd jeered: Matthew 27:42, KJV
He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.
(Winning professions of faith was apparently not His ultimate goal.)
Finally, dead and buried, the chief priests and Pharisees still considered Him a deceiver. Yet, in their effort to discredit Him, they unknowingly secured for us one of the greatest assurances of Christ’s resurrection. They guaranteed that the disciples could not have stolen His body.
These words were written, spoken about, and circulated throughout the land for decades. Do you not think the Pharisees would have approached Pilate to publicly deny that a watch had been set? Do you not think that somewhere in the records, Roman officials would have refuted the existence of a guard if it had never happened?
A watch was set at Christ’s tomb. Do you honestly believe His disciples could have overwhelmed them?
But the watch could not prevent Christ from rising again.
The most overwhelming evidence of the resurrection of Jesus is the empty grave.
• His body could not have been stolen.
• His body was never discovered in another grave.
• His apostles all went to their graves insisting they had seen the resurrected Christ.
One may mock, taunt, and denounce the resurrection of Christ as a lie. But the evidence remains:
Jesus rose again.
And this fact changes everything.
#ResurrectionPower #EmptyTombEvidence #ChristIsRisen #VictoryOverDeath #UndeniableTruth
Jesus’ resurrection is the greatest proof of His divine power and victory over death. What part of the resurrection story has most impacted your faith? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
If you haven’t already, take the next step today by sharing the gospel with someone who needs to hear it. The truth of Christ’s resurrection changes everything, and it’s our privilege to spread this message!
For more resources and to dive deeper into God’s Word, visit marvinmckenzie.org.
👉 Join our community in studying God’s Word and strengthening your faith.
To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.
For this and, more than 6600 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.
If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.
My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org
Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/
Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more
Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give.
No comments:
Post a Comment