Mathew 28:1-15
Jesus had come to earth as a baby. He grew up and even as a child spent time in the temple, learning. At about thirty years of age, he was baptized and started his ministry which would last for the next three years. During that time, he gathered his disciples and they followed him as he preached, healed the sick and did other miracles.
But the miracles of miracles did not happen until he arose from the tomb that even many of his own people, who had witnessed them tried to enclose him in.
When he came out of that tomb, the gospel of Mathew 28 says that there was a violent earthquake and an angel of the Lord came down and rolled the stone away from the entrance. Jesus Christ emerged with an appearance of lightning and his clothes as white as snow.
The guards had been so afraid that they shook and became as if they were dead men.
But "uh, oh", they must have thought. They had been placed there for a reason. They were not to let anyone go in and steal the body of Jesus because then people would think he really did rise from the tomb. And surely, those guards may have been worried they would be in trouble for Jesus being gone.
Some of those guards went to the city to report what had taken place at the tomb. Can't have it get out that he had arisen. And so what did the Chief Priests and elders do? Like too many government officials even today, they had to cover themselves. And they came up with a plan.. They bought the soldiers off, giving them money and telling them to lie and tell people that someone did come during the night to steal his body. The soldiers took the money and did just what they were told to do.
They had not counted on the truth. They had obviously not believed it. And if it was true, they were going to lie about it. Besides, as for the soldiers, now they had some money to lie for. Why not?
However, verse 15 of that passage says this: So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.
The truth does prevail. The lies of the government in Jesus day did not stop the reason that his Father sent him. It did not keep him within the confines of a tomb. It did not hide the truth that there were enemies that didn't want people to know what the truth really was.. No, it had all come out. Jesus was alive and there was no stopping that fact at all.
And it had been his appearing to so many that proved that what they were being told about Jesus body had all been lies. If so many people had not seen him, the government could probably have gotten away with it. But, he did and that probably didn't sit too well with many people on either side.
Jesus had accomplished almost everything that he had to do while he was on earth. What was left?
It was his ascension back to be with his Father as people looked on. The end of his earthly ministry. The end of his time with the disciples. But it wasn't really the end. Was it?
April 20, 2019, Easter reading: And to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:19
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