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Commentaries
English
Matthew
  
31. The Tomb Sealed and Guarded
(Matthew 27:62-66)
62On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate,63saying, “Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise.’64Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by nigh and steal Him away, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ So the last deception will be worse than the first.”65Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how.”66So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard. (Matthew20:19, Mark15:42)


The disciples did not recall that Jesus had spoken several times about His glorious resurrection. The Pharisees and the chief priests did not believe in the possibility of Jesus’ resurrection. They supposed that His followers might steal His dead body and announce that their Master had risen. The leaders of the Jewish nation did not live in the Spirit of Truth and thought that the followers of Jesus were a gang of imposters, as they themselves were.
Jesus’ judges became skeptics. Having remembered His affirmation that He would rise from the dead three days after His death, they commanded that the tomb be sealed and made secure. What a sad picture it was to station guards at a tomb so that a dead man could not flee!
Some objectors fabricated a claim that another man was crucified instead of Jesus and that this substitute was buried in the tomb. This fable makes any sane man laugh. Did Jesus’ mother, who was standing beneath the cross, not recognize the One who was crucified? Did those who brought Him down from the cross not know whether they had carried a foreign man or Jesus?
This claim is like a cobweb that has no real substance and is easily broken. It is simply a groundless theory. Whoever propagates such a claim does wrong to God and describes Him in an unacceptable manner. The faith and belief of the followers of Christ are irreproachable, for they had faith and belief in what they saw, that the one who was crucified was Jesus the Christ. Both the Jews and Romans recognize this fact. It is also confirmed by the books of history and has been passed from mouth to mouth throughout the ages. It has been confirmed many times that the Crucified One was Christ, that He died and was buried.

Prayer
My Lord and Savior, You have tasted bitter death, and you were laid into the dark tomb. You entered before me to my tomb that I might not be afraid or alone when I die but meet with You there. Thank You for pardoning all of my iniquities and putting the seed of Your life in me so that death might not have power over me. You have granted Your followers to live in spite of death. You are the Triumphant One, our Intercessor and Redeemer. It is because of Your death that we live forever.
Question
What are the most important events that took place immediately after Jesus’ death?