Jesus rose from the dead despite all odds. Nothing can stop Him from coming back. Then how should we live?
The religious leaders asked the governor to keep an eye on the tomb because Jesus had said He would rise from the dead on the third day. They said that the disciples might try to steal the body and say that Jesus rose from the dead, which doesn’t make sense. Who would believe the story if no one saw Him alive? What would happen if the body was found later? It is clear that the Roman government would be able to look for it until they found it. The disciples would not have been moved to risk their lives to preach the faith if Jesus had not risen from the dead.
It’s possible that the religious leaders were more scared of Jesus rising from the dead than the followers were excited about it? Did the leaders’ knowledge of the Bible make them afraid that He might rise from the dead? Did they really think that a guard of soldiers could keep the risen Messiah locked up in the tomb? That sounds like a desperate last-ditch attempt to keep their positions and power.
Would Matthew have written our verse for today for any other reason than to record what really happened? He would not have brought up the idea that the students could steal the body if he were trying to spread a lie. There was nothing in the world or the afterlife that could stop Jesus from rising from the dead. A huge number of people saw Jesus. No matter how hard the religious elite tried, God’s plan could not be stopped. Jesus lived and still does!
Nothing could stop Jesus from rising from death. Nothing can stop His inevitable return. How should we then live?
