Bible Study Lesson from Matthew 27:57-66
When thinking of how Jesus was laid in the tomb after the crucifixion, a quote comes to mind from a song;
“from the cradle to the cross, from the cross to the grave, Lord I lift your name on high.”
In this Easter Bible study lesson Jesus is laid in a borrowed tomb and guards are posted.
This is a time of sadness but we will awaken on Easter Sunday for the resurrection!
Easter Story – Joseph Loans Tomb for Jesus
When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus.
This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him.
And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away.
And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the grave.
Now on the next day, the day after the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together with Pilate, and said, “Sir, we remember that when He was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I am to rise again.’
Therefore, give orders for the grave to be made secure until the third day, otherwise His disciples may come and steal Him away and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.”
Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you know how.”
And they went and made the grave secure, and along with the guard they set a seal on the stone. – Matthew 27:57-66
What Were They Afraid Of?
The Pharisees got what they wanted – or, did they? Now they were afraid that Jesus would rise as He promised even though the disciples were nowhere to be found.
A risen Christ would be worse to them than the ‘live’ one. Their power would be more challenged if people learned that Jesus was the true Messiah.
This is one of the reasons the religious leaders wanted a guard placed at the tomb. They did not want to leave anything to chance and feared the worst.
How Did Jesus Escape the Grave?
Reading this, I don’t remember another single incident in history where guards were placed to keep someone in a grave!
According to the religious leaders, Jesus could not physically walk out of the tomb, nor could His body be stolen with a seal and a guard.
The Pharisees underestimated the fact that no rock could hold the Son of God when He arose.
He was no longer body but spirit so their efforts to keep Him contained were futile.
Can We Keep Jesus in the Tomb?
The reading of the Easter story above is pretty much self-explanatory but one question comes to my mind after reading this.
Do we sometimes try to keep Jesus hidden away too? If we fail to tell others when we have opportunities, are we not taking the same precautions as the Pharisees?
[easyazon_image align=”left” height=”30″ identifier=”1936034891″ locale=”US” src=”https://makingchristknown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/41Kp7R5gPSL.SL30.jpg” tag=”bobpardphot-20″ width=”22″]Let’s try not to keep the love of Christ a secret by keeping Him hidden behind a rock.
He is no longer in the tomb but a light to the world. It’s our job to let others know about His love and grace; what He did for us.
Invite someone you know to Easter services this Sunday.
Love in Christ
– Bob
If you would like to learn more about how to receive the love and life-changing experience of Jesus Christ, please take a moment to go here.