Sharing Bread Matthew 27:62-66

SHARING BREAD

⁶² The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. ⁶³ “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ ⁶⁴ So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.”

⁶⁵ “Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” ⁶⁶ So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.

Matt 27:62-66 (NIV)

Isn’t it interesting that the unbelieving would remember Jesus’ prediction stating He would rise again after three days while His closest companions seem to have forgotten that prophecy?  The Resurrection was something these religious leaders greatly feared and they did what they humanly could to defeat the predictions.  Silly guys – supposing they could keep Jesus in the grave with their seals and their guards.  Man never manipulates or overpowers God neither does he put Him in a neat little box.  Go figure.  Psalm Two comes to mind:

¹ Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain?  ² The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed One….. ⁴ The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them.  ⁵ Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, ⁶“I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill.”  ¹⁰Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. ¹¹ Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling.    Psalms 2:1-2; 4-6; 10-11 (NIV)

“The amazing care they then took to secure the tomb:  ‘They sealed the stone’.  However, because they did not trust that very much, they set a watch to keep his disciples from coming to steal him away.  This was their intention, but God brought this good out of it:  those who were set to oppose his resurrection had an opportunity to see it, and they did so, telling the chief priests what they saw.  To guard the sepulcher against the poor, weak disciples was foolish, because it was unnecessary, but to think they could protect it against the power of God was also foolish, because it was useless, and yet they thought they were dealing shrewdly.”   Matthew Henry

To be sure, their resurrection fears were well founded (of course they were) as after our Lord’s ascension when the disciples were preaching the resurrection thousands were turning to Christ to the great dismay of the these religious leaders.  We see in Acts:

¹ The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. ² They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. ³ They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. ⁴ But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.   Acts 4:1-4 (NIV)

Make no mistake about it, they certainly did not believe in the Lord Jesus or His testimony yet they remained afraid that His followers would come and steal His body making what they termed a “deception” worse for them by “fabricating a resurrection lie”.  Christ resurrection, of course, would demonstrate to others the truthfulness of the Master and the power of God.  Being jealous, these religious elite knew this would both bring our Lord glory and honor and the people much joy. What brought joy to His followers though would have most assuredly brought terror to them and they couldn’t take that.  Interestingly as well, deceivers have a tendency to believe all people are like themselves - deceitful.  That is simply not true.  Proverbs tells us:

⁵ A truthful witness does not deceive, but a false witness pours out lies.  Prov 14:5 (NIV)

²⁵ A truthful witness saves lives, but a false witness is deceitful.   Prov 14:25 (NIV)

 

It was now the Sabbath day and instead of finding Christ’s enemies in devotion, asking for pardon of sins from their past week’s transgressions, they were laboring to defeat the prediction of Christ’s resurrection - busily petitioning Pilate to secure the tomb.  Isn’t it strange how people can become so distorted in their thinking and ways?  Christ mutilated body laid in the borrowed tomb and now they have requested the higher ups to have it sealed and guarded.  Even though they had gained their point by having Jesus crucified they remained fearful of losing it again – I guess they were fearful!  Guilt makes one fearful.  It could have been that they were surprised at the kind treatment His dead body received by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus – two of their own.  Kindness among deceivers sans manipulation is a rarity indeed yet among believers it is to be a given.  Paul clearly tells us in Colossians how believers are to clothe themselves and kindness is the second mentioned:

 

¹² Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.   Col 3:12-14 (NIV)

“You know to what extent You have already changed me, You who first healed me of the lust of vindicating myself, so that You might forgive all my remaining iniquities, and heal my diseases, and redeem my life from corruption, and crown me with loving-kindness and tender mercies, and satisfy my desire with good things.”  St. Augustine 

What I glean from this:

·       Man cannot put God in a box or bully or manipulate Him.

·       Christ’s resurrection demonstrates the truthfulness of the Master and the power of God.

·       I am to clothe myself in kindness.