“The next day, on the Sabbath, the leading priests and Pharisees went to see Pilate. They told him, “Sir, we remember what that deceiver once said while he was still alive: ‘After three days I will rise from the dead.’ So we request that you seal the tomb until the third day. This will prevent his disciples from coming and stealing his body and then telling everyone he was raised from the dead! If that happens, we’ll be worse off than we were at first.” Pilate replied, “Take guards and secure it the best you can.” So they sealed the tomb and posted guards to protect it.” Matthew 27:62-66 NLT

The religious and political leaders of Israel are trying to end everything about Jesus. They challenged God and his ways every step of the way. They want everything about Jesus to be wholly contained and eliminated. Guard the tomb and end the story of Christ as Messiah. Leave nothing to chance. As of this moment in Matthew’s narrative, Jesus’ body is in the tomb. According to verified accounts, he is dead. A stone covers the entrance of the tomb. It is a day of rest, the Sabbath.

Jesus talked about rising from the dead on the third day. They are taking no chances. Nor are they wanting the disciples to manufacture this resurrection story by stealing his body. This is their recorded words to Pilate as to why they need to guard the tomb where Jesus’ body lay: This will prevent his disciples from coming and stealing his body and then telling everyone he was raised from the dead! If that happens, we’ll be worse off than we were at first.” They are saying that if this narrative of Christ’s resurrection lives on, it will be worse than when Jesus was alive. When he was alive, they could at least monitor his actions, challenge his ways, and try to manage his ” damage ” to their religious and political practice, customs, and traditions.

The temptation is to jump ahead to Christ’s resurrection because we know the truth about how this will unfold. But please stay right here with me in this moment.

Jesus was crucified. He was verified as being dead. He was placed in a tomb. The tomb has a stone rolled in front of it. It is the day of rest, the Sabbath. The religious and political leaders feel it necessary to guard this “King of the Jews” dead body from any possibility of resurrection or perpetuating a “myth” of resurrection by his body being stolen. Leave nothing to chance!

This idea of absolute certainty and leaving nothing to chance is attractive, as it was to the religious and political leaders then. Especially if we have power, prominence, influence, status, and position, the thinking is “We can handle this. We can control it. We can determine the outcome. We can guard it. We will control the story.”

Nothing could be further from the truth when it comes to following God. We live in faith, trust, surrender, and submission to him. His will becomes the focus of our activity. We don’t try to manage or contain what God will do. Instead, we embrace it. The resurrection is the very best thing that could happen. All Jesus did in the few years of his public life would be ongoing proof of his being the Living Son of God. Eliminate everything about Jesus by leaving nothing to chance? No!
Embrace everything about Jesus by believing in him as the living Son of God? Yes!

On this Sabbath that sits between death and life, reflect on a choice:

• Do you try to eliminate Jesus and any trace of His presence? or
• Do you embrace Him in faith, believing and knowing Jesus is the Living Son of God who sacrificed Himself for our sins, inviting us into a life of forgiveness and freedom with God forever?

I choose to embrace Jesus. I won’t be guarding His tomb. I will be following Him! Rather than leaving nothing to chance, I am leaving everything to faith in Jesus Christ! What about you?

Ed McDowell, C.E.O.
Warm Beach Camp Ministries