We must live with this assurance of resurrection and pursue heavenly things.

We must live with this assurance of resurrection

and pursue heavenly things.

 

 

The chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together and went to Pilate, the governor, saying, "Sir, we remember that while He was still alive, that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise again.'  Therefore, command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night 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." Pilate said to them, "You have a guard of soldiers; go your way, make it as secure as you can."  So, they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard to watch over it (Matthew 27:62-66).  As I reflect on this passage, several thoughts come to mind:

 

(1)    When the chief priests and the Pharisees referred to Jesus as "that liar" (Matthew 27:63, Korean Modern Bible), I reflect on the fact that their father, the devil, is the father of lies and has no truth in him, as John 8:44 (Korean Modern Bible) reveals.  This shows that the chief priests and Pharisees themselves were the true liars, for they had no truth in them and could not stand with the truth.  Therefore, they called Jesus a liar despite His innocence (Ref.: Job 34:6, Korean Modern Bible).  They claimed to know God, yet did not obey His commandments, making them liars and devoid of truth (Ref.: 1 John 2:4, Korean Modern Bible).  Concerning such people, 1 John 5:10 (Korean Modern Bible) says: "... Whoever does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about His Son."  These liars will perish (Ref.: Proverbs 19:9).  They will be thrown into the lake of burning sulfur (Ref.: Revelation 21:8).

 

(2)    As I meditate on the words of the chief priests and the Pharisees who came to Governor Pilate and said, “Your Excellency, we remember that when that liar was alive, he said that he would rise again after three days” (Matthew 27:63, Korean Modern Bible), it seems that they had heard from the Old Testament scriptures that "the Christ would suffer, die, and rise again on the third day" (Luke 24:46, Koran Modern Bible).  However, since they did not believe Jesus was the Christ, when Jesus said, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days” (John 2:19, Korean Modern Bible), He was referring to His body as the temple (John 2:21).  They also did not believe when He said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life” (Luke 9:22, Korean Modern Bible).  Despite their disbelief, they feared that Jesus' disciples might steal His body and tell people that He had risen from the dead, which led them to ask Pilate, “So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day” (Matthew 27:64, Korean Modern Bible).  It seems that in their unbelief, they were anxious that Jesus' disciples might artificially prove His resurrection as a greater deception.  Reflecting on the anxiety of the religious leaders at the time of Jesus, I began to wonder why, even in our faith, we sometimes experience anxiety about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Like David, the psalmist, we need to pray to God, declaring to our souls: "Why, my soul, are you downcast?  Why so disturbed within me?  Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God" (Psalms 42:5, 11; 43:5, Korean Modern Bible).

 

(3)    As I reflect on the words where Governor Pilate tells the chief priests and Pharisees, "You have a guard. Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how" (Matthew 27:65-66, Korean Modern Bible), we know that their efforts were in vain.  The reason for this is that Jesus had already told His disciples during His earthly ministry, “I will be handed over to the Gentiles to be mocked, flogged, and crucified.  But on the third day, I will rise again” (Matthew 20:19, Korean Modern Bible) [Ref.: "From that time on Jesus began to explain to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the law, and that He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life" (Matthew 16:21, Korean Modern Bible); "He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the law, and that He must be killed and after three days rise again" (Mark 8:31, Korean Modern Bible); "The Son of Man will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock Him, spit on Him, flog Him and kill Him. On the third day He will rise again" (Mark 10:34, Korean Modern Bible); "And He said, 'The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the law, and He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life'" (Luke 9:22, Korean Modern Bible); "After they have flogged Him, they will kill Him, and on the third day He will rise again" (Luke 18:33, Korean Modern Bible); "Didn’t I tell you that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinners, be crucified, and on the third day rise again?" (Luke 24:7, Korean Modern Bible)].  Just as He had said, Jesus was buried in the tomb, and on the third day, He rose again (1 Corinthians 15:4, Korean Modern Bible).  The hymn "Low in the Grave He Lay" comes to mind: (Verse 1) Low in the grave He lay Jesus my Saviour!  Waiting the coming day Jesus my Lord!  Up from the grave He arose, With a mighty triumph o'er His foes; (Verse 2) Vainly they watch His bed Jesus my Saviour!  Vainly they seal the dead Jesus my Lord!  Up from the grave He arose, With a mighty triumph o'er His foes; (Verse 3) Death cannot keep his prey Jesus my Saviour!  He tore the bars away Je-sus my Lord!  Up from the grave He arose, With a mighty triumph o'er His foes; (Chorus) He arose a Victor from the dark domain, And He lives forever with His saints to reign.  He arose! He arose!  Hallelujah!  Christ arose!  The God who raised Jesus from the dead (Acts 10:40) will also raise us (1 Corinthians 6:14).  "We know that the God who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to Himself" (2 Corinthians 4:14, Korean Modern Bible).  Therefore, we should live with the assurance of this resurrection, seeking heavenly things (Ref.: Colossians 3:1).