Why So Many Details about Christ's Burial?
We are continuing our meditations on the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, focusing today on the burial of Christ. Rich men's tombs were made big enough to stand in, and Matthew adds that a big stone was rolled in front of the entrance. Stones usually weighing a ton or more were chiseled into a coin shape, and a slot cut for the stone to roll in. There is virtually no soil to speak of in Jerusalem so they could not bury Christ in the ground, the hills of Judea are mostly barren limestone rock.
After Christ’s body was placed in the tomb, the priests and elders made a request to Pilate for a guard of Roman soldiers to watch over the tomb. The priests and elders who had conspired to kill Jesus were afraid that some of Christ’s disciples would steal the body and say that He had risen. The Roman soldiers were highly trained and knew that if any of them lost a prisoner it would be at the cost of their lives. In the book of Acts, we read of Peter the Apostle imprisoned with four squads of four soldiers guarding him. When an angel released him, Herod had all sixteen soldiers executed for losing their prisoner (Acts 12:4-19). There would be no sleeping for the Roman guards around Jesus’ tomb, for their lives were on the line if the body was stolen.
The ruling elders would allow no chance of deception to take place, but just in case, a seal was placed on the stone (Matthew 27:60-66).
All those motivated by Satan tried their best by as many means possible, to keep Christ in the tomb, but on the third day, He was gloriously resurrected to life.
All those motivated by Satan tried their best by as many means possible, to keep Christ in the tomb, but on the third day, He was gloriously resurrected to life.
To avoid personal responsibility to a Holy God some people explain away the resurrection with a number of possible explanations, e.g., saying that the disciples and the women went to the wrong tomb, or that the body was stolen, or that Jesus only fainted on the cross and then woke up in the tomb and rolled the stone away. The Gospel writers go into detail on such things because on this point hangs the crux of the Gospel story. If there is no resurrection, then there is no hope, no life after death, and our Christian faith would be non-existent. As Paul once wrote;
12But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith (1 Corinthians 15:12-14).
People look for excuses as to why they should not live their lives in obedience to the claims of the Gospel. Many concede to the fact that there was a man by the name of Jesus, that He did many miracles of healing, and that He was even a great prophet, but the resurrection is the stumbling block for some. If Jesus is God and He did rise again, what is our response to Him and to the claims He has made? Jesus our Messiah and King has risen from the dead and can totally change your life and destiny if you will receive His substitutionary death as your death. He offers you eternal life if you believe and put your trust in Him:
10Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. 11And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life (1 John 5:10-12).
I pray that you have the Son of God ruling and reigning over your life. Keith
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