Daily Manna
Saturday, April 2, 2016
Topic: The empty tomb 5
Reading: Matthew 27:57-66, 28:1-15
Scripture: He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee. (Luke 24:6)
Note: The cruel Roman soldiers who had previously beaten, battered, tortured and crucified Jesus Christ to death in the meanest and cruelest manner any human could imagine, had now been reduced to a frightened lot after the dramatic incident at the empty tomb had left the lives of the soldiers hanging in a limbo.
The soldiers knew they had to carefully choose between the two authorities who mandated them for what initially looked like a walk in the park task, watching over the hapless dead body of Christ, whom they had killed, and certified killed. In reasoning up their decision on who to run to for an explanation of why the tomb was empty, the soldiers were aware that the power to pronounce the death penalty for their failed mission lies with Pilate. The governor was not likely to have an understanding or a soft spot for tales on angels from heaven descending to roll away the great stone resulting in a sudden flight for their lives. If they could strike an understanding with the religious rulers with their incredulous angelic story, they stood a distant chance of receiving a pardon from Pilate for the failed mission of the empty tomb. Hence, to the chief priests and the Pharisees, the soldiers ran quickly to.
As envisaged, the religious rulers understood their explanation and were rather visibly shaken by the weight of that truth. Unknown to the worried soldiers, there was a twist to this story that was going to shift the burden of proof from their own culpability to that of the religious rulers who sent them on the mission. The religious rulers had derogatorily but mistakenly referred to Jesus as “the deceiver” for saying he would rise again on the third day after his death.
The masses as well as the religious establishment heard Jesus clearly when he made that outrageous claim to his resurrection. With this news of the empty tomb, all indications were that “the deceiver” had exonerated himself. He must definitely be the Messiah, the Son of God. This was good news but definitely dangerous to the religious rulers.
They had doubted Christ. They plotted, undermined and falsely accused him resulting in his unfortunate death. The masses would be angry with the religious establishment on hearing the news of the empty tomb. There was likely to be an insurrection by the masses against their rulers for falsely framing up and accusing an innocent man resulting in his premature death. In desperation for their own lives and safety, they offered large sum of money to the soldiers to change their story to that of the disciples coming to steal the body.
Food for thought: Desperation has a strange way of making otherwise good people, compromise their core values of life.
Declaration: And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers, Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept. (Matt 28:12-13)
©Author: Rev Fred Aboe
