Learning From The Guards

I need to hear the Scripture again, don’t you? We want to hear, because hearing builds faith and faith frees us to move forward without blocking and sealing stones. We want to hear for, consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. Romans 10: 17. We listen with hearing ears and submissive hearts. We listen with surrendered wills and minds.

While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, You are to say, His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep. If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble. So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day. Matthew 28: 11 – 15

We are tackling facts, spoken and unspoken, with wisdom and understanding, being given to us, as we follow.

The first uncovered fact

These guards, regardless of their past persuasions, regardless of how big or small a role they may have played in the death of Jesus, have been granted the privilege of being first-hand witnesses, to this first Resurrection Scene. Think about it! Reason it through! These guards are seeing what believers, disciples of Jesus are seeing. They have been given a Resurrection Story to tell, as no other has been given. They hold truth in their minds and hearts, as they hurry to tell the chief priests.

The first Word of fact – The guards hold fact, not fallacy, in their minds and hearts, concerning the Resurrection of Jesus.

The second uncovered fact

The guards speak Resurrection talk to the chief priests. They reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. Just think of it. These guards are terrified. They had to have rushed into the room where the chief priests were, in such frenzied shock that the priests knew straightway that what these guards were saying had to be real. Their ghost-like appearance alone, would tell them that what the guards were describing, was no made-up lie. The guards were giving live, first-hand, personal testimony to the Resurrection of Jesus.

They could easily have spoken in the same vein as, Mary Magdalene, who went to the disciples with the news: I have seen the Lord! John 20: 18a.  Mary went to the disciples with Resurrection News. Did not the guards go to the chief priests with Resurrection news also? Mary was personal, speaking to hearers who had not experienced what she had witnessed. Weren’t the guards also personal, speaking to hearers who had not experienced what they had witnessed? Mary was speaking about herself, none else – “I have seen…” Could this not be the guards also, speaking about themselves and nobody else? “We have seen…”

The second Word of fact – The guards know truth, not lie, concerning the Resurrection of Jesus.

The third uncovered fact

The guards had to have convinced the chief priests about what they had seen and heard. This was pertaining to the stone being rolled away, the angel sitting on the stone, the women disciples of Jesus, who were also afraid, the stunning appearance of the angel and more, for we are told that they, reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. We know that they took this Resurrection report seriously, for their responses tell the tale.

It’s like the Pharisees and teachers of the law who simply cannot deny the power and authority of Rabbi Jesus to heal all sorts, manner and condition of illnesses. They simply can’t stand Jesus and would do anything to rid themselves and the synagogue of Him. It’s the Sabbath and Jesus is in the Synagogue teaching. In the congregation is a man with a withered hand. The response of the Pharisees and teachers of law, speak volumes. One sure thing we deduce from their actions, is that they know that Jesus will never have a person with a withered hand in His presence and not heal that person. Their concern is not whether Jesus can heal or not; it’s not even whether He will heal or not. They know He will, so they watch Him closely, in order to pounce on Him and accuse Him of working on the Sabbath.

The chief priests’ united response shows that they know they are listening to real facts, not fictional fluff. Common sense tells us that if they had not believed the guards, they would never have gone through the lengths, which they did, to make the guards quiet and to keep the guards quiet. Their sincere and truthful testimony about what they experienced of Resurrection Truth, is believed by the chief priests. Theirs are reliable facts, not replicated facts, concerning the Resurrection of Jesus. Hey! The guards had and still have a powerful, undeniably sound testimony about the Fact of Jesus’ Resurrection. Did you know that?  

The third Word of fact – The guards speak what they know, not what they have been told, concerning the Resurrection of Jesus.

Our undivided interests and curiosity are fixed now, upon the response of these men of God who have just heard sound Resurrection Testimony. Theirs is a three-part response.

These will be discoursed tomorrow.