Some of the guards told the priests? What happened to the rest of them? If a Roman guard allowed a prisoner to escape, he could be sentenced to death. These guards didn’t just lose a prisoner, they lost a corpse. It’s very possible the rest of the guards ran for their lives. Although the religious leaders came up with a story to cover up the incident, even that concoction is shaky at best. A guard sleeping on his post was another punishable offense—hence the need for bribery. Not to mention, the tomb was sealed up behind heavy rock. How would the disciples sneak past and move it without waking a single one of them? The Temple leaders needed this story. They needed to ensure that doubt took hold and grew in order to maintain their control in the Jewish community. Otherwise, everything they’d done would have been in vain. So not only did the leaders of the Temple crucify Jesus to preserve their authority, they also attempted to cover up His resurrection.

Consider these questions as you reflect on today’s reading:

How do you feel about the cover-up of Jesus’s resurrection? In what ways do you see people trying to cover up His resurrection still today?

Are there any cover-ups in your spiritual life that you keep telling yourself, so you don’t have to see the truth? What might those be?