Read: Matthew 28:1-15

Some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. (v. 11)

What we have here is better than any episode of NCIS or whatever crime scene investigation series is on these days. Eyewitnesses, fearing for their lives, run to religious authorities for protection, tell the truth, and, in a sudden twist, the good guys become the bad guys and bribe them to tell a different story. A bribe they take from the treasury of God, who just watched his Son die. Some payback.

You would think that soldiers from an army known for its bravado would stick to the facts, rather than stoop to a cover up. Doesn’t this truth, of all truths, bear telling? Soldiers who’ve vanquished foes find a Savior who’s vanquished the grave? Although Romans have now witnessed an empty tomb, professed Jesus as “the Son of God,” “not guilty,” and “King of the Jews,” a resurrected Jesus is simply not an acceptable plotline. And their fear pales in comparison to that of the Jewish religious leaders of the day.

Lest I get too carried away in my judgement, however, I remember my own reactions to feeling fearful. I have resurrection news, too, and what I do with it either makes me more like the paid-off eyewitnesses or the simple, humble moms, ex-fishermen, and ex-harlot who risked their lives to tell the truth. —Amy Clemens

Prayer: God, forgive me when I tiptoe around the outrageous news of a grave-conquering Savior. The world will still pay me to shut up, but may I stand by the truth of my encounter with the Resurrected One.

https://woh.org/