Text: Matthew 28:11-15

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. 12 When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, 13 telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 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.

No doubt the religious leaders thought they were rid of Jesus!

They had plotted and schemed to be rid of him because they were jealous of Jesus’ success.

But…three days later…news of a resurrection

Time for another plot…

The lie: “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’

And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.

Q. Why were the disciples not arrested if the authorities knew that they had stolen Jesus’ body?

Q. Would anyone stealing Jesus’ body really have gone to all the trouble of unwrapping the grave clothes and folding the napkin on his head and then place them back in the tomb?

Let’s read about it…

John 20:1-8, Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”
3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 and the napkin that was upon his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but apart, having been folded up, in one place; 8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed.

Anyway, back to the soldiers…

The lie: “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’

Without the lie the soldiers would die!

But no one wants to die for a lie…

All but two of The Twelve became martyrs for their faith – Judas died by suicide and John died of old age…
• James, the brother of John, was beheaded with a sword by king Herod (Acts 12)
• Thomas preached in India and was slain with a spear
• Simon the Zealot and Judas son of James were crucified
• Nathanael was beaten, crucified, and then beheaded
• Andrew, the brother of Peter, was crucified
• Matthew was run through with a spear
• Philip was crucified and then stoned to death
• Peter was crucified upside down
• James, the son of Alphaeus, was stoned by the Jews for preaching about Jesus, and then buried in Jerusalem.

If they had really stolen Jesus’ body, why did they all get martyred for their faith? Why didn’t they deny Jesus and spare their lives?

No one would die for a lie.

But, they preached Jesus Christ, crucified and raised from the dead.

They didn’t shrink back from the truth.

They were all witnesses to it.

They knew it wasn’t a lie.

I know it isn’t a lie either, because my life has been transformed by the risen Jesus, and most of you have the same experience.

And if you haven’t had that experience I’ve got some good news for you. You can know the risen Jesus too by saying this simple prayer:

Jesus
I believe in you.
I believe you lived and died
And rose again.
I place my trust in you
To forgive my sins.
To give me a fresh start
To fill me with your presence.
I want to know you.
And the power of your resurrection.
And I will live for you.
From this day on. Amen!