62 Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, 63 Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. 64 Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. 65 Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. 66 So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch. (Matthew 27:62-66 KJV)
The Guard at the Tomb
Jesus’ enemies did what they could to prevent his resurrection. What they did happened the next day after the day of Preparation (Matthew 27:62). That was the seventh day of the week—the Jewish Sabbath—yet it’s not explicitly called so, but described in this way because it was soon to give way to the Christian Sabbath, which began the following day. On that day, Christ lay dead in the grave. Having for six days labored and completed all his work, he rested on the seventh day.
On that day, the chief priests and Pharisees, instead of spending it in devotion and repentance for the sins of the past week, were busy with Pilate about securing the tomb, adding rebellion to their sin. They had often condemned Jesus for performing works of mercy on the Sabbath, yet here they were, involved in a work of malice.
They approached Pilate, upset that the body had been given to someone who would bury it with dignity. Since it had already been buried, they asked for a guard to be posted at the tomb.
They said, “That deceiver”—so they called the one who is truth itself—“said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’” His disciples remembered this for the confirmation of their faith; his persecutors remembered it to fuel their rage. The same word of Christ was life to some and condemnation to others. See how they called Pilate “Sir” while calling Christ “deceiver.” Malicious slanderers of the good often flatter those in power.
They expressed fear that his disciples might come at night, steal the body, and claim he had risen. What they truly feared was his resurrection. What is Christ’s honor and his people’s joy is the terror of his enemies. This was like Joseph’s brothers, who were enraged at the dream that foretold his rise (Genesis 37:8). The chief priests and Pharisees wanted to discredit the prediction of Christ’s resurrection, saying like David’s enemies (Psalm 41:8), “Now that he lies down, he will not rise again.”
Though they had gained their goal of putting him to death, they were still afraid. Perhaps they were uneasy about the respect shown to his body by Joseph and Nicodemus—two honorable men—and couldn’t forget how Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead.
They claimed to be worried that his disciples would steal the body—an unlikely scenario. First, his disciples didn’t have the courage to openly support him while he was alive; it wasn’t likely they would become bold after his death. Second, what would they gain? If Jesus didn’t actually rise, the disciples—who had left everything based on a hope of eternal life—would suffer the most from such a deception and have the greatest reason to abandon him altogether. Pretending he rose would gain them nothing. If he didn’t rise, their faith would be useless, and they would be the most pitiful of all people (1 Corinthians 15:17-19).
The chief priests believed that if the doctrine of Christ’s resurrection were preached and accepted, it would be worse for them than before. They thought they had corrected their earlier error—allowing him to teach and perform miracles—by putting him to death. But if people believed he had risen, it would undo everything. His influence would return, and theirs would collapse. Those who oppose Christ and his kingdom will find themselves not only defeated but deeper in confusion, each error worse than the last (Psalm 2:4-5).
In light of all this, they requested a guard be placed at the tomb until the third day. Pilate’s civil and military authority had to serve their malice. One would think a grave needs no guard, but those who know they are guilty and powerless will fear even the impossible.
Pilate replied (Matthew 27:65), “You have a guard; make it as secure as you can.” He allowed Christ’s friends to bury him and Christ’s enemies to guard the tomb, trying to please everyone. Perhaps he even laughed privately at both sides for fussing over a dead man, considering the hopes of one and the fears of the other equally absurd. He meant the regular guard from the Tower of Antonia, from which they could assign as many soldiers as needed. Wanting to stay detached, he left the matter entirely to them.
The phrase, “Make it as secure as you can,” seems like sarcasm—either mocking their fears (“Go ahead and guard the dead man”) or their hopes (“Try all you like; if he’s from God, he’ll rise no matter what”). It’s possible Pilate had spoken with the centurion about how Jesus died and heard things that made him think Jesus truly was the Son of God. Pilate would trust his own officer more than the malicious priests. If so, no wonder he quietly mocked their efforts to guard the one who had shaken the earth and split rocks. Tertullian wrote of Pilate, Ipse jam pro suâ conscientiâ Christianus—in his conscience, he was a Christian. He may have been under conviction at this point, like Agrippa or Felix, but never fully persuaded.
So they took careful measures to secure the tomb (Matthew 27:66). They sealed the stone—likely with the Sanhedrin’s official seal—and set a guard to prevent the disciples from stealing the body and, if possible, to stop Jesus from coming out. But God used their efforts to ensure that witnesses were present at the resurrection. The very ones who tried to block it saw it happen and reported it to the priests, making the priests even more guilty.
All the power of earth and hell was brought together to keep Jesus a prisoner—but it was in vain. When his time came, death and its heirs could no longer hold him. Trying to guard the tomb against the disciples was pointless because they were too fearful to attempt anything. But trying to guard it against the power of God was not only foolish but impossible. And yet they thought they had acted wisely.