Easter Cover Up - Matthew 28:11-15

©Copyright April 8, 2018 by Rev. Bruce Goettsche

Last week we looked at the life-altering story of the resurrection of Jesus. I argued: this event changes us, comforts us and motivates us. Unfortunately, not everyone views the Resurrection in this way. Since the very beginning, people have been trying to find a way to escape the Resurrection and the implications of Jesus actually rising from the dead.

As we near the end of our study of the Gospel of Matthew we saw the immediate response of the followers of Jesus. This morning we are going to look at the immediate response of the authorities to the Resurrection of Jesus. As they seek to “get out in front” of the Resurrection story, you will see people have been doing this from that time until now. Let’s turn to the text.

11As the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and told the leading priests what had happened. 12A meeting with the elders was called, and they decided to give the soldiers a large bribe. 13They told the soldiers, “You must say, ‘Jesus’ disciples came during the night while we were sleeping, and they stole his body.’ 14If the governor hears about it, we’ll stand up for you so you won’t get in trouble.” 15So the guards accepted the bribe and said what they were told to say. Their story spread widely among the Jews, and they still tell it today.

We have some chronology questions: When it says “as the women were on their way.” We ask on their way to where? Were they on their way to the tomb? Or were they on their way to tell the disciples? Were the soldiers still at the tomb when the women arrived or were they already gone? It doesn’t matter, but we are curious.

The first thing we see is the leading priests and elders seek to “control the narrative”. It is ironic that they bribe the guards to say the disciples stole the body (while the guards were sleeping . . . a dereliction of duty which was punishable by death!). This was the very scenario they were trying to prevent with the guard in the first place! The leaders promised to protect the guards because the Roman rule was simple: if a prisoner escaped, you received their punishment or worse!

Let’s look at the plausibility of what they were saying. Is it plausible that the disciples stole the body of Jesus? The answer is No. The tomb was sealed. There were guards present they could not overpower. They had no motive to steal the body. These men were defeated and crushed. Pulling off something like this is a ridiculous thought. They had no time to plan for such a daring theft.

There are four basic facts that must be accounted for in any explanation of the Resurrection of Jesus:

Jesus died on the cross and was buried. One of the popular theories of days gone by is Jesus didn’t really die, He just passed out and in the cool of the cave Jesus revived. This is not a plausible explanation because the guards were skilled executioners. If someone survived a crucifixion the executioner would be killed! One of the reasons they pierced Jesus with a sword (drawing blood and water indicating they had pierced his heart) was to make SURE he was dead. Besides, Roman and Jewish sources acknowledged He was dead and a “revived” barely alive Jesus could not have moved the stone and would not have convinced anyone He had risen from the dead.

The tomb was empty; no body has ever been produced (which would have been the easiest way to silence resurrection talk).

Jesus' disciples claimed they saw, talked to and ate with Jesus after the resurrection. Not one time, but many times over a period of 40 days. There were many eyewitnesses.

Jesus disciples were transformed. Something happened to these disciples . . . they went from running away and hiding to boldly declaring Jesus was Lord and Savior risen from the dead. They did this even though they were threatened with death. To discredit the resurrection you have to find a way to explain this change.

Objections

I want to take some time this morning to look at the objections often raised to the Resurrection because they continue to float around in various forms today. I don’t want you to be shaken by these things.

The Disciples Made it All Up. This is a very popular idea that is found in many different forms. The idea is the followers of Jesus wanted to save their “movement” so they fabricated the lie of the resurrection. One of the biggest problems here is the number of people who said they saw Him. Former atheist and cold case detective, J Warner Wallace writes,

I am hesitant to embrace any theory that requires the conspiratorial effort of a large number of people over a significant period of time when they personally gain little or nothing by their effort. This theory requires us to believe that the apostles were transformed and emboldened not by the miraculous appearance of the resurrected Jesus but by elaborate lies created without any benefit to those who were perpetuating the hoax. (Alive p. 14)

Warner’s point is a good one: what would be the point of making up this lie? And, why would men be willing to die for such a lie? If it was a lie it is likely that someone in the group would have told the truth over time, especially when they were faced with the threat of death. Chuck Colson, who was convicted in the Watergate Scandal during the Presidency of Richard Nixon, once said: Watergate convinced him of the truthfulness of the Resurrection. He said the idea that the common and largely uneducated disciples could cover up something like this for decades, without someone telling the truth, seems ridiculous when 12 of the most powerful men in the world couldn't hide a lie for three weeks before someone cracked!

The disciples were delusional. It is not unusual for people who have suffered a severe loss to have their memory of a person impacted. It is common to suppress bad traits and remember only good traits. It is also common to have feelings of seeing or feeling the person who has died. However, this does not happen to a large group! And, though they may all suffer from the trauma of loss, they would never remember elaborate and fictional events the same as these people did. Paul tells us over 500 people saw him at one time! Did they all have the same delusion?

The disciples’ observations were distorted later. It is popular today to say the original observations of the disciples were “embellished” over the years to the point that Jesus was suddenly said to have risen from the dead. The same thing is said about Jesus claiming to be God! It would be a theological equivalent of the telephone game when you share a phrase from person to person and see the phrase distorted and twisted by the end of the line!

There is no evidence for this. The Biblical documents were written within a couple of decades of when these events happened. There are numerous copies of these documents which is significant because it makes it easy to detect changes in what was being proclaimed. The sheer magnitude of the documents argues for its accuracy. There is no evidence of any significant change in the content of the teaching.

One of the earliest known Christian creeds is that found in 1 Corinthians 15

Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. 4He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. 5He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. 6After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. 7Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. (1 Corinthian 15:3-7)

1 Corinthians was written around 55 AD, a little over 20 years after Jesus died. The creed quoted was already in existence which means it is earlier still. The resurrection is the central part of the creed! There were still people alive that could verify the claims. This was not a later development! The Bible is the most scrutinized and “reliable” historical documents in existence. The Bible has thousands of manuscripts to compare and some are from very near the time of writing. Archaeology is regularly authenticating facts people had disputed in the past. A person willing to look at the evidence objectively will reject the notion the story was made up later.

Facts that Argue for the Authenticity of the Resurrection

There are several facts that argue positively for the validity of the Resurrection. Let me list some of them for you.

The first witnesses were women. We mentioned this last week. At that time a woman’s testimony was not accepted in court. If you were going to fabricate a story you would not choose to make women your primary eyewitnesses.

The dramatic conversions. The brother of Jesus was James (who wrote the book of James). The Gospels tell us during his ministry, the family of Jesus thought he was crazy and tried to rescue him. We are told after the resurrection Jesus appeared to James. James went from a skeptic to a leader in the church. The other dramatic conversion would be that of Paul. He was a fierce opponent of the church and then one day it all changed. How do we explain this apart from an actual resurrection?

The presence of embarrassing details. Not only were the first witnesses’ women, but Jesus had to be buried by two members of the Sanhedrin because all of his disciples deserted Him! If you were making up the story you would not paint the original followers in such a bad light. Instinctively we want to make ourselves (or the first followers) look good.

Most of the disciples were martyred for their belief in Christ. This would a ridiculous length to go to for a lie. The disciples had nothing to gain by lying.

The sheer number of witnesses. Paul talks about there being over 500 people who saw Jesus at one time! Jesus was seen dozens of times by many different people.

You do not need to turn your brain off to be a follower of Christ; but you do need to open your heart to follow where the truth leads you.

So Why Do People Still Resist?

If the evidence is so compelling, it is natural to ask: Why do people still resist? Why, after the testimony of their own guards at the tomb, did the Jewish leaders work to discredit the facts? They had waited their entire lives for the coming of Messiah. Why would they turn away? I think the answer is simple: They did not like the implications of a resurrected Jesus. Any honest person who resists the Resurrection of Jesus today is in the same category. They know instinctively that if Jesus did rise from the dead, then He must be who He said He is. If He is truly the Son of God, we should follow Him and obey Him.

People resist because we do not want to be subject to God or anyone else. We want to create a God of our own imagination! We like a faith you can put on the shelf and doesn’t mess with our life. We want convenience, not discipleship. We want a God who serves us; not one who called us to serve! We want to do all the things we feel like doing without feeling guilty. We will serve God when it fits our agenda.

However, if Jesus is the Son of God, He has the right to tell us what is right and wrong. His Word becomes a blueprint for the way we are to live our lives. The Bible is more than just an academic text; it is a survival manual. We are accountable to Him. In our sinful nature we rebel against anyone who tries to tell us what we should do . . . and that holds true for God! The Resurrection messes with our lives and many resist this!

What is a Proper Response to the Resurrection?

To answer this question we have only to look at the disciples and learn from them. They followed Christ without reservation. The disciples followed Jesus boldly. Even after He ascended to Heaven, the disciples lived their lives by what Jesus taught them. And let’s face it, it only makes sense. If Jesus is God who became man to save us, and then rose from the dead . . . why would you follow anyone but Jesus?

Do you like to read? Do you like a particular musical artist? If so, you are likely to buy every new book or album they release. You will quote them and draw inspiration from them. You may stand in line for the release of a new book in a series of books! You would be ecstatic to meet the author in person.

Do you have a favorite sports team? If so, you probably buy apparel and wear it proudly. You will talk about, cheer for, and defend your team against all detractors. If you have a favorite hobby it is likely you always find time for that hobby?

And then there are our children. We are devoted to them (perhaps, too much so). We will go without eating before we would let them go without what they need. We change our schedules so we can find time to see them in games or performances. When our children need us, we drop anything to be with them.

Here’s my point: HOW MUCH MORE should this be true of our relationship with God? If Jesus is the Lord of Life, if He really is our Savior, our Strength, our Fortress, and our companion in all things . . . if He is the One who will return and draw all things to Himself . . . then why wouldn’t we pursue Him and serve Him with every ounce of strength we have? Why wouldn’t we make Him the highest priority of our lives. If we are devoted to lesser things, why would we not be MORE devoted to that which is greater.

They had a new freedom because of Forgiveness As followers of Christ we have been forgiven. All the rebellion, poor choices, and failures have been forgiven by Christ. He has set us free by His grace. We no longer need to look over our shoulder afraid for the hidden truth of our lives to be discovered. We don't need to pretend we “have it all together.” We are forgiven and set free!

Not only have we been forgiven, now we are much more able to forgive! We are told we should forgive one another as Christ has forgiven us. Stephen, the first martyr of the church, prayed for the forgiveness of those who were killing Him. The disciples chose forgiveness rather than hate because they knew firsthand the transforming power of forgiveness.

When we embrace the message of the gospel anchored to the resurrection of Jesus, we experience a profound forgiveness greater than anything we might be asked to extend to someone else. If we appreciate what we have been given, if we are listening to Jesus when He calls us to forgive, we will choose forgiveness over retribution. We will see what a person can become by grace rather than what they are in the prison of sin. In the process, we too will become free!

They had Altered Priorities. The disciples gave up everything to proclaim the message of salvation through Christ. They traveled to foreign lands, risked their lives, endured hardships, endured beatings, all so they could tell others about Jesus and the forgiveness and freedom He wants to extend.

Once we understand we are “living now to live again” it makes little sense to live only for the here and now. Once we understand we will someday all stand before the Lord, it changes the way we look at life. We endure more, we give more freely, our priorities start with Christ in the number one spot, we see beyond ourselves, we live every day planting seeds for eternity.

The Resurrection of Jesus gives us a new perspective on life. We no longer find ourselves overcome by hopelessness, because we know our Lord is working all things for the good. We grieve differently when someone dies because we know anyone who believes in Him will live even though he dies. When life becomes hard, instead of moaning all the time, we look for ways to glorify the Lord in the belief that His grace is sufficient and when we are weakest, we see His strength most clearly.

We come to Christ by faith, but faith is not naiveté. It is not a matter of believing something that does not make any sense. Faith is anchored to truth. We believe what is true and are willing to bet our life on it. Faith and facts are not opposing forces but work hand in hand.

Here is the bottom line: The Resurrection of Jesus will always have its detractors. Many intelligent people come up with foolish and empty explanations for why the resurrection is not true. This is especially common in academic settings. You have a duty to examine the issue for yourself.

However, it is not enough to believe the Resurrection is true intellectually. You must also believe it practically. If it is true, then it should radically change your priorities and the way you relate to others. We understand every person we meet will be in Heaven or eternal torment depending on how their response to Jesus. The Apostle Paul wrote.

if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. (1 Corinthians 15:19-20)

If the resurrection is not true, we are wasting our time in worship and in our Bible reading. If it is true it will radically re-orient our lives. The question then is this: Who and what do you believe and . . . do you fully believe, or just say you believe? We can probably help you answer the question simply by observing the way you live.