The Guards

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

Pride. Its usually the root of our sin. We want to do what we want to do no matter what the cost. Pride is what caused the chief priests and elders to lie. They didn't want anyone to know they were wrong. They didn't want people to see that they were trying to do everything they could to prove that Jesus wasn't the Son of God. They didn't want people to see that Jesus truly was the Messiah. This couldn't be what they were waiting for....a servant? A carpenter's son? Born in a manger? They were waiting for their Messiah to be a king. Born into money. Someone who would fall in line with everything they said. Pride was their fall. They didn't want people to follow this Man. He was too ordinary.

Can you imagine the humility they must have felt when they heard that Jesus had truly risen? That the soldiers had seen an angel? The panic they must have felt! The chief priests were so scared and needed to fix the issue, so they chose to cover it up.

What they realized in that moment was that Jesus truly was the Messiah they had been waiting on for years! Anyone can claim to be the Messiah, but only God can rise from the dead! Christ alone paid for sin and conquered death so that we can have eternal life with Him!

How many times have we been "caught" in our sin? How many times have we quickly reacted to something only to continue in sin b/c we are scared or want to "save face"? How many times have we tried to cover up the truth?

Christ paid for all sin. By grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone can we come before the Father and have a relationship with Him. Praise God that my sins are washed away.