The Cover Up
Following his relating to us the particulars of Christ's resurrection as told by the women, Matthew continues with another very interesting story, also concerning the resurrection, but this time from the perspective of the guards who were at the tomb.
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 day.
(Matt: 28: 11-15)
Let's examine this passage. Why did the guards go to the "Jewish" authorities (the chief priests)?
Consider this: It is still very early in the morning on that Sunday ("while the women were still on their way" going back to the disciples to tell them that they had seen the risen Lord). The guards are no doubt still recovering from their shock ("His (the angel's) appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.") Matt: 28: 3-4. The tomb was now empty and the body that they were supposed to guard is now gone. If they report this to their commanders or to Pilate, they would likely be severely punished or executed for failing in their mission to guard the body. So they go to the Jewish authorities hoping that the Jewish authorities might somehow cover for them.
The Jewish chief priests and elders, not knowing what else to do and not wanting to admit that another miracle has taken place concerning this man, Jesus, whom they wanted dead, devise this story. They instruct the guards that they are to say that, "His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep." Matthew goes on to tell us that "this story has been widely circulated among Jews to this day" (Matthew's gospel was probably not completed and in book format until around 60 AD, around 30 years after Christ's resurrection and ascension). So the story has been circulating for 30 years at this point.
Apparently, many people bought the story. Otherwise Matthew would not have mentioned the fact that the story had been widely told and believed.
But how likely is it that the story could be true?
Let's back up about four days and nights to Jesus' arrest by the temple guards (these were Jewish temple guards, not Roman soldiers) in the Garden of Gethsemane on that Thursday night.
"At that time Jesus said to the crowd, 'Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to arrest me?' Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.'
Then all the disciples deserted him and fled." (Matt 26: 55-56).
What did the disciples do when confronted by the Temple guards? They ran! Like scalded dogs. Now, how likely is it that these same men, the disciples, would go out at night, armed with perhaps a couple of swords, to take on a detachment of Roman soldiers in the dark. These are battle-hardened Roman soldiers, the Navy Seals of their day, equipped with the best fighting tools of their day, and there are probably 8-10 of them. What is the chance that the disciples are going to take them on? None! Absolutely none. It's never going to happen! How anyone could have ever bought that story amazes me.
But people will believe what they want to believe ("Don't bother me with the facts," some people say). It doesn't take much close examination of Matthew's Gospel to make us realize that he is telling us the truth, that his version is the real one, and the cover up is false.