April 24, 2025 | Be God's Family
Religious Leaders Bribe the Guards
Scripture: Matthew 28:11-15(NIV)
11 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.
Devotional
This time of year magazine racks are filled with cover stories about the “Real Jesus.” They ponder the meaning of the Christian doctrine of resurrection.
Here’s the truth. The entire Christian faith finds its power in the resurrection of Jesus.
At the birth of the Christian Church, Peter boldly stated, “you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him” (Acts 2:23-24).
In 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, Paul proclaimed, “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”
And reminding his readers that death is not the final chapter for believers, Paul said, “For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him” (1 Thessalonians 4:14) and “if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you” (Romans 8:11).
It is no wonder the religious authorities, who had conspired to kill Jesus, bribed the guards to cover up His resurrection. A dead Jesus was just another crucified criminal. But a resurrected Jesus gave His followers the power to change the world.
Ephesians 1:19-20 tells us that God gives “his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms.”
Indeed, the entire Christian faith finds its power in the resurrection of Jesus! Give praise to Jesus that He is alive!
Poem
O You Silly Ones!
Psalm 101
I hate what faithless people do; I will have no part in it. The perverse of heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with what is evil. No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely
will stand in my presence.
Psalm 101:3b-4, 7
O you silly ones
Who think you can
Stop the waves of the ocean
Rein in the wind
Seal in the Life
You really are ignorant
And do not know the
Power of God
I laugh at you
I have no time for you
I will have nothing to do with you
I will not be stopped by your foolishness
