April 22, 2025 | Be God's Family
Guards Are Posted at the Tomb
Scripture: Matthew 27:62-66(NIV)
62 The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. 63 “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ 64 So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.”
65 “Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.
Devotional
According to our scripture for today the chef priests sought out Pontius Pilate to request guards to watch over the tomb where Jesus was to be buried and have it sealed. Their fear was that friends of Jesus would steal the body to give the appearance of a resurrection.
Who were the guards at the tomb? Were they Roman Guards? Were they Temple Guards? These were the two types of guards known at this time. The Roman Guard consisted of 4 men that rotated throughout the night. Two “guards” would be 8 men. One guard, 4 men, would stand watch and the others rested beside him to be easily awakened, (Johnny Ova, the Roman guard/ Evidence for the Resurrection).
However, according to Josh McDowell in “Evidence for the Resurrection,” this was a 16-man unit made up of “special guards”, much like our Green Berets or Navy Seals. A unit of 4 guards would stand in front of the tomb. The other 12 would lay down with their feet in and heads out resting in a semi-circle. Every 6 hours another 4 would stand guard while those guarding would rest. Each guard would have 3-5 weapons. They had black and purple feathers under their massive helmets that went up 2 1/2 feet that made them look like giants at a distance, using what we now call psychological warfare.
The Guards were placed in 24 stations by the gates and courts. Of these, 21 were occupied by Levites alone. The 240 Levites and 30 priests were on duty every night. During the night the captain of the Temple made his rounds. On his approach the guard had to rise and salute him in a particular manner. Any guard found asleep when on duty was beaten or his garments were set on fire. These guards were not allowed to sit down, much less sleep.
How tight do you think the security was the night Jesus was put in the tomb? It is most likely that the Roman Guards were on duty that night. Everything was done that was humanly possible to prevent a resurrection. No matter if it was twelve, sixteen, a thousand or ten thousand guards, the grave could not hold Jesus. As Christians, we know God is faithful and true to His word. God’s plan was for Jesus to rise on the 3rd day, as Jesus predicted in Matthew 16:21.
The miracle of God continues to happen in our lives today. The fact that my husband, Mike, has had kidney cancer and now does not is nothing short of a miracle. Are you looking for God’s miracles in your life?
Poem
Despite
Psalm 115
Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. The highest heavens belong to the Lord, but the earth he has given to mankind. It is not the dead who praise the Lord, those who go down to the place of silence; it is we who extol the Lord, both now and forevermore. Praise the Lord.
Psalm 115: 1, 16-18
Glory, glory to Your name
Despite the nation’s raging
Your love, your faithfulness ne’re change
Despite earth’s powers plotting
All earth and heav’n belong to You
To crumble or to open
You blind the eyes of those who rage
Against Your sole Anointed
We wait upon deliverance
From all that would entrap us
The only seal strong holding true
Is Spirit’s oil of baptism
And so, we rest in childlike trust
As we await Your planning
O, praise the LORD with me, you hosts
Extol Him now and always
