BLACK SATURDAY: Matthew 27:62-66

On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, saying, "Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise.' Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, 'He has risen from the dead.' So the last deception will be worse than the first." Pilate said to them, "You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how." So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard. Matthew 27:62-66

What happened: There is only one even recorded in the gospels that happened on Saturday—and it may have happened on Friday. It is the account of the Jewish religious leaders insisting that the tomb, in which Jesus was buried, be secured so that the disciples could not steal the body and claim that Jesus rose from the dead. They petitioned Pilate to do something about it. Pilate, who was seemingly “done” with the entire matter, either secured the tomb with Roman soldiers (more likely), or permitted the Jewish temple police to secure it (less likely).

Key thoughts: First, the Jewish religious leaders seemed to be aware that Jesus foretold His resurrection—when the disciples seemed to be in the dark about the resurrection until after it happened. Second, isn’t it sinisterly ironic that the chief priests and Pharisees—who had presided over a trial at which they supplied “false witnesses”—called Jesus, who is the personification of truth, “that deceiver”!

Application: Securing Jesus’ tomb, which was intended to prevent the tomb from being robbed, was a complete farce, if Jesus really was God who was to be raised from the dead! After all, who or what could keep God dead and buried!