The guards who witnessed the resurrection can teach us some surprising things about human nature. While they were placed there by those who were most against Jesus, they became the ones who would have the most amazing story to share.
The first people they would be responsible to share what happened with would be those who hired them: the chief priests and religious leaders.
This is where things get interesting. When you tell your boss some amazing, but also unbelievably bad news, there are some different ways that the boss could respond. They could get mad, be upset, simply not believe the news, or any number of other responses. In the case of the report these guards bring, the news they brought was about the worst possible news that could have come, and it was lucrative for the guards because their already questionable morals were again tested with a big bribe to change the details of what actually happened.
The chief priests and religious leaders know that the only rock solid, valid testimony would be the guards, and if they can change the story the guards tell, then they can maybe salvage the plan to erase Jesus’ fame and glory.
But this is where we can learn about ourselves from these guards. The guards chose to spread the lie. The passage concludes with the statement, “They took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story [the lie] was widely spread among the Jews, and is to this day.” (v. 15)
The lie was more believable than the truth, and in this event, we can learn the important idea that it is vital for each of us to wisely choose who we obey. In this event, we see God leaving the free will of the guards in place; God allows the guards to spread lies about what happened. But even with the lies, God knows that the truth will come out, and even though the debate surrounding the resurrection has been going on ever since that point in time, in the end, the truth will be the only story that is left when we reach the new heaven and the new earth.
God allows us the freedom to choose the type of person we will be, and He lets us make choices that go counter to His will because He values the freedom of choice above all else. But with this freedom comes the responsibility on our parts that we are careful who we choose to obey. The ideas we obey and the worldview we adopt have eternal implications – and while we have the freedom to reject God, that didn’t stop Jesus from giving His life for those who choose to accept Him.
This thought was inspired by studying the Walking With Jesus “Reflective Bible Study” package. To discover insights like this in your own study time, click here and give Reflective Bible Study a try today!
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