Friday 29 April 2022

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.

Jesus had risen! The angel had rolled back the stone so all could see an empty tomb. The women were afraid but exuberant and worshipped. Meanwhile, the soldiers ran off and reported to the chief priests. The chief priests and elders devised bribery, deception, and spin to hide the truth. Jesus had risen!

So many responses to one event that changed human history. The focus of this passage is the length of the deception the chief priests were willing to go to, to hide from the truth of who Jesus is.

I have been reminded while thinking on this passage that we all possess the tendency to do this … hide from the truth. We may not go as far as devising elaborate deceptions, but we can certainly want to hide. The unfortunate thing is, if the Chief Priests had embraced the truth of Jesus’s resurrection, it would have brought them incredible freedom.

Especially at Easter, Lord I pray that we may all embrace the truth of the resurrection of Jesus afresh in our lives today.

Written by Suzie Hodgson