You Have a Watch - Matthew 27:65

After Jesus was crucified and placed within a tomb, Matthew the apostle wrote, “the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. Command therefore that the sepulcher be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first”, and in chapter twenty-seven and verse sixty-five of his book, Matthew shared how Pilate said to the chief priests and Pharisees, “you have a watch” where we read:

Pilate said unto them, You have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as you can.

The verse reads, “Pilate said unto them, You have a watch:” Matthew began words, “Pilate said unto them” which means “Pilate whose name means armed with a spear” and was “the sixth Roman procurator of Judah and Samaria who ordered Christ to be crucified”, “you have a watch” or “the chief priests and Pharisees were given and obtained a guard or use of Roman soldiers to guard the sepulcher of Christ”. Matthew shared how Pilate gave the “religious leaders” the “security guard” they desired.

The verse goes on to say, “go your way, make it as sure as you can.” Matthew continued with the words, “go your way” or “withdraw yourselves and depart”, “make it as sure” which means “make the guard fast, secure and firm” “as you can” or “as the chief priests and Pharisees were able and had the ability”. Matthew shared how Pilate encouraged the “religious leaders” to make the “security guard” as strong as they could make it.

When we think through Matthew's words in this verse, we see how Pilate again involved himself in what happened with Jesus. He could have refused the “religious leader's” request to have a “guard” set over Jesus' tomb, but he agree to what they wanted. All the while, God knew each of these things would come to pass, and though man attempted to keep a “watch” over Jesus' grave, nothing and no one would be able to keep Jesus from rising again. God loves people so much that He allowed these “religious leaders” to make their best effort to “secure” Jesus' tomb, but nothing in this world would prevent Him from providing “salvation” to mankind. Those who are wise will examine the evidence, and when they discover the futility of attempting to “keep” God's effort “secured”, they should yield their lives to Jesus as their personal “Savior and Lord”.

Next time Matthew shares how the chief priests and Pharisees, “went, and made the sepulcher sure, sealing the stone”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".