April 1 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Matthew 28:11–15

Devotional

The message of Christ’s resurrection was not only delivered to friends, but also to enemies. Remarkable messengers announced the Easter message to the Sanhedrin. They were soldiers who had no personal interest in Jesus whether dead or alive. If the disciples had told the Sanhedrin that the grave was empty, their message could have been attributed to their own interests. But when indifferent night watchmen came to tell the Jewish leaders, there was no reason to distrust the truth of their message. Would the Sanhedrin now believe that Jesus was the Christ? If Jesus was alive, would they be overcome with guilt for crucifying the Messiah?

If anything shows how callous a man can be, this history does. The leaders know that Christ has risen and yet remain as cold and hard as the stone at the empty tomb. We can be likened to the Sanhedrin if we continue to harden our hearts to the truth of the empty tomb. The empty grave must be explained. And the answer to the puzzle will either humble or harden our heart. Being exposed to God’s facts of salvation will not let us remain the same.

The Sanhedrin met together over an issue that they thought was closed. At this meeting they were of one mind. How the common cause against Christ can unite opposing people! They agreed that a stone—a stone of lies—had to be placed quickly in front of the tomb, cost what it may. They gave the soldiers a great deal of money with the condition that they would broadcast the lie that the body of Jesus had been stolen by the disciples. The Jews surely believed in the fact of the resurrection. They believed more of the soldiers’ message than the disciples believed of the women’s message. They took direct measures to close the open grave with lies. The deceitful heart is very clever in finding a hard stone to push in front of the opening of God’s precious gospel.

The watchmen eagerly received the money. It would come in handy in their military life. The rattling of the pieces of silver soon made them forget their deadly terror at the gravesite. As is often the case, money proved a stumbling block on the way to eternity. It is always good to search out the obstacles that stand in our way to eternity. What obstacle stands in your way? Is it money? Is it possessions? Is it honor? Is it pleasure?

Many people believed the lie of the soldiers rather than the truth of Christ’s resurrection. As a result, they cried concerning the risen Christ, as they had at the crucifixion, “Away with Him.” They who did not love Him in His humiliation were not able to love Him in His exaltation. The lie was contrary to good logic. How could the watchmen have possibly seen the disciples take away the body of Christ when they were asleep themselves? What foolishness to believe the lie of the soldiers against their better judgment! Do you still live in self-deception? Do you cling to a lie in spite of the truth of a historical fact?

You, who live by the truth, shall not be ashamed. The truth of the empty grave of Christ, in whom all your hope stands or falls, cannot be closed. Not even all the money of the world can hide the truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. All the power of hell cannot push the rolled-away stone back over the entrance of the grave. Your hope in Christ is not in vain. Like the disciples on the day of the resurrection, the truth of the resurrection is almost more than we can believe. But it is not too much for the King to be the Truth and the Life for such people.

 

From The Everlasting Word by Frans Bakker, compiled and translated by Gerald R. Procee. Reformation Heritage Books and Free Reformed Publications, 2007. Used by permission. For further information, click here.