How can we guard against disbelief, as the Pharisees did in Matthew 27:62? The Scene at the Tomb “On the next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered before Pilate.” (Matthew 27:62) The leaders had seen Jesus’ miracles, heard His claims, and even recalled His promise to rise on the third day (v. 63). Yet rather than believe, they fortified the grave. Disbelief can be just as determined in any age if left unchecked. Root Causes of the Pharisees’ Disbelief • Love of position and public approval (John 11:48) • Fear of losing power over the people (Matthew 21:46) • Hardened hearts through repeated rejection of truth (Hebrews 3:13) • Reliance on human reasoning instead of God’s revelation (1 Corinthians 1:22–23) Practical Safeguards for Our Hearts • Stay in the Word daily – “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17) • Submit quickly when Scripture confronts sin – “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” (Hebrews 3:15) • Cultivate humility – “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6) • Remember fulfilled prophecy – Jesus’ precise fulfillment of Psalm 22; Isaiah 53 fortifies confidence that what He says, He does. • Invite accountability – Fellowship that “encourages one another daily” (Hebrews 3:13) guards against drifting into skepticism. • Choose obedience over analysis paralysis – “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29) Scripture to Strengthen Faith • Mark 9:24 — “I do believe; help my unbelief!” • Hebrews 11:1 — “Faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see.” • 2 Corinthians 5:7 — “We walk by faith, not by sight.” • Psalm 119:105 — “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Living It Out Today • Replace doubt-fueling inputs with faith-building truth: memorize, sing, and speak Scripture. • Record answered prayers and fulfilled promises to recall God’s faithfulness. • Share personal testimonies regularly; hearing and telling what God has done reinforces belief. • Act on what you know, trusting God to illuminate the next step; faith grows through use (Luke 17:6). Guarding against disbelief is an active, ongoing choice. The Pharisees built a stone wall and stationed soldiers, yet the risen Christ walked out unimpeded. Anchoring our hearts to His unbreakable word keeps us from constructing our own barriers to belief. |
    |