What is the meaning of Matthew 27:66? So they went • “They” are the chief priests and Pharisees who had just told Pilate, “Sir, we remember that while He was alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again’ ” (Matthew 27:63). • Acting on Pilate’s permission—“You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you know how” (Matthew 27:65)—they move immediately to prevent any possibility of Jesus’ body being taken. • Luke 23:55-56 records that some women “followed and saw the tomb and how His body was laid,” underscoring that multiple eyewitnesses could later attest to whatever they would find. • Their going demonstrates human resolve against God’s revealed plan, much like Psalm 2:2-4 portrays nations plotting “against the LORD and against His Anointed,” only to discover God “laughs” at their vain schemes. secured the tomb • “Secured” conveys deliberate, thorough action. Acts 5:23 uses the same idea when the apostles were found missing from a prison “securely locked.” • Pilate’s command, “make it as secure as you know how,” implies they used every precaution in their power, yet God’s purpose would still prevail; Isaiah 46:10 reminds us He declares “the end from the beginning… My purpose will stand.” • Psalm 127:1 says, “Unless the LORD guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.” No amount of earthly security can override divine sovereignty. by sealing the stone • A seal was an official mark of authority, like Daniel 6:17 where a stone over the lions’ den was “sealed with the signet ring of the king and his nobles.” Breaking such a seal meant violating Roman power as well as Jewish leadership. • The stone itself testified to Jesus’ genuine death and burial, fulfilling “He was buried” (1 Corinthians 15:4). • Revelation 20:3 shows a future angel “sealed” the abyss; in both cases, men or angels apply seals, yet God alone decides when they are broken. and posting the guard • A Roman guard (likely 4-16 soldiers) stood watch. Matthew 28:4 notes that at the resurrection “the guards trembled and became like dead men,” proving their presence was real and powerless to stop God. • After the resurrection, “some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened” (Matthew 28:11). Their eyewitness testimony forced the leaders to fabricate the bribery story (vv. 12-15), inadvertently confirming the empty tomb. • Acts 12:4 and 16:23 show how Rome viewed custodial failure: it could cost a soldier’s life. That these guards later spread the leaders’ lie underscores the monumental impact of what they witnessed. summary Matthew 27:66 shows determined religious and civil authorities doing everything humanly possible to keep Jesus in the grave: they go in person, employ maximum security, seal the stone with official authority, and station a professional guard. Each precaution, meant to silence the promise “After three days I will rise,” instead amplifies the miracle, verifying that the tomb was truly empty by God’s power alone. The verse thus affirms both the reality of Jesus’ death and the certainty of His resurrection, demonstrating that no human scheme can thwart the plans of the Living God. |
    |