What is the meaning of Matthew 28:13? and instructed them The “them” refers to the Roman guards who witnessed the empty tomb. The chief priests and elders, determined to suppress the truth, immediately took charge (Matthew 28:12). • Their reaction mirrors earlier schemes to silence Jesus (John 11:47-53). • Instead of investigating the undeniable miracle, they marshal a cover-up, showing the hardness of unbelief even in the face of clear evidence (Luke 16:31). • This moment fulfills Jesus’ own prediction that religious leaders would oppose the truth (Matthew 23:33-36). You are to say A direct command: fabricate a story. • The leaders instruct the guards to lie, violating the ninth commandment (Exodus 20:16). • They reveal fear of the people’s faith if the resurrection story spreads (Acts 4:17-18). • Their authority is misused to protect status rather than seek truth (Jeremiah 5:31). His disciples came by night Shifting blame to the disciples accomplishes two aims: discredit the followers and explain the empty tomb. • Yet the disciples were hiding in fear that very night (John 20:19), not staging grave-robbery. • Jesus had repeatedly foretold His resurrection (Matthew 16:21; 17:23; 20:19); the leaders knew it and had posted guards for that reason (Matthew 27:63-66). • Darkness (“by night”) underscores the secrecy they need for their lie, opposite the open, verifiable appearances Jesus would make (1 Corinthians 15:5-7). and stole Him away Theft was the only naturalistic explanation they could devise. • The grave clothes were still orderly in the tomb (John 20:6-7), contradicting a rushed theft. • The stone was large and sealed; moving it silently past armed guards is implausible (Mark 16:4). • Early preaching centers on the bodily resurrection, not a missing corpse (Acts 2:32; 3:15). • If the body had truly been stolen, producing it would have ended Christianity at once, yet no body was ever shown (Acts 5:38-39). while we were asleep This part of the tale is self-defeating. • If sleeping, the guards could not know who took the body; their testimony collapses on its own terms. • Roman soldiers faced severe penalties, even death, for sleeping on duty (Acts 12:19 gives an example of soldiers executed for a prisoner’s escape). The bribe promised protection (Matthew 28:14), demonstrating the leaders’ willingness to manipulate both truth and justice. • Their need to offer a large sum of money (Matthew 28:12) underscores how desperate they were to suppress the resurrection’s reality. summary Matthew 28:13 records a deliberate conspiracy by the religious leaders to deny the literal, bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. By bribing the guards and scripting a logically flawed cover story, they sought to maintain control and prevent the explosive spread of the gospel. The very existence of this fabricated explanation, preserved in Scripture, highlights the historical certainty of the empty tomb and, by contrast, the truth that Jesus indeed rose from the dead just as He said. |
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