Matthew 28:15

‘So they took the money, and did as they were taught.'

The guards accordingly took the money and spread the word that was ‘taught' to them. Note the emphasis on ‘taught'. This lie is in strong contrast with the word that the disciples will be called on to teach (Matthew 28:19). The inference is that the Chief Priests and Pharisees taught lies, while the disciples taught the truth.

‘And this saying was spread abroad among Jews, and continues until this day.'

The result was that this story became popular among Jews as an explanation of the empty tomb and continued to be so until the time of writing. The impression that this verse gives is that Matthew's main purpose in giving the explanation is in order to explain where such a story came from, rather to be seen as an attempt to provide specific evidence of why people could believe that a guarded tomb was definitely empty. It would appear that this latter was something that every Jew knew. It is clear that Jews were seen as the only ones interested in the matter. Gentiles probably did not believe Jews anyway, and certainly did not believe this mad story.

‘Continues until this day.' This tells us only that the rumours continued for a certain period. It tells us nothing about when ‘this day' is, only that it was some years after the events described. This was an expression common in the Old Testament. In Jeremiah 25:3 it indicates either a period of ten years, or one of twenty three years. See also Jeremiah 36:2; and especially Numbers 22:30 where the period is quite short (an asses lifetime).