Matthew 27:64

Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. COMMAND THEREFORE THAT THE SEPULCHRE BE MADE SURE - by a Roman guard, UNTIL THE THIRD DAY - after which, if He still lay the grave, the imposture of His claims would be manifest to all. LEST HIS DISCIPLES COME BY NIGHT, AND STEAL HIM AWAY, AND SAY UNTO THE PEOPLE, HE IS RISEN FROM THE DEAD. [The word nuktos (G3571), 'by night,' appears by the authorities not to belong to the genuine text here, and was probably introduced from Matthew 28:13 ]. Did they really fear this? So the...

62-66 On the Jewish sabbath, the chief priests and Pharisees, when they should have been at their devotions, were dealing with Pilate about securing the sepulchre. This was permitted that there might be certain proof of our Lord's resurrection. Pilate told them that they might secure the sepulchre as carefully as they could. They sealed the stone, and set a guard, and were satisfied that all needful care was taken. But to guard the sepulchre against the poor weak disciples was folly, because needless; while to think to guard it against the power of God, was folly, because fruitless, and to no purpose; yet they thought they dealt wisely. But the Lord took the wise in their own craftiness. Thus shall all the rage and the plans of Christ's enemies be made to promote his glory....

Verse Matthew 27:64. _LEST HIS DISCIPLES COME BY NIGHT_] Νυκτος, _by night_, is wanting in _ten_ of the uncial MSS., and in several others, and in most of the versions. _Erasmus, Aldus, Bengel_, and _Boghard_, with _Griesbach_, leave it out of the text....

UNTIL THE THIRD DAY - That is, during two nights and the intervening day. This proves that when the Jews spoke of “three days,” they did not of necessity mean three “whole days,” but parts of three days, as was the case in our Saviour’s lying in the grave. See the notes at Matthew 12:40. THE LAST ERROR SHALL BE WORSE THAN THE FIRST - That is, the last “deception,” or the taking him from the tomb, pretending that he rose, will have a wider influence among the people than the first, or his pretending to be the Messiah....

EXPOSITION MATTHEW 27:1, MATTHEW 27:2 _Jesus brought to Pilate. _(Mark 15:1; Luke 22:66; Luke 23:1; John 18:28.) MATTHEW 27:1 WHEN THE MORNING WAS COME. This is the early morning of Good Friday, the 14th of Nisan. If the rulers had had special regard to legality, they could not have co

COMMAND THEREFORE THAT THE SEPULCHRE BE MADE SURE,.... By this also they own, that he was buried; and they knew in what, and whose sepulchre he was laid, and where it was; and request of Pilate, that as he had given leave to Joseph to take the body and inter it, that he would also give orders that the sepulchre might be watched, that no body might come near it, and remove the body, and that UNTIL THE THIRD DAY: not from the time they made this request, but from the time of Christ's death; for no longer did they desire the sepulchre to be guarded; for if he did not rise, and no pretensions could be made to it in that time, they then very likely intended to expose his dead body, and triumph over him as an impostor; and after that time, they cared not what became of it, and were in no concern about watching the sepulchre; but till then they judged it necessary and desired it, LEST HIS DIS...

Matthew 27:50. _Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost._ Christ's strength was not exhausted; his last word was uttered with a loud voice, like the shout of a conquering warrior. And what a word it was, «It is finished»! Thousands of sermons have been preached upon that little sentence, but who can tell all the meaning that lies compacted, length, and height altogether unmeasurable. Christ's life being finished, perfected, completed; he yielded up the ghost, willingly dying, laying down his life as he said he would: «I lay down my life for the sheep... I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.» Matthew 27:51. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and th

CHAPTER 27 1. Delivered unto Pilate.(Matthew 27:1 .) 2. The Suicide of Judas.(Matthew 27:3 .) 3. Before Pilate. (Matthew 27:11 .) 4. The Awful Choice.(Matthew 27:15 .) 5. Crowned with Thorns and Crucified.(Matthew 27:27 .) 6. The Death of the King. (Matthew 27:45 .) 7. The Rent Veil and the Earthquake.(Matthew 27:51 .) 8. The Burial. ...

THE GUARDING OF THE TOMB (Mt. only). The story arose as a reply to Jews who averred that the disciples had removed the body of Jesus, itself a reply to the disciples-' assertion of the empty grave (_cf. Matthew 28:11_). It is a relic of controversy in which each side imputed unworthy motives to the other and stated suggestions as established facts. THE DAY AFTER THE PREPARATION (Matthew 6:2) is a curious paraphrase for the Sabbath....

THE MAN WHO SENTENCED JESUS TO DEATH (Matthew 27:1-2 ; Matthew 27:11-26)...