Matthew 28:11-17 - Homilies By Marcus Dods

The commotion.

The earthquake which accompanied the resurrection of Christ had its counterpart in the moral commotion which this event occasioned. Thus—

I. THE WATCH WERE MOVED .

1 . They were alarmed for their lives.

2 . They acted with the wisdom of the world.

II. THE ELDERS WERE MOVED .

1 . The hypocrite is alarmed for his credit.

2 . But he vainly seeks to preserve it.

(a) The disciples were not likely to attempt the stealing of the body. For had they thought Christ a deceiver, they would not have run any risk for him. Had they believed him the Messiah, they could have had no occasion or inducement. The pilgrimage of the women was one of devotion, to weep over the dead, and pour some fresh ointment over One whom they desired to preserve, but dreamt not of being able to restore. They were perplexed as to who should roll away the stone, being ignorant both of its being sealed and of the watch being set over it. They were not likely to be in any plot for the stealing of his body to trump up a story of his resurrection.

(b) The soldiers were not likely to have allowed the removal of the body. A watch of sixty armed men could not have been overpowered by a few terrified disciples. The whole watch could not have been asleep, and asleep so soundly as not to be awakened by the rolling away of a stone so large that a company of women despaired of moving it, and by the entrance into the sepulchre of a number of men, and their subsequent exit from it bearing the body. This is all the less likely to have occurred when it is remembered that, according to Roman military law, it was instant death that a guard should be found off their watch. And they were asleep, how did they know what happened?

(c) The elders pain fully felt the clumsiness of their story, else why did they not search the lodgings of the disciples for the body said to have been stolen by them? Were they likely to have been careful for the safety of the Roman soldiers unless they had some reason for it? Do not the words of Gamaliel (see Acts 5:38 , Acts 5:39 ) assume that the resurrection might be true? Could this argument have been pleaded in the council had the senators continued to maintain their story?

III. THE DISCIPLES WERE MOVED .

1 . What is sorrow go the wicked is often joy to the good.

2 . Holy joy is deepened with the assurance of faith.