(Text and Audio)
Title: The Cover Up
I want to begin today with a powerful quote from J.I. Packer. We will bookend today’s teaching by circling back to this quote as we close. Packer states:
“This incident shows that clear evidence may have no effect on those committed to unbelief. That the story of the disciples stealing Jesus’s body was still circulated in the days of Justin Martyr (160 A.D.) indicates something of the desperation felt by Jewish leaders in explaining the empty tomb.”
Parallels: None.
Matthew is the only Gospel to record the soldier’s report and the cover up scheme of the Jewish leadership. Why?
Author and Audience.
Matthew had a particular interest and agenda is demonstrating to his primarily Jewish audience the lengths that their own leadership would go to to attempt to cover up the truth of Jesus’s identity.
This is also why Matthew’s Gospel is the only one to record the conversation between Pilate and the Jewish leadership about “setting a guard” outside the tomb so that this very thing would not happen, so that the disciples could not steal the body and claim he arose.
Yet, as we mentions a few weeks ago, the very insistence by the Jews to have a guard posted very much paints them in a corner and now they have to come up with something to alter the truth. And the key to their whole plan becomes these Roman soldiers.
Think of it this way, can you imagine what would have happened to the masses (who were very much inclined to think of Jesus as divine in some way anyway), if the Roman soldiers had been honest about what they saw? From the Jews perspective, they had to be bribed, they had to have their narratives altered, or even the very action of having Jesus killed would backfire.
This is where there is a bizarre cross over between Jesus and Obi-Wan-Kenobi. (I know, I know but follow me for a second here…) “If you strike me down I shall become more powerful than ever…”
Let’s do a quick exercise: Here you have generic people:
- A Neighbor
- A Professional Athlete
- A High Ranking Politician
- A Pastor
Now I am going to ask you question, and I want to know what your gut reaction is and why.
If each of these people was exposed publicly in a marital infidelity scandal, which one would make you the most upset and why?
I think most of us would be most upset by the pastor.
Why? He should (most) know better and should (most) be striving for holiness, yes?
I think that Matthew is particularly motivated to say to his audience, “Wake up! They have been lying to you. They have been actively deceiving you. They have conspired with the enemy of Rome, they have held secret meetings and trails, they have broken several of our own Jewish laws to acquire, maintain, and defend their own power.
During this entire Gospel, what has MY proof to YOU been? The O.T. scripture and how it points directly and obviously to Jesus as the Christ.
What has their reaction been? Conspiracy, coercion, and malpractice.
(In a way, Matthew can be seen as the first conspiracy theorist…and he’s right!)
J.I. Packer:
“This incident shows that clear evidence may have no effect on those committed to unbelief. That the story of the disciples stealing Jesus’s body was still circulated in the days of Justin Martyr (160 A.D.) indicates something of the desperation felt by Jewish leaders in explaining the empty tomb.”
If someone is committed to unbelief, do not be surprised at the lengths they will go to in order to justify and reinforce that unbelief, not only with themselves, but also amongst others.
Was there any way to convince the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah? Could Peter have just had a really good sit down with them and changed their minds?
So what hope do people like this have?
That they have a Paul moment.
And we may be the flashing light on the road to Damascus.
I want to leave you with this important reminder: However obvious and beautiful the reality of Jesus is to the believer, that same evidence is repulsive and evil and manipulative to the non-believer.
We must treat them with the same grace and compassion that Jesus did when he met Paul on the road to Damascus.
It is only by grace that any of us are here, praising the Holy name of Jesus.
(pray/QA)