What does Matthew 27:65 mean?
Some of the chief priests and Pharisees have come to Pilate to make one more request about the false Messiah Jesus. They know He claimed the ability to rise from the dead after three days (John 2:19–22). They don't believe this, of course. However, they are worried His followers may steal the body and then tell everyone Jesus has been resurrected. How could they fight that fraud once it got started? If the body were simply to go missing, the lie would be harder to refute (Matthew 27:62–64).Pilate seems to recognize the danger of such an event. His statement of "you have a guard of soldiers" can also be translated as "you may have a guard" or "take a guard." At the same time, he's not likely interested in using any of his own men for a relatively easy task. The Roman soldiers who will watch over Jesus' grave site are likely those already assigned to duty near the temple in Jerusalem. The religious leaders are, most likely, being given permission to reassign those men to Jesus' grave site.
He tells the Jewish religious leaders to do whatever they can to make the location secure. That will include placing a seal on the rock (Matthew 27:60) warning against tampering, as well as having the guards observe the area.
Matthew 27:57–66 describes Jesus' burial and the watch placed over His tomb. Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy follower of Jesus, asks for Jesus' body. Pilate agrees. Joseph wraps Jesus' body in a clean linen shroud and places it in his own, never-used tomb, which is cut out of the rock in a garden. Jesus' enemies ask Pilate to place Roman soldiers at the grave site. They seek to prevent anyone from stealing His body and claiming He has been resurrected. Pilate agrees. The tomb is sealed. A guard is posted. These events are also seen in Mark 15:42–47, Luke 23:50–56, and John 19:38–42.
When Judas learns Jesus has been condemned, he regrets betraying the Lord. He throws down his ill-gotten money and hangs himself. Jesus is taken to Pilate, who finds nothing to charge Him with. Given the choice, the people shout for the release of a convicted murderer and insist on Jesus' death. Jesus is mocked by a battalion of soldiers and then taken to be crucified. On the cross, He is mocked for not being able to save Himself. After three hours of darkness, Jesus dies. He is buried by a rich follower in a new tomb. This location is tightly guarded to prevent anyone from stealing the body.