Matthew 27:66 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.

NIV: So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.

NASB: And they went and made the tomb secure with the guard, sealing the stone.

CSB: They went and secured the tomb by setting a seal on the stone and placing the guard.

NLT: So they sealed the tomb and posted guards to protect it.

KJV: So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.

NKJV: So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard.

With official permission from Pilate, the governor, Jewish religious leaders take one more step to destroy Jesus' legacy (Matthew 27:62–65). They go to Jesus' tomb, make sure His body is still inside, and then seal the crypt.

The tomb already has a heavy stone door (Matthew 27:60) which would have kept animals and casual thieves away. To make sure it cannot be secretly opened, they add a seal. This was probably a cord attached to the door and walls, held on by wax stamped with some kind of signet. Further, there will be men there to watch the grave and keep Jesus' disciples away. The guards are likely Roman soldiers normally assigned to security for the city temple.

With these steps, Jewish religious leaders have done all they can to keep Jesus' followers from stealing His body. This, they believe, will eliminate any possibility that His followers can claim He has been raised from the dead (John 2:19–22). The fantastic irony of their efforts, however, will be revealed shortly. All they have done is rule out fraud and theft as explanations for an empty tomb: they have unknowingly added further proof that Jesus Christ did, in fact return from death in a supernatural miracle (Matthew 28:4–7).

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.

Matthew 27 begins with an official meeting of the Jewish ruling council. They affirm Jesus' condemnation from the previous night, described in chapter 26. Judas confesses his betrayal and hangs himself. Pilate tries to release Jesus, but the mob shouts for Jesus to be crucified. Jesus is humiliated by Roman soldiers and marched to be executed. On the cross, He is mocked by Jewish religious leaders and others. He dies and is buried in a never-used tomb. Extensive efforts to secure His body from being stolen only serve to prove the miraculous nature of His resurrection, which is detailed in chapter 28.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.