What happened to the Roman guards at Jesus'
tomb who "shook for fear ... and became like dead men" (Matthew 28:4) at
seeing the angel?
" 11 ... Some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the
things that had happened. 12 When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of
money to the soldiers, 13 saying, "Tell
them, 'His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.' 14 And
if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will appease him and make you secure."
15 So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is
commonly reported among the Jews until this day" (Matthew 28:11-15).
What is amazing about the chief priests' actions?
Upon being informed by the Roman guards of what happened at Jesus' tomb, they should have realized that Jesus indeed had risen from the dead as He had
prophesied. Since that proves Jesus' deity (see
Resurrection of Jesus), they should have been wailing in repentance for
what they had done against God and begging Him for forgiveness and mercy, not bribing the Roman
guards to try to cover up what happened at the tomb.
Why did the Roman guards at the tomb go along
with their plot?
"The large sum" (Matthew 28:12) of the bribe money
must have been a factor but the Roman guards
may have felt that they had no other choice. They had failed to defend the Roman seal
place on Jesus' tomb, so
Pontius Pilate, the Roman "governor" (Matthew 28:14) had the right
to execute them if nobody intervened for them. That's why they had gone to
the Jewish chief priests in the first place instead of to their own barracks, which was just next to the temple
(see
Praetorium).
How wise were the Roman guards' actions and decisions?
The one whose wrath they should have been worried about is God, whose angel
had already so scared them that "shook for fear of him,
and became like dead men" (Matthew 28:4). Instead of going to
the chief priests to seek their help covering up their failure, they should
have cried out in repentance to God and seek His forgiveness, as well as
protection against Pontius Pilate.
When you sin against God, do you confess your sins
directly to Him, repent, and seek His forgiveness, or do you try to hide from Him?