CRITICAL NOTES
Matthew 28:13. Say ye, etc.—In addition to all the judgments of impotency, embarrassment, and rejection, they are now subjected to the judgment of stupidity (Lange). Let the critic say what better expedient they could have thought of, before he assigns its poverty as a reason for discrediting the story. That St. Matthew, and he alone, records it, is sufficiently accounted for by the fact that, his being the first written Gospel, and, moreover, the Gospel for the Jew, it behoved him to deal with a saying “commonly reported among the Jews until this day”; while its being recorded by him was a sufficient reason why no further notice should be taken of it, when there was so much of greater importance to tell (Gibson).
Matthew 28:14. If this come to the governor’s ears.—See R.V. marg. “If this come before the governor”—i.e., not in the way of mere report, but for judicial investigation (Brown). Persuade.—The word meant more than it would have been quite polite to have expressed (Morison). “They say that gifts persuade even gods” (Euripides, Medea, 964). Secure you.—Rid you of care (R.V.). The only other place where the word occurs in the New Testament is 1 Corinthians 7:32.
Matthew 28:15. This saying is commonly reported, etc.—See R.V. “Until this day”—to the date of the publication of this Gospel. Justin Martyr, who flourished about A.D. 170, says in his “Dialogue with Trypho the Jew,” that the Jews dispersed the story by means of special messengers sent to every country (Brown).
MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.— Matthew 28:11-15
Unwilling witnesses.—In the earlier verses of this chapter we have a brief account of the first effects of the resurrection of Christ on His friends. The present verses describe the same in regard to His foes. They show us how dire was the consequent perplexity, and how utterly desperate the ultimate decisions of those who had been chiefly instrumental in effecting His death.
I. Dire perplexity.—We find this, on the one hand, on the part of the guard. When the angel had gone, and the catastrophe was over, and they at last had recovered, they would dare to look round. We know what they would see—the seal broken, the stone removed, the sepulchre open, its Inmate gone! What were they to do? Some, it would appear, were too perplexed to do anything but stand still. Others among them—a portion only—went their way to the priests (Matthew 28:11). Probably they thought that these would certainly hear something of what had occurred, and that it would be best, on the whole, for the story of it to be told by themselves. In any case, what they had to say would reflect much on themselves. In any case, it would seem to those who heard it very hard of belief. It was hard to say, therefore, whether telling it in person would be of any avail.
Yet, what else could be done? The point is one which divides them in an irreconcilable way. Evidently, as a body, they were at their wits’ end as to what ought to be done. We find similar perplexity, on the other hand, on the part of the priests. It is very observable that they never seem to have thought for a moment of asking for the punishment of the guard. It seems evident, therefore, that they did not doubt their story so far as it went. We may well believe, indeed, that there was something in the still terrified looks of these men, and in the very tone and manner of their speech in telling their story, which vouched irresistibly, so far, for its truth. And we can well understand, also, how that story, if believed in, would shut out the idea above named. Even Roman soldiers could not be expected to fight against supernatural force. On that side, therefore, and in that way, there was clearly nothing to be done. Could anything be done, in any way, on the other side of the case? Could anything be done in the direction of explaining away the undoubted facts of the case? To answer this question—early in the day as it was, and many as had been their recent assemblings—they call another one yet (Matthew 28:12); an assembly of their whole body, so the words (Matthew 28:11-12) seem to imply; an assembly also (see Matthew 28:12-13) having the soldiers still within call. Any advice from any one opposed to Jesus would be welcome to them in that emergency. What a picture, again, of a set of men at their very wits’ end!
II. Desperate decisions.—What these many counsellors finally resolve on is of a twofold description. The soldiers are never to repeat again the story told by them that day. They are to say, instead, that the disciples of Jesus had come by night and stolen Him away while they slept (Matthew 28:13). How desperate a plan this was felt to be, on the one hand, may be seen from what we are told of the conduct of all the parties concerned. The conduct of the “soldiers.” Unless “large money” is given to them they will not consent to adopt it. Better, even, to be reported to the governor for not discharging their trust. The conduct of the authorities, in willingly consenting, with all their notorious covetousness (Matthew 23:14, etc.), to hand over the “large” amount demanded of them, and in being ready, also, to spend more still (so some consider to be implied in their language in Matthew 28:14) if required. Anything was better to them, than that what they had heard should be heard by others as well. Equally desperate will the plan appear when looked at in itself. See what it assumed, on the one hand, about the disciples of Jesus. First, that they were the kind of men to think of so daring a deed, and that in spite of the precautions taken to prevent such an attempt (Matthew 27:63-66). Next, that they were more faithful to the body of Jesus than they had been to Himself. Lastly, that such courage as was possessed by them had been increased by His death! Assumptions all, which none who knew them would find easy to believe. See, also, what this plan assumed on the part of the guard. First, that such sentinels as they were—amongst the best in the world—should have been asleep at their posts! And, next, that they should know, being so, what was done during their sleep! The whole explanation, in short, is more difficult far than what it sought to explain. In itself, there is no difficulty in believing that these men had been overpowered by a greater power than their own. There is every difficulty in believing that they had allowed a far inferior and greatly discouraged power to bring about the very thing which they had undertaken to prevent; and so, to do that of which the priests had thought previously that, in such circumstances, it could never be done. To go and say now of this that it had been done was to declare themselves equally foolish and false. And yet to say this was all—be it observed lastly—that could be said then on that side. Years afterwards (end of Matthew 28:15) those who denied the resurrection of Jesus had found nothing better to say. They could only explain, even then, what was undoubtedly true by what was impossible to believe!
1. How striking a proof, therefore, we have here, in the first place, of the truth of Christ’s resurrection! It is the testimony of enemies. Of enemies driven to bay. Of enemies doing their worst. We account for what the soldiers have seen, for the empty sepulchre, for the absent body of Jesus, by saying that He has risen again. All that His cotemporary enemies can offer to us instead of this is that which, on the face of it, is self-contradictory. At least, therefore, they leave the field clear for our view of the subject. Better, in such circumstances, to consider the miraculous than to accept the absurd. This is saying the least.
2. How cogent a proof we have, in the next place. Cogent, because it does not stand by itself, but follows up that already furnished us in the earlier part of this chapter. Difficult to dispute in itself, it is still more difficult to dispose of with that other evidence by its side. Cogent, also, because the evidence it is thus combined with is of so widely different a description. That other was negative. This is positive. That was from friends. This, from enemies. The first, through those afraid to believe. This, by those who longed to dispute. The two, therefore, are as independent of each other as they could very well be. The two in combination, therefore, are about as strong as they could very well be. It would be a miracle, indeed, if two such sets of opponents had invented the same myth!
HOMILIES ON THE VERSES
Matthew 28:11-15. The resurrection of Christ; an argument drawn from the explanation of enemies.—There are three impossibilities developed in this narrative, which go a great way to show the impossibility of denying the resurrection of Christ from the dead.
I. It was impossible for these enemies to deny that Christ had, by some means or other, left the grave.
II. It was impossible for them to give any other explanation than that which they now invented.—Their grand object was to deny that He rose Himself from the dead; and how could they explain His absence from the grave in any other way than they did?
III. It was impossible for this, the only explanation they could give, to be credited.—D. Thomas, D.D.
Matthew 28:12. Bearing down the truth.—
1. Christ’s malicious enemies are of the devil’s nature; they will never cease to oppose Him, though they know Him to be the Son of God.
2. The madness of malicious adversaries of the gospel and the slavery of Satan’s captives are wonderful, as here is seen; for after they are assembled, they resolve to corrupt the witnesses against the light of their conscience.
3. Money is a great blot in the world. The priests and elders think it may overbalance the most precious truth, and are confident for gain to make the soldiers tell a lie against the resurrection of the known Messiah.
4. The more men be engaged in a sin, they are the more forward to go on in it, and will spare no cost to gain their point. These priests and elders gave but thirty pieces of silver to have Christ crucified, but here they gave large money to keep down the report of His resurrection.—David Dickson.
Matthew 28:12-15. Judicial blindness.—This last appearance of the rulers in the Gospel is full of tragic significance, and is especially important to Matthew, whose narrative deals especially with Jesus as the King and Messiah of Israel. This is the end of centuries of prophecy and patience! This is what all God’s culture of His vineyard has come to! The husbandmen cast the heir out of the vineyard, and slew him. There was a deeper depth than even that. They would not be persuaded when He rose again from the dead.
They entrenched themselves in a lie, which only showed that they had a glimmering of the truth and hated it. And the lie was willingly swallowed by the mass of the nation, who thereby showed that they were of the same stuff as they who made it. A conspiracy or falsehood, which knew itself to be such, was the last form of that august council of Israel. It is an awful lesson of the penalties of unfaithfulness to the light possessed, an awful instance of “judicial blindness.” So sets the sun of Israel. And therefore our Gospel turns away from the apostate nation, which has rejected its King, to tell, in its last words, of His assumption of universal dominion, and of the passage of the glad news from Israel to the world.—A. Maclaren, D.D.
Matthew 28:13-15. Bribing the soldiers.—
1. Calumnies and lies devised by Christ’s adversaries are the special engine which they use against the gospel. When all other devices do fail, they make service to Satan by this means.
2. They who are entered in service of ungodly masters can hardly win out; still new and worse employment is furnished unto them.
3. The wicked care not what shame they do put upon themselves, and one upon another, to gain their point.
4. Such as do tempt unto sin, labour to make the sinner secure from worldly inconveniences, but cannot secure him against God’s justice. The priests here do undertake to secure the soldiers at the governor’s hands, but no further.
5. A profane person will make sale of conscience and tongue, and all for money.
6. Such as can be content to be silent, and to keep up truth for any earthly gain, will yield also to speak contrary to known truth for gain.
7. Such as do not apprehend any wrath from God for sin, do seek no guard against it, but do think it sufficient to be secure at men’s hands.
8. He that taketh the bait of sin, will also swallow the hook; for so soon as these men took the money they did as they were taught.
9. Where truth is rejected, a lie will be received, were it never so incredible.—David Dickson.