ACC ~ Matthew 27 v64 - 66

THE SECURED SEPULCHER PROVES THE RESURRECTION

CHRYSOSTOM: Everywhere deceit recoils upon itself and against its will supports the truth. Observe: It was necessary to believe that he died, and that he rose again, and that he was buried and that all these things were brought to pass by his enemies. Note, at any rate, these words bearing witness to every one of these facts. “We remember that that deceiver said, when he was yet alive” (he was therefore now dead), ” ‘After three days I rise again.’ Command therefore that the sepulcher be sealed” (he was therefore buried), “lest his disciples come and steal him away.” Since the sepulcher was sealed, there could be no funny business. So then the proof of his resurrection has become incontrovertible by what they themselves have put forward. For because the tomb was sealed, there was no deceitfulness at work. But if there was no sleight of hand and the sepulcher was found empty, it is clear that he has risen, plainly and incontrovertibly. Do you see how even against their will his enemies contend for the proof of the truth? THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 89.1. [1]

[1] PG 58:781; NPNF 1 10:525.

MAKE IT AS SECURE AS YOU CAN

CHRYSOSTOM: What then does Pilate reply? “You have a guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can.” Then what? “So they went and made the sepulcher secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.” Pilate takes every precaution to ensure the seal, so that even the soldiers could not commit fraud. His orders say, “Seal it as secure as you can, so that even you may not have it in your power to blame others.” For if the soldiers were not checked by their sealing, someone might have claimed that the soldiers themselves could have given up the body to be stolen. Although this would have been highly improbable, yet nevertheless, since they had earlier cast aside shame, so in this case they might have done so. Thus even this possibility was cut off, which might have otherwise given the disciples opportunity to feign the history concerning his resurrection. But now having themselves made it sure, they are not able to say so much as this. THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 89.1. [1]

[1] PG 58:781-82; NPNF 1 10:525.

HISTORICAL EVIDENCE ENHANCED

JEROME: It would not have sufficed for the chief priests, scribes and Pharisees to have crucified the Lord our Savior if they had not also guarded the tomb, called in the military, sealed the entrance and, as far as they were able, resisted the resurrection. Their concern for these details serves only to advance our faith; the greater their precautionary care, the more fully is revealed the power of the resurrection. Thus he was buried in a new tomb cut from rock. If the tomb had been constructed from a mound of stones, it could have been said that his body was excavated from underneath the stones and secretly removed. That he had to be buried in a sepulcher is also shown by the prophecy which says, “He will dwell in a deep cave cut from the strongest rock,” and again, two verses further: “You will see the king in his glory.” [1] COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 4.27.64. [2]

[1] Is 33:16-17.

[2] CCL 77:279.

I WILL RAISE IT UP

ORIGEN: It is reasonable to ask the chief priests who approached Pilate the following line of questions. Tell us, for what purpose do you think Jesus said, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up”? [1] Was he speaking about the death and resurrection “of his body” [2] or about the destruction and reconstruction of the temple? If you thought that he was speaking of his resurrection, why did you testify against him because he had said, “I am able to destroy this temple and in three days to rebuild it”? [3] If, however, you thought that he was speaking of the temple, as you have testified, then how do you know that he meant “after three days” he would be raised from the dead? See then how Christ exposes their impiety with their own words. [4] Through their words, the chief priests condemn their own testimony, for understanding truly that Christ was speaking of his resurrection, they deliberately twisted his meaning to make it seem like he was speaking of the destruction and reconstruction of that inanimate temple. COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 145. [5]

[1] Jn 2:19.

[2] Jn 2:21.

[3] Mt 26:61.

[4] Origen recognizes a contradiction in the actions of the chief priests in that they first used the words of Jesus regarding the destruction and rebuilding of the temple to accuse and condemn him without taking into account that Jesus, speaking of the temple, had alluded to his death and resurrection, and then employed precisely this meaning of his words with Pilate. One could object that, as we have seen on p. 301, n. 17, the priests could have drawn Jesus’ prophecy regarding his resurrection from his words about Jonah rather than those of the temple.

[5] GCS 38.2:297-98.

THAT IMPOSTER

ORIGEN: What do you say, chief priest? Do you really think that Christ said to his men “after three days I will rise again” [1] and then secretly commanded them to steal his body during the night and to tell everyone that he had risen from the dead after three days? [2] Yet it is manifestly incredible that after giving such great moral instruction to all peoples and after demonstrating such great power throughout all of Judea, he would then turn and deceive his disciples. Even they would find fault with their commander and therefore refuse to do his bidding, most especially in view of the danger which would have threatened them from the people if they had confessed the man just crucified to be both their teacher and the Messiah. But if it is hardly believable for him to have said such a thing to his disciples, see if it is not more logical to believe that just as he performed great miracles and predicted that his gospel would be preached “to the ends of the earth,” [3] that his disciples “would stand before rulers and kings” [4] and that “Jerusalem would be destroyed by an army,” [5] so also did he predict his resurrection when he said “destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” Indeed, it was for that reason that the chief priests and Pharisees said to Pilate, “That imposter said, while he was still alive, ‘after three days I will rise again.’” [6] COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 145. [7]

[1] Mk 8:31.

[2] This consideration of Origen also appears ill-fitted because the priests warned Pilate that Jesus’ body may be stolen by the disciples without instruction from Jesus.

[3] Mt 26:13.

[4] Mk 13:9.

[5] Lk 21:20, 24.

[6] Mt 27:63.

[7] GCS 38.2:298.