Holy Week Guarding The Tomb

Matthew 27:62-66

David Hume, an essayist from the enlightenment, basically purports that religion or miracles cannot be based on human testimony and empirical evidence. In his essay , “On Miracles,” he writes with derision, “Mere reason is insufficient to convince us of its veracity: And whoever is moved by Faith to assent to it, is conscious of a continued miracle in his own person, which subverts all the principles of his understanding, and gives him a determination to believe what is most contrary to custom and experience.”        

In Matthew,  the testimony and the evidence ring true in the gospels.  God uses the Pharisees and Pilate  to make sure that no other explanation can be reasonable other than the miracle of the resurrection.  The stone was “made secure.” The tomb was sealed and the guard set in place.   Some biblical commentaries state that the Pharisees even did all this on the Sabbath.    How ironic that they are so concerned about Jesus, and not trusting in the power of the God of Abraham to reveal himself , that they are willing to break their own religious laws in order to seal the tomb and do the work of preparation.  They are more concerned with their own power and traditions, than even God’s law. It is undeniable that our savior defied laws of nature.  He overcame death for our sins, and easily overcame the obstacles of this natural world.  In their attempts to prevent his followers from making a false claim, they actually help prove the reality of his resurrection.

The truth is, David Hume is correct when he says it’s only by faith and a miracle itself that we can believe in the resurrection of Jesus.   It is in fact  a miracle that God comes to us, and it is our own experience with the living savior that allows us to believe on his name!   It is God who reveals not only through testimony, and not only science, but through revelation of his truth to our spirit.  And as Hume himself asserts– we must believe that which seems more probable– in this case it is the miracle that changed the world, and allows us to break free from our brokenness, and sin.  Oh what a Savior!  Oh Happy Day!  Blessed be the name of the Lord!

Lord Jesus, may we not be blind like the Pharisees.  The Pharisees worried about maintaining their tradition, power and status quo, more than they wanted to believe.  Open our eyes, Lord.  May we not let our own selfish ambitions,or desire for things to stay the same to keep us from seeing the miracle.  May you reflect yourself through us so that the world would see your glory and experience the revelation and resurrection of Christ in their own lives.

Author Theresa Kluge 

Picture by Chris Little 

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