“Therefore, command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ So the last deception will be worse than the first.” (Matthew 27:64, NKJV)

What if you read in the news that credible archaeologists discovered the body of Jesus of Nazareth hidden away in a cave outside of Jerusalem? How would that make you feel? Would it cause you to question everything you have believed? If Jesus walked this earth, healed people, taught many good things, was crucified on a cross, and remained buried, then He would have been like mighty men of God in the past. But we would have no hope of life after death. We would have no assurance that these bodies will one day be resurrected.

The apostle Paul played out this scenario in 1 Corinthians 15:

“If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain…and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.” (1 Corinthians 15:14–19, ESV)

The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of Christianity. So Matthew gave lots of evidence that Jesus really died and was buried, and that He really rose from the dead.

Matthew is the only gospel writer to record that after Christ was resurrected, the bodies of saints who had died were raised and seen by many in Jerusalem. This proved that Jesus had been given the keys to death and Hades (Revelation 1:18).

Joseph of Arimathea mustered the courage to identify as a disciple of Jesus and ask Pilate for His body. Then he and Nicodemus prepared it and buried it in Joseph’s own newly hewn tomb. He rolled a large stone to cover the opening. Now everyone knew exactly where Jesus’ body lay.

Even when the disciples did not believe that Jesus would rise on the third day, the Jewish leaders remembered what Jesus said. They were worried that the disciples would steal the body, so they asked Pilate to secure the tomb. Pilate provided a Roman guard and told them to secure it. They sealed the tomb and posted the guard.

All these actions ensured that Jesus was truly dead and buried. On Sunday morning, the angel moved the stone, and the guards were terrified. This proved that Jesus truly rose from the dead and the tomb was empty.

And so, we have the guarantee that God accepted Christ’s atonement for our sins. Because Jesus and even some saints were raised from the dead, we have confidence that death is not the end, but we too who believe in Jesus Christ will be raised from the dead and receive glorified bodies for eternity. Blessed assurance!