Matthew 28:11-15

Matthew 28:11-15

The chief priests desperately needed a story. Jesus was obviously out of his tomb and since some of the guards had fully revealed the situation to them, they knew full well that it was because Jesus rose from the dead. While Jesus was on the cross, the Jewish leadership had mockingly suggested that they would repent and believe in Jesus if he could save himself (Matthew 27:42). Now, Jesus had saved himself. He had proven once and for all that he had the power to die and the power to come to life again (John 10:18).

But instead of repenting and changing their longstanding disbelief, the chief priests decided to bribe the guards to spread a lie to the Jewish people. Instead of admitting the truth and changing their minds, they did everything in their power to make sure others did not believe as well. It was more important for them to hang on to their pride and position of power than it was to acknowledge the truth.

How important is the truth to you? Is it worth sacrificing your position in life? Is it worth your job, your family, or beliefs about life that you’ve held for a long time? Are you willing to stop and ponder the possibility of things that currently seem impossible?

When the truth about a person or a situation stares you in the face, would you choose to bite the bullet and confess your error or misunderstanding, or stubbornly refuse to change direction? Of course, it is always wise to gather as much information as we can before making a judgment call about something. However, let’s always make sure that our quest for truth is never hampered by a stubborn, intractable attitude.

Nathan Combs