The day between the Friday crucifixion of Jesus and his Sunday resurrection brought a pause. The disciples scattered and hid, traumatized by the brutal trial and killing of their teacher. They must have feared they were next, and only started to process the profound loss of Jesus and all their dashed hopes.

But not everyone remained inactive. The chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate and requested a guard be placed at the tomb. “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive the deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead.”

The disciples may have pushed aside the idea of a resurrection, but not the priests. Believing Jesus a charlatan, they looked for deception, sleight of hand, a theft followed by lies. That’s how these leaders worked. So, they posted a contingent of armed guards in front of the tomb to keep anyone from getting in.

They never considered someone might get out.

Saturday evening the chief priests went to bed, smug in their assumption all contingencies were met and they controlled this Jesus stuff. The disciples dropped off in grief, if they slept at all, to splintered dreams of their new reality.

It was the last night any of them snuffed out a candle holding to those beliefs.

Matthew 27:62-65

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