Because of envy, Caiaphas, the high priest of Israel, had willingly become a pawn in the hand of Satan.
The very man, who by virtue of his priestly office, should have meted out justice was instead, driven by the king of darkness to commit the most flagrant and vicious crime of all time.
Not only did Caiaphas preside over the most notorious kangaroo court in history, he carried the charade farther by inciting the mob to call for the release of a murderer, Barabbas and the crucifixion of the Son of God. I can only imagine what was going through his mind when he came to Pilate the Governor and said. (Matthew 27:63, 64)
Pilates’ answer to the high priest fascinates me: You have a watch: go your way, make it as secure as you can. Armed with the authority of the governor, they sealed the tomb where Jesus lay, and please soldiers to guard the entrance. It makes me want to ask the question, Did Caiaphas really think the frightened disciples would come and steal His body after they deserted Him during His trial or was he afraid that Jesus really would rise from the dead.
For three days the lifeless body of Jesus laid in the sealed tomb guarded by Pilates soldiers to keep the disciples from going in. Their futile plan worked great, not once in those three days did his disciples go near the tomb. But… neither the governor nor the chief priest had given thought to the internal combustion pre-planned by God the Father. Oh yes, their ill- conceived plan succeeded in keeping the disciples out but they were powerless when it came to keeping Jesus in. Neither Pilate nor Caiaphas nor the soldiers nor the sealing of the stone nor the Pharisees nor the Sadducees nor Satan nor the hordes of hell could prevent the fulfilment of the glorious promise. Psalm 16:10; Acts 2:27
This wonderful truth should be shouted from the mountaintops through the valleys and across the plains; Satan could not seduce, hinder or defeat Him, hell couldn’t keep Him and the tomb couldn’t hold Him. Up from the grave He arose, with a mighty triumph o’er His foes; He arose the Victor from the dark domain, and He lives forever with His saints to reign, He arose, hallelujah.
When Christ was raised from the dead by the power of God on that glorious morning, He introduced a new form of living for you and l called Resurrection life.
