Matthew 28:13
“saying, “Say that his disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept.”
What does Matthew 28:13 mean?
The chief priests and elders here are instructing the guards to spread a false story about Jesus' resurrection. Instead of acknowledging that something extraordinary happened at the tomb, they're asking the soldiers to claim the disciples sneaked in and took the body while they were sleeping, which would be an embarrassing admission of negligence on the guards' part. This moment reveals how threatened religious leaders felt by Jesus' resurrection. Rather than investigate what actually occurred, they chose to suppress the truth with a coverup story. It's a reminder that throughout history, people sometimes double down on denial rather than face evidence that challenges their understanding of the world.