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Power to Rise

Matthew 27:62-64

The next day, which followed the preparation day, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember that while this deceiver was still alive, He said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ Therefore give orders that the tomb be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, His disciples may come, steal Him, and tell the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead.’ Then the last deception will be worse than the first.”

The chief priests and Pharisees knew well what Jesus had taught and prophesied about Himself. They were both angered and terrified of his prophecies. The people regarded Him as a prophet, so if they sought to arrest Him or kill Him without discrediting Him, they would have an angry mob on their hands. It seems they were trying to control the narrative and were concerned about “misinformation.” Since a prophet always speaks the truth, they were afraid He really might rise from the dead, so they had to insure it didn’t happen. They had to make sure that tomb was sealed and guarded so there was no chance He would escape. If death could not keep Him, why would they think a silly stone would keep Him in the tomb? 

I’m both amazed and amused that the chief priests and Pharisees believed Jesus’s teaching more than His own disciples did. While the chief priests and Pharisees insured the tomb was sealed so a resurrection couldn’t happen, the disciples didn’t even bother to show up on the third day to see if it would! They accepted His death but did not believe He would rise as He said He would.

The chief priests and Pharisees cared about what people thought. They lived for the respect and honor from men, and keeping public opinion in their favor is what kept them in power. If people even thought Jesus rose from the dead, there would be a greater faith and a greater religion than the traditions they had built, and the people would eventually follow someone else. They just couldn’t let that happen, so they sealed the tomb and placed it under guard. They had to protect their interest. If people thought Jesus rose from the dead, He was more than a prophet – He was the Messiah!

A sealed stone couldn’t keep Jesus from raising from the dead, and no attempt from the enemy to seal your future or steal your blessing will prevail! You cannot keep down what God has ordained to rise!  Don’t worry about the things others have done to harm you or to prevent you from success. If God has predestined it, their weak attempts to contain you will only serve to magnify God’s glory when He reveals it! No stone in your life is greater than the power of God to raise you to a new level! Rejoice in the fact that Jesus died for you so His power could work in you! You are not bound by the opinions and attitudes of men. You have a purpose ordained and anointed by Almighty God, and He will bring you to it!

Have a blessed day!

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