The FaithOfJesus2 Daily Devotional

Focus:

kjv@Revelation:14:12 @ Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

( FaithOfJesus thread begun by rRandyP )

Today's Verse:

kjv@Matthew:28:11-15

kjv@Matthew:28:11 @ Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done.

kjv@Matthew:28:12 @ And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers,

kjv@Matthew:28:13 @ Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept.

kjv@Matthew:28:14 @ And if this come to the governor's ears, we will persuade him, and secure you.

kjv@Matthew:28:15 @ So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.

Today's notes: Commonly Reported

Context:

Before - go tell His disciples
After - All power is given Me

What is man believing/doing?:

Some roman guards returning into the city from the watch to the chief priests instead of Governor
Chief priests calling together a council
council to pay roman guards for story and to standby soldiers before Pilate securing them from certain death

What is making man to believe/do as he is doing?:

(see notes below)
seems to be mode of operation amongst the chiefs to call counsels, deception this size needs consistent support
(see notes below)

Notes:

(see options of Council Matthew:27:62-66 )

Note that because of Jesus rising and the disciples not doing anything the guards are now on the hook.

Options on part of Guard:

run
take the fall and die because of it
stage something appearing to be an ambush by the disciples, possibly including the death/injury or incapacitation of one or more of either party's fellows
divide up, by threat of the other's possible testimony of events to the public put the council on the same hook, extorting protection and a large sum of money for continued alliance. The problem then becomes the council's in finding a way to persuade Pilate.

Options on part of Pilate:

kill the guard and find the others
go immediately/forcefully after the disciples to force the public's initial perception
expose the conspiracy, at risk of jeopardizing own political support
support the conspiracy on the basis of the perceivable strength of the alliance in view of the inherent public disbelief in resurrection, political weight of council more valuable than of disciples
there is another persuasion in addition to this event that the council knows about that can be used against Pilate

None of the options anyone is considering fully covers the short/long term need of any party. It appears to me that the original council did not expect the guard to take the option of extorting them into a second counsel as they did not expect the least likely occurrence of Jesus rising and the disciples doing nothing. They are left now depending upon the murkiness of suspicion rather than the proprietary clarity of fact.

Ultimately this works to their favor as it now puts the disciples forever more on the hook to counter public mixed perception. Instead of asking the obvious (why wasn't the guard sentenced for sleeping on watch? why they didn't go after the disciples for the body?) the public will absorb itself in the disciples (or Jesus') suspected sleight of hand. The burden of proof becomes producing the resurrected Jesus for public inspection (as Jesus intends (see Jesus Faith above)).

Key Messages:

What does this say about our present condition?

Isaiah once questioned how many would believe the report from the prophets kjv@Isaiah:53:1? He also questioned how many would believe the movement of the power and strength of the LORD when it moved upon these prophecies? The report of the prophets is a report established for thousands of years. The movement of God's arm seen in these three and a half years of earthly ministry incomparable. How is it then that man can so casually over look all of this considerable evidence for the report of some fifty men that were so on the hook in culpability that a partial squad of Roman soldiers were able to extort such a large sum of money from them? What does this show us about the scales of balance in not just their judgment but ours? And the arm doesn't just stop moving there, it continues in the Apostles to come. Does that not add any weight to the conversation?
We can read further into kjv@Isaiah:53 to learn how the balances are affected by our despising and rejection. Yet it is not an oversight or miscalculation in God's plan, these tendencies of the fallen human nature are fully expected and counted on, they are utilized in the spreading of the gospel message to all peoples far and beyond.

Further Resources:

Comment Board:Matthew:28:11-15
index:FAITHOFJESUSDEVOTION - Devotional Index
strkjv@Matthew:28:11-15 rwp@Matthew:28:11-15 mhcc@Matthew:28:11-15
FaithOfJesus2 - Devotion Index

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