The Wasted Watch
Mt 27: 57 - 28:15
INTRO: Military Term: Guard duty, Duty, Post or Watch
*Something that all military personnel has to do sometime or another, stand watch They start you out in boot camp given us a stocking cap & flashlight saying watch for what, anything. Unauthorized people, or recruits sneaking out after ours. Training school same thing, walk the halls of an empty building called a fire watch. Once on board ship stood fire watch as a welder worked, quarterdeck watches as the sailors came & went from liberty & I stood radar watch at sea. All had their boring moments & wondered their necessity. But I never stood watch over a grave. The military tradition of guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a special Tradition. But they are serious about keeping people away from that sacred tomb. We are assured there are remains from various wars of our past resting inside.
B. But we have a story of some soldiers given a task to guard a
grave to make sure it didn’t come back to life
1. That naturally sounds dumb
a. Bodies don’t come back to life
1. Tomb of the Unknown Soldier guards protect & honor the dead
2. But these guarding Jesus’ grave have a different task
**A police officer in a small town stopped a motorist who was speeding down Main Street. “But officer,” the man began, “I can explain.” “Just be quiet,” snapped the officer. “I’m going to let you cool your heels in jail until the chief gets back.” “But, officer, I just wanted to say—,” “I said to keep quiet! You’re going to jail!” A few hours later the officer looked in on his prisoner and said, “Lucky for you that the chief’s at his daughter’s wedding. He’ll be in a good mood when he gets back.” “Don’t count on it,” answered the fellow in the cell. “I’m the groom.”
b. Never did soldiers have so hopeless an assignment.
1. To keep Jesus in the tomb! It would be funny if it were not so
tragic.” Wasted Watch, Senseless sentinels.” Gullible Guards
I. Watch: We Can NOT Allow it to Happen 27: 63-66
A. Wound Up: It is over, Jesus is in the Grave ….?
1. History records that most crucified bodies remained on the
cross for the birds to devour
a. Or thrown in a common grave (open ditch trash pile)
2. But Joseph of Arimathaea begged Pilate for Jesus’ body for
a proper burial
a. Probably out of guilt for crucifying an innocent man he
relented to Joseph’s request
1. Since so late & work is not permitted by orthodox Jews on the
Sabbath. They could only do a partial job on the body of the Lord.
2. It would have to be completed on Sunday the day after
b. This now being late evening of the day before the Sabbath
3. That stirred up the minds of the religious leaders
a. Here it is the day after the preparation day (Sabbath)
b. Instead of being focused on the things of God, worship
1. Instead of Praising the Lord, were able to get rid of a religious nut
2. They are worried it isn’t over yet
c. On the Sabbath the confront a Gentile, they walk to the Palace
1. They are still plotting, planning working at getting rid of Jesus
permanently
B. Worried about His Word: They remember what Jesus said
1. His message always hit home, even when didn’t want to
believe it
a. For over 3 years this trouble maker had been a thorn in
their side
1. Finally got rid of him, but… If He is alive or even if said to be alive
it won’t be good for them
2. That brought together these strange partners
a. Sadducees & Pharisees
1. Sadducees are rationalist, elites who only believe what they see &
experience. Can’t see God or the spiritual realm so they don’t
believe in anything supernatural
2. Pharisee you’d think want to see God do something
a. They believed the scriptures, they know God does miracles
3. But both the Sadducees & Pharisees will loose power if Jesus is the
true Son of God the Messiah
a. He will change everything,
3. Therefore they can’t allow Jesus to rise or even be rumored
that He lives They want guards at the grave
C. Watched: Security in place
1. Rock Tomb, been dug carved out of solid rock wall
a. only 1 entrance & exit
2. Large Stone door to cover the entrance
a. The ladies realized on their way, they couldn’t move it and
there were probably at least 5 in the group
1. Groove in the ground to roll away & to wedge the stone into place in
front of the opening
3. The seal: A rope around the stone in the crack then wax pour at both
ends with a signet imprint to show if tampered with
4. The Watch - Guards - Sentinels
a. Roman soldiers under the authority of the religious leaders
1. They were when Jesus was arrested, & Pilate has now detached
some more for this task
b. Trained Soldiers Killing machine
1. If those wimp of disciples tried anything, it would have been a 6
second war
c. The penalty for sleeping in duty is severe
1. Philippian Jail earthquake, the jailer thought the prisoners had
escaped, he was about to commit suicide
a. He knew suicide was quicker & less painful than what was in store
for him if they had escaped. They had not
2. The penalty was death by burning, stripped of clothes & ignited with
own garments
a. They would not dare go to sleep
d. The tomb of Jesus was as secure as humanly possible
5. Satisfied, secured resting: But not for long
II. Watch: It Did NOT Happen 28:11-15
A. Come Sunday Morning, the word is spreading Jesus is alive
1. The Jewish leaders & guards all hollered “No way man!”
a. They protested the story, but we can also say they were Prejudice
2. There is a Conspiracy. You guys stole his body!
a. Ok, The guards are admitting they slept? uummmm
1. Something is wrong with this picture
b. This bunch of uneducated, untrained men out smarted but
the educated religious leaders, the political leaders & the
military RIGHT!!!
c. Sound asleep, they snuck in behind the sleeping guards,
rolled away the stone, no grunts
1. Would not have had time to unwrap the body of Jesus
a. Just pick Him up and go, no tripping, stumbling, whispering, or
grunts as they take Him through the opening (that is not 8ft tall John
& Peter both will stoop down) past those guards Unbelievable
B. Only thing needed to quiet the story
1. Produce the body: They had a whole nation at it disposal, a great
reward would have motivated people to find a dead man
a. The Roman Empire was ready to assist
b. Unbeatable case: ** The Case of the Missing Cow
A big city lawyer was called in on a case between a farmer and a large railroad company. A farmer noticed that his prize cow was missing from the field through which the railroad passed. He filed suit against the railroad company for the value of the cow. The case was to be tried before the justice of the peace in the back room of the general store. The attorney immediately cornered the farmer and tried to get him to settle out of court. The lawyer did his best selling job, and the farmer finally agreed to take half of what he was claiming to settle the case. After the farmer signed the release and took the check, the young lawyer couldn’t help but gloat a little over his success. He said to the farmer, “You know, I hate to tell you this but I put one over on you in there. I couldn’t have won the case. The engineer was asleep and the fireman was in the caboose when the train went through your farm that morning. I didn’t have one witness to put on the stand.”
The old farmer replied, “Well, I’ll tell you, young feller, I was a little worried about winning that case myself because that silly cow came home this morning!”
2. All anybody had to do was to produce the undeniable
evidence of him still dead
3. If he only swooned, wasn’t dead:
a. Lets see, beaten, scourged, crucified, stabbed with a spear
only passed out, not dead, RIGHT
b. But let’s say true, never died, Produce the living man
4. The thing is, they were not in control!
a. He that rose was in control & would reveal Himself to
whom He willed & when he wanted
b. They set a watch, but God Over-ruled
III. Watch: But it DID Happen 28:5-8
A. He is risen!
1. That was and is the proclamation for 2000 years
a. The skeptics, the cynics & the enemies of Christ has tried to
deny the reality of the resurrection
B. The evidence is there for any to examine
1. A verified death
2. The empty tomb, the admission by both Jews & Rome of vacancy
a. No body was ever produced
3. 500 + people at various times & locations encountered the
Living Jesus
a. For which most were threatened & many did loose their
life for their testimony of the resurrection
1. Never recanted their story never confessed to the conspiracy
a. Would you suffer or die for a lie?
b. They suffered & many died for the Living Lord
4. The changed lives of those effected
a. The cowering disciples became bold
1. Show how a dead body does that, maybe short term inspiration
from a martyr
2. But a living Lord transforms lives
b. The weak hiding church became empowered &
unstoppable
c. Souls that were lost in sin received forgiveness, Peace and
power to be different
CONCLUSION
Christianity did not start in the city of Jerusalem but at the empty tomb
