Who has ever heard of stationing guards at a cemetery? Usually when we think about guards, we think about prison guards who are assigned shifts to secure inmates so they don’t escape. But there are guards in many other segments of society, such as guards in local jails, guards at banks, guards at large corporations, and guards who transport money from businesses to banks or smaller banks to larger banks.
It was fear or faith that made the chief priests and Pharisees go to Pilate after the death of Jesus to request guards be stationed at the tomb. Even though the followers of Christ didn’t remember how Jesus spoke of rising up after three days, the religious leaders did, and feared it would either happen or wanted to stop any opportunity for His body to be removed. Pilate told them,
“You have a guard; go your way, make [it] as secure as you know how.” So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard.” Matthew 27:65-66
This fear or faith still exist today and the guards are still positioned to prevent Jesus from escaping the tomb. Guards are placed in every church house disguised behind the scriptures that say, “Let all things be done in decently and in order.” I Corinthians 14:40.
You cannot argue against decency and order because it says it right in the Word. The guards are also in the church disguised in leadership positions who control every single aspect of ministry with strict rules, because of the fear that someone might actually shout “Hallelujah” or lift up their hands or worship with true freedom. I am not against decency and order, and I am not for fake spiritual shows, but I am also smart enough to know that when a church is led by the Spirit of God, there will be decency and order whether or not you are comfortable with it or not. Our God is not a God of confusion or chaos. Too many of us want to stay spiritually comfortable when all God wants to do is come alive in dead churches. Christ is alive, but is He alive in our assembly?
The guards are not just in the church, you have a guard assigned to you personally. This is the guard of your flesh sealed to your soul and spirit. Your own flesh is the guard who refuses to surrender completely control of your life to the leadership of the Holy Spirit. All the guards in the world could not have stopped Jesus from coming out of that tomb on the third day. The guards didn’t stop Him, so don’t let the guards stop you whether those in the church or that one assigned to you. Let Jesus be resurrected in your life today.