Mt 28:8-15
8[Mary Magdalene and the other Mary] went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce [the good news] to [Jesus’] disciples. 9And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them. They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage. 10Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”
11While they were going, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had happened. 12They assembled with the elders and took counsel; then they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, 13telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him while we were asleep.’ 14And if this gets to the ears of the governor, we will satisfy [him] and keep you out of trouble.” 15The soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has circulated among the Jews to the present [day].
This story has circulated among the Jews: In the beginning of his gospel, Matthew tells of Herod’s plan to kill the newborn Messiah. Through deceit, he sought to make use of the Magi to lead him to Jesus (2:1-8). But God frustrated Herod’s evil plan. Matthew now resumes the story with the bribing of the guards. The malefactors are the Jewish priests and the elders. Earlier, they took counsel on how to arrest and kill Jesus in secret; they paid Judas silver pieces to betray him. The last mention of these Jewish authorities has them teaching the soldiers to lie.
This story, special to Matthew, goes beyond historical evidence and reflects the tension between the Christian community and the Jewish synagogue. The Jews thought of Jesus as one who “led people astray,” and rumors circulating among ordinary folks told of the disciples stealing the body of Jesus. The Christians, on the other hand, portrayed the Jewish authorities as scheming liars, and one lie that circulated among the Jews—that of the disciples stealing the body to explain the resurrection of Jesus—was a nasty one.
Matthew implies that the hostile apologetics that has developed among Jewish circles against the resurrection is really futile. But Christians may learn, too, that calling the Jews as malevolent does little to their cause.