HUSH MONEY! That’s what it was! The Roman guards were the first to see the amazing power of God when Jesus woke up from the dead and come out of the sealed tomb. Will they be the first to proclaim the Good News that Jesus has risen? Will they share the Good News with their friends, family, associates, and the people they meet? Or will they take the bribe? HUSH MONEY!

This series addresses the concerns we all have: the concern for sin, evil, death, dying, and what happens after we die. Is there hope after death? When God created us, humans, he intended for us to live forever in a loving, peaceful relationship with him. But this relationship has been broken by sin.

Here, we address the origin of sin and look more closely at death and dying.

But, instead of looking at death negatively, we look at it in the context of hope, the promised hope based on what Jesus did for us when he died and came back to life again. 

From the Sabbath School Adult Bible Study Guide 2022 Quarter 4: Sabbath.School (See also Hope Sabbath School and 3ABN Sabbath School)

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Inviting God’s Presence

God Most High, you show your glory and magnificent powers to us every day we wake up. Help us refuse the bribes of Satan. May we proclaim your goodness and greatest to all those we influence. In Jesus’ Name Amen

On the cross, Jesus gained the victory over Satan and his evil army of angels. His victory was confirmed by the empty grave. The empty tomb where Jesus was laid was proof that He had won the battle!

Here is what the Book Desire of Ages says about Jesus’ victory.

“When Jesus was laid in the grave, Satan triumphed. He dared to hope that the Saviour would not take up His life again. He claimed the Lord’s body, and set his guard about the tomb, seeking to hold Christ a prisoner. He was bitterly angry when his angels fled at the approach of the heavenly messenger. When he saw Christ come forth in triumph, he knew that his kingdom would have an end, and that he must finally die.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 782.

We must Remember, Jesus was fully human and fully God. So, when Jesus died, only Jesus the Man died. But Jesus as God did not die. As God, Jesus possessed the power to wake up from the dead and break the chains of death.

For instance, during His work in Samaria-Peraea, Jesus in John 10:17, 18 stated that He had the power to lay down His life and take it up again.

17 “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again.

18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.” (John 10:17, 18).

And to Martha, Jesus in John 11:25 said Martha, “‘I am the resurrection and the life ”. (John 11:25)

And there are other passages in the Bible that speak of God waking Jesus from the dead. These verses let us know that God also played an active part in bringing Jesus back to life again.

Acts 2:24

24 whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. Acts 2:24

Romans 8:11

11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. (Romans 8:11)

Galatians 1:1

1 Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead), (Galatians 1:1)

Also Hebrews 13:20

20 Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, (Hebrews 13:20) (Split)

And even a powerful angel from heaven worked on Jesus’ behalf. The angel rolled away the huge stone in front of Jesus’ grave according to Matthew 28:1, 2). (Split)

Matthew 28:1-2

1 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.

2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. (Matthew 28:1-2)

It is evident that all heaven was at work in Jesus’ Resurrection.

Meanwhile, In Matthew 28:11–15, we see that the religious leaders continue to fight against Jesus. The Roman soldiers who guarded Jesus’ grave come to the leaders. Mathew 28:11 express that The Roman soldiers told the leaders “All the things that had happened” (Matt. 28:11, NKJV). (Split)

What does the soldiers’ report reveal?

Their report indicates that the soldiers were eyewitnesses to the miraculous manifestation of Jesus waking up from the dead! It implies that these guards saw the Resurrection. They saw the angel come down from heaven, rolled away the stone, sat on it, and then they fainted?

Was their report convincing enough to change the minds of the religious leaders?

It was just the opposite. The soldiers’ report deeply upset the priests. So, the religious leaders paid the soldiers hush money!

Matthew 28:12 says they: gave a large sum of money to the soldiers” (Matt. 28:12, NKJV).  (Split)

What the soldiers told the priest must have been pretty disturbing!

In regard to the soldier’s report, It is said that

[The Roman Guard] were filled with amazement as they saw that the great stone had been rolled from the door of the sepulcher and that the body of Jesus was gone. They rushed to the city to make known to the priests and elders what they had seen. As those murderers listened to the marvelous report, paleness sat upon every face. Horror seized them at the thought of what they had done. If the report was correct, they were lost. For a time they sat in silence, looking upon one another’s faces, not knowing what to do or what to say. To accept the report would be to condemn themselves. They went aside to consult as to what should be done. They reasoned that if the report brought by the guard should be circulated among the people, those who put Christ to death would be slain as His murderers. It was decided to pay the soldiers to keep the matter secret. . . . For the sake of money, the Roman guard sold their honor, and agreed to follow the counsel of the priests and elders.—Early Writings, p. 183.

In other words, the priests told the soldiers to lie about what happened. So, the soldiers told everyone that Jesus’ followers stole His body.

The religious leaders had power over the nation. They were even able to convince the Roman authorities and the crowds to help them with their schemes would they be successful in keeping the report that Jesus had woken up from the death a secret. Find out Day 4, Many Arose with Him

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