Matthew 27:65-66
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Pilate’s response isn't just granting permission; it’s a dismissive, almost sarcastic, challenge. By saying "You have a guard. Go, make it as secure as you can," he's essentially telling the chief priests to take full responsibility for the impossible task of guarding a resurrection, implying their efforts are futile against divine power. This shows how God uses even the enemies' own strategies to prove His Son's victory.
Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The chief priests, still seething from Jesus’ crucifixion and fearing his followers will steal the body to fake a resurrection, return to Pilate the day after the Sabbath. They convince Pilate to issue a command allowing them to secure Jesus' tomb with a guard and a seal, ensuring their desperate plan to prevent the resurrection claim is carried out.
Why did Pilate hand over the soldiers to the chief priests and Pharisees so readily? It wasn't about believing their conspiracy theory.
Pilate’s response, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can,” is dripping with cynicism. He likely didn't believe the disciples would steal Jesus' body. Instead, he was tired of the religious leaders' constant pressure and wanted them out of his sight.
Think of it as a political maneuver: Pilate washes his hands of the situation, effectively saying, 'It's your problem now. Deal with it however you see fit.' He grants them permission to use soldiers—likely off-duty Roman guards—not out of concern for their baseless fears, but to appease them and end the encounter. It’s a classic case of a leader wanting to avoid further trouble, even if it means enabling a foolish and ultimately futile plan.
The chief priests wanted to prevent a resurrection. Little did they know, they were about to provide the ultimate proof for it.
The irony here is profound! The chief priests, fearing the disciples would steal Jesus' body and fabricate a resurrection story, secure the tomb with a Roman guard and a sealed stone. They believed this would guarantee Jesus stayed dead and buried.
However, God, in His sovereign wisdom, used their actions. The very guards they posted, and the seal they applied, became the undeniable witnesses to the resurrection. When the tomb was found empty, the sealed stone and the startled soldiers told a story not of theft, but of divine intervention. The security they demanded ironically became the proof they couldn't refute.
Understand the original words
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koustōdia · Greek Noun
A unit of soldiers assigned to stand watch; in this context, it refers to the Roman soldiers tasked with guarding the tomb to prevent the body from being removed.
taphos · Greek Noun
A place of burial; in the Bible, this often represents the site of death and the waiting place for resurrection. In the context of Christ, it serves as the temporary holding place of His body between the crucifixion and the resurrection.
asphalizō · Greek Verb
To make something safe, firm, or protected from intrusion, interference, or destruction. In a theological sense, it reflects the human attempt to exert control over divine circumstances.
sphragizō · Greek Verb
To affix a mark or stamp as a sign of ownership, authority, or authenticity. In ancient times, sealing a tomb involved using wax or clay stamped with an official insignia to prevent unauthorized tampering.
lithos · Greek Noun
A large, heavy object used to close the entrance of a tomb; symbolically, it represents the finality of death and the human-erected barriers to life, which God alone can move.
koustōdia · Greek Noun
A group of soldiers or attendants assigned to watch over a person, place, or object. Their presence signifies an attempt to enforce human authority and prevent an expected or feared outcome.
Pilate's cynical and dismissive order to the chief priests to 'make it as sure as you can' inadvertently sets the stage for the most powerful proof of Jesus' resurrection. The very guards they posted to prevent a theft become witnesses to the miracle.
c. 30 AD— this verse
Crucifixion and Burial of Jesus
Jesus is crucified and his body is placed in a tomb. The chief priests and Pharisees, concerned about his claims of resurrection, approach Pilate the following day.
c. 30 AD
Pilate Grants Permission for a Guard
Pilate, likely weary of the religious leaders' demands, grants them permission to use Roman soldiers to secure Jesus' tomb, allowing them to make it 'as sure as you can.'
c. 30 AD
The Tomb is Sealed and Guarded
The chief priests and Pharisees seal the tomb with a large stone and post a Roman guard, believing this will prevent any attempt to steal the body.
c. 30 AD
The Resurrection of Jesus
On the third day, Jesus is resurrected. The guards are terrified and flee, and the tomb is found empty.
c. 30 AD
Reports of the Empty Tomb Spread
The empty tomb is discovered, and the disciples, along with others, begin to proclaim Jesus' resurrection, despite the efforts to prevent it.
This verse speaks of God setting up and removing kings, mirroring how Pilate, a figure of earthly authority, is directed by God's providence to permit actions that ultimately serve God's purposes, even when he intends otherwise.
Acts 2:23It highlights how Jesus was delivered up according to God's definite plan and foreknowledge, showing that even Pilate's 'hands-off' approach and the guards he authorized were part of this divine orchestration.
Matthew 27:1-2This earlier passage shows Pilate handing Jesus over to be crucified, a decision made under pressure from the Jewish leaders; here, he again yields to their demands, demonstrating a consistent pattern of succumbing to their influence, albeit with a dismissive attitude.
Matthew 27:62-64These verses provide the immediate context, showing the chief priests and Pharisees petitioning Pilate out of fear that Jesus' disciples would steal the body, revealing the desperate measures taken by Christ's enemies to prevent the proof of the resurrection.
1 Samuel 2:3The enemies of God often speak with pride and arrogance, as did the chief priests and Pharisees in their plotting; this verse reminds us that God will ultimately bring down the proud and uphold His truth, no matter their earthly schemes.
gillMatthew 27:65: "Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can."
Pilate said unto them, ye have a watch,.... Meaning either the watch of the temple, said to be placed in the tower of Antonia, for the service of it: hence mention is made of the captain of the temple, Acts 4:1 , but it is not likely they would remove the temple guards, to watch a sepulchre night and day: or rather, therefore, the soldiers that had had the care of the crucifixion of Christ, and watc…
pooleMatthew 27:65: "Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can."
See Poole on "Matthew 27:66" .
Pilate’s response isn't just granting permission; it’s a dismissive, almost sarcastic, challenge. By saying "You have a guard. Go, make it as secure as you can," he's essentially telling the chief priests to take full responsibility for the impossible task of guarding a resurrection, implying their efforts are futile against divine power. This shows how God uses even the enemies' own strategies to prove His Son's victory.
The chief priests, still seething from Jesus’ crucifixion and fearing his followers will steal the body to fake a resurrection, return to Pilate the day after the Sabbath. They convince Pilate to issue a command allowing them to secure Jesus' tomb with a guard and a seal, ensuring their desperate plan to prevent the resurrection claim is carried out.
The chief priests, still seething from Jesus’ crucifixion and fearing his followers will steal the body to fake a resurrection, return to Pilate the day after the Sabbath. They convince Pilate to issue a command allowing them to secure Jesus' tomb with a guard and a seal, ensuring their desperate plan to prevent the resurrection claim is carried out.
"Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard." — Pilate’s response isn't just granting permission; it’s a dismissive, almost sarcastic, challenge. By saying "You have a guard. Go, make it as secure as you can," he's essentially telling the chief pr…
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Last reviewed October 2026
