Read Matthew 28:2-4, 11-15
Don’t Make A Deal With The Devil And Forfeit Your Soul.
A severe earthquake had occurred and an angel descended from heaven and rolled away the stone over the tomb of Jesus. Then the angel sat upon it. His appearance was like lightning and his garments as white as snow. The guards saw what happened and saw the angel and they “shook with fear of him.”
Later, some of the guards reported to the chief priests all that had happened. The chief priests then assembled with the elders and together decided to give the guards a large sum of money (bribe them). In exchange, the guards were to report that the disciples came during the night when they were sleeping and took the body of Jesus. The guards took the money and “this story was widely spread among the Jews.”
The story sounds a little outlandish to me. If you confess that you fell asleep, then how do you know the disciples took the body of Jesus? If you say, because you saw them, then why didn’t you stop them. Plus the stone was secure. No man was going to move it. This is corruption at its best.
The religious leaders were so set on spreading their agenda, that they denied the truth spoken to them.
The guards were all so willing to keep quiet of the truth and spread the LIE for a large sum of money. The guards were willing to forfeit the truth for money. What in this world is so attractive to us, that we are willing to forfeit the truth of Jesus? What pleasure in this world will captivate us so that we deny Jesus with our words and with our life?
MONEY? 1st Timothy 6:10 For the Love of Money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
POPULARITY? James 4:4 in essence says, don’t you know that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God?
RELATIONSHIPS? 2 Corinthians 6:14 do not be bound together with unbelievers for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness or what fellowship has light with darkness. In other words, you can’t be partners with God and the devil.
Matthew 6:24 No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other….
Have you forfeited your soul for some temporary pleasure in this world?
