670
The Desire of Ages
Trembling with fear, their faces colorless, they bore testimony to the
resurrection of Christ. The soldiers told all, just as they had seen it;
they had not had time to think or speak anything but the truth. With
painful utterance they said, It was the Son of God who was crucified;
we have heard an angel proclaiming Him as the Majesty of heaven,
the King of glory.
The faces of the priests were as those of the dead. Caiaphas tried
to speak. His lips moved, but they uttered no sound. The soldiers were
about to leave the council room, when a voice stayed them. Caiaphas
had at last found speech. Wait, wait, he said. Tell no one the things
you have seen.
A lying report was then given to the soldiers. “Say ye,” said
the priests, “His disciples came by night, and stole Him away while
we slept.” Here the priests overreached themselves. How could the
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soldiers say that the disciples had stolen the body while they slept? If
they were asleep, how could they know? And if the disciples had been
proved guilty of stealing Christ’s body, would not the priests have been
first to condemn them? Or if the sentinels had slept at the tomb, would
not the priests have been foremost in accusing them to Pilate?
The soldiers were horrified at the thought of bringing upon them-
selves the charge of sleeping at their post. This was an offense punish-
able with death. Should they bear false witness, deceiving the people,
and placing their own lives in peril? Had they not kept their weary
watch with sleepless vigilance? How could they stand the trial, even
for the sake of money, if they perjured themselves?
In order to silence the testimony they feared, the priests promised
to secure the safety of the guard, saying that Pilate would not desire
to have such a report circulated any more than they did. The Roman
soldiers sold their integrity to the Jews for money. They came in before
the priests burdened with a most startling message of truth; they went
out with a burden of money, and on their tongues a lying report which
had been framed for them by the priests.
Meanwhile the report of Christ’s resurrection had been carried to
Pilate. Though Pilate was responsible for having given Christ up to die,
he had been comparatively unconcerned. While he had condemned
the Saviour unwillingly, and with a feeling of pity, he had felt no real
compunction until now. In terror he now shut himself within his house,
determined to see no one. But the priests made their way into his