The great stone has been rolled away. The grave clothes were stripped away and the body of Jesus was not there. Now what? What does it mean for everyone? What is the impact on the soldiers?
62 The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. 63 'Sir,' they said, 'we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, "After three days I will rise again." 64 So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.'65 'Take a guard,' Pilate answered. 'Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.' 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.
The guards watching the tomb, were they the same soldiers that whipped and mocked Jesus? Did they watch Jesus suffer and die? Did they experience the earthquake when Jesus died and hear the words from the centurion, "Truly this was the Son of God." Did they fear their very lives for allowing this to happen? Did they finally come to believe that Jesus was really the Son of God? Did they seek His forgiveness and salvation? Do I seek forgiveness and salvation?