Why do the Pharisees think the disciples might steal Jesus’ body after three days?

Matthew 27:64 (ESV)

64 Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.”

In short

The Pharisees think the disciples might steal Jesus’ body because

they remember Jesus had publicly taught that he would rise from the dead; or
Judas told them that Jesus said he would rise after three days.

After Jesus’ death on the cross, Joseph of Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus, places Jesus’ body in a tomb. When the Pharisees learn about this, they remember Jesus taught that after three days he would rise. Concerned that the disciples would steal the body, they secure the tomb. So how did the Pharisees know Jesus taught that after three days he would rise?

Most likely Jesus publicly taught that after three days he would rise, so that the Pharisees would hear this teaching. We can deduce this for two reasons. First, the Pharisees say that they remember Jesus saying that after three days he would rise. That the Pharisees remember him saying this implies that he taught his resurrection publicly. Second, we know from 12:38–40 that when the Pharisees asked Jesus for a sign, he said they would only receive the sign of Jonah. He then explains that as Jonah was in the belly of the whale for three days and nights, so Jesus will be in the heart of the earth for three days and nights. In other words, Jesus publicly taught to the Pharisees that he would rise from the dead.

Another view is that the Pharisees learned that Jesus taught he would rise after three days from Judas. The notion is that his teaching that he would be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth is somehow vague. On the other hand, Jesus clearly taught his disciples privately that after three days he would rise from the dead (16:21; 17:9; 20:19). Further, we know that Judas was a disciple, and that Judas betrayed Jesus to the Sadducees. Thus, there is a good chance that it was Judas who told the Jewish leaders that Jesus taught he would rise from the dead.

It’s possible that Judas did explain to the Jewish leaders that Jesus taught that he would rise from the dead. Still, given that it was women who found Jesus’ tomb empty when he rose from the dead, it seems like Jesus’ private teachings to his disciples did not resonate. Of course, if Jesus’ faithful followers did not understand Jesus’ teaching that he would rise again, then it’s hard to see why Judas would mention this teaching to the Jewish leaders. Further, we know that Judas betrayed Jesus to the Sadducees (26:14–16), and the Sadducees did not believe in any resurrection (22:23). Thus, one would not expect the Sadducees to take such a claim seriously.

In the end, a hybrid interpretation may be most appropriate. That is, it is plausible that the Pharisees had an inkling from Jesus’ public teachings that he taught he would rise after three days. They may have verified this teaching with Judas, and so they had a guard posted at the tomb, just in case.

Interpretation 1:
They remember Jesus had publicly taught that he would rise from the dead.

Summary:

After Jesus dies on the cross, he is buried by Joseph of Arimathea. The Pharisees know that Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, and they suddenly remember that during his ministry, Jesus had taught that he would be raised from the dead. In case the disciples make it seem like Jesus was raised from the dead by stealing his body, the Pharisees have the tomb guarded.

God is the supreme ruler of the universe, which means that it is not possible for humans to disrupt his plans. Instead of opposing God, we ought to align with him, seeking to do his will with enthusiasm.

Advocates:

Ulrich Luz
John Nolland

Arguments

Explanation:

The Pharisees were worried about the disciples stealing Jesus' body because they remembered Jesus' teaching that after three days he would rise from the dead.² Specifically, they remember asking Jesus for a sign (Matthew 12:38). To this request Jesus responded that the only sign they would get was the sign of the prophet Jonah (Matthew 12:39). Jesus then explained that as Jonah was three days and nights in the belly of the whale, so the Son of Man will be three days and nights in the heart of the earth (Matthew 12:40). Jesus’ statement was a clear inference to the fact that he would be killed and after three days rise again.

Counterargument:

While it might be clear in hindsight that Jesus’ statement was a prediction that he would rise from the dead, this may not have been clear when Jesus first said this. While the Pharisees did believe in resurrection, the resurrection they believed in was a general resurrection at the end of time when the day of the Lord arrived. Given their Jewish outlook on the general resurrection, it is doubtful that the Pharisees would have understood Jesus as predicting his own rising from the dead.

Response to counterargument:

The notion that the Pharisees believed in a general resurrection at the end of time does not mean they did not understand Jesus as saying that he would rise after three days. It is no secret that the Pharisees did not believe Jesus' claims about the resurrection. We can deduce this from the fact that when they ask Pilate to guard the tomb, they call Jesus a deceiver (Matthew 27:63) and contend that the disciples may steal his body. Still, while the Pharisees did not believe that he would rise from the dead, they obviously did believe that he taught he would. Otherwise, they never would have asked for a guard to be posted. Since we have an account of Jesus’ teaching the Pharisees that he would rise after three days (Matthew 12:38–40), we can deduce that this public teaching is a likely source for why the Pharisees believed Jesus claimed that after three days he would rise.

Possible weaknesses:

The only weakness of this view is that Jesus’ teaching, with the Pharisees present, on the resurrection is not all that obvious. That is, once one knows that in fact Jesus did rise from the dead, it finally becomes clear what the sign of Jonah means. Thus, it is hard to see how the Pharisees could put together Jesus’ teaching on the resurrection solely based on Jesus’ public teachings. Of course, it remains open whether Jesus openly taught the resurrection on occasions that are not recorded, or that Judas clarified what Jesus meant when he said he would spend three days and nights in the heart of the earth. But if Judas clarified the matter, we are getting toward Interpretation 2.

Interpretation 2:
Judas told them that Jesus said he would rise after three days.

Summary:

After Jesus is crucified, Joseph of Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus, buries Jesus in a tomb. When the Pharisees learn this, they likely remember what Judas told them. Judas likely told them that Jesus said he would rise from the dead. Since the Pharisees are worried that the disciples might steal the body to make this prediction seem true, they ask to post guards at the tomb.

Advocates:

Donald Carson
Leon Morris
David Turner

Minor differences:

Our authors agree that Judas may have told the Pharisees about Jesus’ prediction that he would rise again. Still, David Turner is also open to the notion that the Pharisees remember Jesus’ own statement that the Son of Man would spend three days and three nights in the belly of the earth (Matthew 12:40).³ Leon Morris agrees that the Pharisees may have learned from Judas that Jesus said he would rise after three days, and possibly Jesus’ statement that the Son of Man would spend three days and nights in the earth. He also contends Jesus may have made other public announcements about the resurrection that are not recorded in the Gospels.⁴ Still, because all three agree that Judas was a likely source of information for the Pharisees, we put these authors together.

Arguments

Explanation:

After Jesus is crucified and placed in a tomb, the Pharisees ask Pilate to guard the tomb entrance. The reason they ask for the tomb to be guarded is because they were worried the disciples might steal the body and claim that Jesus rose from the dead (Matthew 27:64). Mostly likely, the reason they thought the disciples might steal Jesus body is because Judas had explained that the resurrection was an aspect of Jesus teachings.⁵ Specifically, Judas knows that Jesus taught that after three days he would rise again. In Matthew 16:21 we learn that Jesus told his disciples plainly that he had to go to Jerusalem and suffer many things before being killed and rising on the third day. Also, after Jesus is transfigured before John, James, and Peter, he tells them not to tell anyone until after he is raised from the dead (Matthew 17:9). Finally, we learn in Matthew 20:17–19 that Jesus took his disciples aside and explained that he would be crucified and raised on the third day. So, Jesus clearly predicted his resurrection after three days.

Of course, it’s important to note that these predictions were given to the disciples, so how would the Pharisees know that Jesus said he would rise after three days? We know that Judas betrayed Jesus to the chief priests (Matthew 26:14–16). Since Judas was one of the twelve disciples, he would have known Jesus said he would rise after three days. Likely, Judas told the chief priests about Jesus’ prediction, and the chief priests told the Pharisees.

Counterargument:

There are two problems with the notion that the reason the Pharisees thought the disciples would steal the body is because Judas told them that Jesus had predicted this. First, we learn from Matthew that when Jesus does rise from the dead on the third day, it is women who are at the tomb (Matthew 28:5–6). That women are the first to discover that Jesus rose from the dead implies that the disciples did not understand what Jesus meant when he told them that he would rise after three days. Of course, if the disciples did not understand what Jesus meant, and Judas was a disciple, it is likely that Judas did not understand either. Thus, it is hard to see why Judas would warn the chief priests that Jesus might rise from the dead.

Second, we learn from Matthew 26:14–16 that Judas betrayed Jesus to the chief priests. The chief priests are also known as the Sadducees, and the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection (Matthew 22:23). Thus, even if Judas did think that Jesus meant that he would rise from the dead after three days, given that the Sadducees did not believe in any sort of resurrection, it is hard to see why they would pass this information to the Pharisees.

Response to counterargument:

It is no argument against the notion that because Jesus' disciples did not understand what Jesus meant when he said that he would rise from the dead, that therefore Judas the betrayer did not understand. We can deduce this from the fact that the Pharisees, who were enemies of Jesus, did understand the notion that after three days Jesus was supposed to rise from the dead. Of course, the Pharisees did not believe that Jesus really would rise from the dead (Matthew 27:64), but they believed that the disciples would authenticate this statement from Jesus by stealing the body. Thus, even if the disciples did not understand Jesus’ saying, the Pharisees thought the disciples would capitalize on it, and Judas likely thought similarly.

So why would the Sadducees tell the Pharisees what Judas told them when they do not believe in the resurrection? The Sadducees did not need to believe in a resurrection to understand that if the disciples stole Jesus' body to authenticate his sayings, this would influence the people.

Possible weaknesses:

The weakness of this view is that there is no record of Judas giving information about the resurrection to the Pharisees. Of course, not having a record of an event does not necessarily mean that the event did not take place.

Interpretation 1:They remember Jesus had publicly taught that he would rise from the dead.

Interpretation 2:Judas told them that Jesus said he would rise after three days.

Interpretation 1:
They remember Jesus had publicly taught that he would rise from the dead.

Interpretation 2:
Judas told them that Jesus said he would rise after three days.