Audio Download

Matthew 27:32–66 Jesus’ Death on the Cross

[Study Aired December 22, 2025]

Our study for today looks at the crucifixion of Jesus, His death and burial, and finally, the conspiracy of the Chief priests and the Pharisees to urge Pilate to post soldiers on guard duty at Jesus’ tomb.  

The Crucifixion

Mat 27:32  And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross. 

The significance of Simon of Cyrene bearing the cross for the crucifixion of Christ is that all humanity must come to know the fellowship of the Lord’s suffering. The Lord’s way of salvation involves completing whatever remains of Christ’s suffering, first by His elect in this age, and later, by the whole of the human race during the lake of fire age. This fellowship of His suffering is the same as taking up our cross to follow Him.

Col 1:24  Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church: 

Php 3:10  that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 
Php 3:11  that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. 

Luk 9:23  And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Luk 9:24  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. 

Taking up our cross to follow the Lord means self-denial, total surrender of personal will, dreams, and desires to God, and accepting the sacrifices and hardships that come with discipleship, even to death, just as Jesus did.  

The reason we must partake of the Lord’s suffering is because it is through this we become like Him in His death, so that we shall be raised up from our spiritual death to sit with Christ in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. 

Eph 2:4  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 
Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 
Eph 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 

It is worth noting in verse 32 that Simon of Cyrene was compelled to bear the cross of Christ. This is to let us know that it is the Lord who compels us to partake of the fellowship of His suffering. We do not have a choice in this. If we are to sit with Christ on thrones, then we must drink of His cup and be baptized with His baptism.

Mat 20:20  Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. 
Mat 20:21  And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. 
Mat 20:22  But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.
Mat 20:23 And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. 

Mat 27:33  And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, 

It is insightful to know that the crucifixion happened at the place called Golgotha or the place of Skull. A skull is the skeletal structure of the head that supports the face and protects the brains. The skull is therefore devoid of the flesh. What this implies is that the reason why we must partake of the Lord’s suffering is that it is through this process that our flesh or our old man is destroyed or put to death. In other words, the end result of our suffering is the destruction of our flesh, so that we would not serve sin.  

Rom 6:6  Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 
Rom 6:7  For he that is dead is freed from sin. 
Rom 6:8  Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
Rom 6:9  Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 
Rom 6:10  For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 
Rom 6:11  Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Rom 6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 

Mat 27:34  They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. 
Mat 27:35  And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. 

Jesus being given a sour wine mixed with myrrh (gall) to drink was to relieve Him of pain, since myrrh is a narcotic, and narcotics are used as severe pain relievers. The reason Jesus refused to drink was therefore to live by the word of the Lord that He was to bear our pain. Jesus is therefore showing us that by our suffering, we are living by the word of the Lord. 

Isa 53:4  He suffered and endured great pain for us, but we thought his suffering was punishment from God. 
Isa 53:5 He was wounded and crushed because of our sins; by taking our punishment, he made us completely well. (CEV)

Mat 4:4  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 

It is important to note that after Jesus was crucified, they cast lots for His parted garments. In the Book of Mark, this was how it was narrated:

Mar 15:24  And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take. 

As we are aware, garments represent our righteousness. The parting of the garments of Jesus means that every unregenerated man has a different viewpoint of what the righteousness of Christ is about. That is why for example, some people think that being kind is righteous and will take them to Christ. Some also hold in high esteem peace, thinking that by being peaceful, they are righteous.  However, to the Lord’s elect, we know that we are made the righteousness of God through Jesus.

2Co 5:21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 

The fact that a lot was cast regarding Jesus’ garments means that it is the Lord who has made every unregenerated man not to have a full view of His righteousness. That is to say that it is impossible to understand the righteousness that comes with Christ in our carnal state. However, this veil of not knowing Christ’s righteousness is removed when Christ comes to us, His elect, with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness. 

Pro 16:33  The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD. (ESV) 

2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 

Mat 27:36  And sitting down they watched him there; 
Mat 27:37  And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. 

Jesus’ kingdom is spiritual in this age and He is indeed the spiritual King of the Jews. The people trying to mock Jesus by saying that He is the King of the Jews did not understand that in this age, Jesus’ kingdom is spiritual and that He is king over His elect, who are spiritual Jews. However, when He comes with His angels, the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ. That will be the time when everyone will see that He is indeed the physical King of not only the Jews, but the whole world. 

Luk 17:20  And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: 
Luk 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.  

Rom 2:28  For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
Rom 2:29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Rev 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.  

Mat 27:38  Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left. 

In the account of Luke, these two thieves were designated as malefactors. According to Strong’s Dictionary, a malefactor is an evil doer, which we all are without Christ. The two thieves who were crucified with Christ therefore spiritually represent all of humanity who must share in the Lord’s suffering as part of the process of being saved.

Php 3:10  that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 
Php 3:11  that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. 

The two thieves being placed on the right and the left hand of Jesus show us that there are two categories of people in this world – those who are the Lord’s elect and those who are not given to know Christ in this age. However, we were all evil doers before Christ came to us. 

Luk 23:33  And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. 

Luk 23:39  And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. 
Luk 23:40  But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? 
Luk 23:41  And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. 
Luk 23:42  And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
Luk 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.  

Based on the account of Luke, the malefactor or the evil doer on the right hand knew he was sinful and that the suffering he was enduring was the result of his sins. He therefore asked Jesus to remember him when He comes into His kingdom. This thief on the right hand of the Lord therefore represents the Lord’s elect who are being saved in this age. The rest of humanity is represented by the thief on the left hand of Christ who is going to be judged in the lake of fire age. As we are aware, it is through judgment that they will also learn righteousness. 

This story about these two thieves is consistent with how the Lord will gather all nations just like a shepherd divides his sheep on his right and the goats on the left. As Jesus said, those on His right hand are those blessed of the Father and are going to inherit the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world. Those on the left, who are represented by the thief who mocked Christ on the cross, signify those who are cursed into the fire prepared for the devil and his angels.   

Mat 25:31  When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 
Mat 25:32  And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
Mat 25:33  And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
Mat 25:34  Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 

Mat 25:41  Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

It is important here to point out an erroneous teaching based on this account of Luke, in which Jesus told the thief on His right side the following:

Luk 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.  

This verse has led to the false doctrine that immediately after we die, we go to be with the Lord in paradise. When we look at this verse carefully, we can see that where the comma was placed was wrong as it tends to suggest that we shall go to paradise immediately when we die. This is how this verse should have read:

Luk 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee Today,  thou shalt be with me in paradise.  

This makes it clear that the thief will be in paradise one day and not immediately. 

Mat 27:39  And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, 
Mat 27:40  And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. 
Mat 27:41  Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, 
Mat 27:42  He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. 
Mat 27:43  He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. 
Mat 27:44  The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.  

We can see from these verses that the way of salvation is evil spoken of when our understanding becomes darkened, and we are alienated from the life of God. We were just like these people who were mocking Jesus at a certain stage of our walk with Christ. In his letter to Paul, a type of the Lord’s elect, Paul expressed his darkened mind before Christ came to him as being a blasphemer, a persecutor and injurious.    

Eph 4:18  Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: 
Eph 4:19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 

1Ti 1:12  And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; 
1Ti 1:13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. 

The Death of Jesus

Mat 27:45  Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. 
Mat 27:46  And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? 

The number six is the number of man and that of nine signifies God’s judgment. Therefore, the sixth hour being dark up to the ninth hour means that man in his natural state is in total darkness with regard to our relationship with Christ, and it is not until Christ comes to us with His judgment through the spirit of His mouth and His brightness that the light of Christ, who is the sun, begins to shine in our lives. 

Gen 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 

Gen 1:31 And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. 

2Ki 17:6  In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria (judgment), and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes. 

2Co 4:3  But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 
2Co 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

It was on the ninth hour that Jesus cried with a loud voice of God forsaking Him. This all shows that Jesus was as human as us during this period of His trial. We think the Lord has forsaken us during periods of our trial. Indeed, the Lord does forsake us, but for a moment.  

Isa 54:7  For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. 
Isa 54:8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer. 

Mat 27:47  Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias. 
Mat 27:48  And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. 
Mat 27:49  The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him. 

We must understand that if we refuse to pay heed to the truth of the Lord’s words, the Lord will send a strong delusion to deceive us. Jesus was talking about how God has forsaken Him for a moment, and the people thought in verses 47 and 49 that Jesus was calling for Elijah to come and save Him. 

2Th 2:10  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 
2Th 2:11  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 
2Th 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Again, we can see here in verse 48 that Jesus refused to drink of the sour wine. As explained earlier, Jesus’ refusal to drink of this sour wine was because He did not want to lessen the pain of the cross so that He will live by the word of the Lord that He was to bear our pain.

Isa 53:4  He suffered and endured great pain for us, but we thought his suffering was punishment from God. 
Isa 53:5 He was wounded and crushed because of our sins; by taking our punishment, he made us completely well. (CEV)

Mat 27:50  Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 
Mat 27:51  And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 
Mat 27:52  And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 
Mat 27:53  And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. 
Mat 27:54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God. 

It was necessary for Christ to die to demonstrate God’s love for all humanity even when we were drowned in sin. Although He was sinless, He became sin for us, so that we could become righteous in God. 

Rom 5:8  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 
Rom 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

2Co 5:21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 

In verse 51, we can see that the death of Jesus resulted in the veil of the temple being divided into two from the top to the bottom. It symbolized that Jesus’ sacrifice, through the shedding of His blood, was a sufficient atonement for sins. It also indicates that the way into the Holy of Holies was open for all people, for all time, both Jew and Gentile. 

Eph 2:11  Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 
Eph 2:12  That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 
Eph 2:13  But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 
Eph 2:14  For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 
Eph 2:15  Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 
Eph 2:16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 

To understand the significance of the earth quaking and the rocks splitting after the death of Christ, let’s take a look at 1 Samuel 13:6. Here we are told that the Israelites hid in caves, holes (earth) and rocks when they were in trouble from their enemies. 

1Sa 13:6  When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble (for the people were hard pressed), the people hid themselves in caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns,

The Lord is therefore telling us that His death is able to set us free from every circumstance that we find ourselves in.  

1Ki 19:11  And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.

In verses 52 and 53, the graves being opened and the saints coming out of their graves occurred at the Lord’s resurrection. This demonstrates the power of the Lord’s resurrection which is able to raise us up to sit with Him in heavenly places. 

Eph 2:4  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 
Eph 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 
Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 
Eph 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 

1 Co 6:14  And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. 

Php 3:10  that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 
Php 3:11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. 

In verse 54, the centurion, together with the people with Him, after seeing what had happened, acknowledged that Jesus is indeed the son of God. We know from the word of the Lord that acknowledging that Jesus was the son of God does not mean one is saved, as propagated by the church system of this world. Salvation is a process which is attained at the very end and not at the beginning. 

Mat 24:13  But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 

It is important to clarify an issue about the death of Christ. In 1 Peter 3:18-20, we are given the following:

1Pe 3:18  For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
1Pe 3:19  By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; 
1Pe 3:20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. 

These words by Peter have been misinterpreted by the church system of this world to mean that when Jesus died, He went straight to hell to preach to those who were there. This is false doctrine of the highest order. This is what has led to the false doctrine that when we die, we go straight to heaven. What this interpretation is suggesting is that Jesus did not die. As indicated in the Book of Job, when we die, we do not rise from death until the Lord’s appointed time in which He will call and we will answer. The same applies to Jesus. He was in the grave for three days and did not go to hell to preach any gospel, until the Lord called and He answered. 

Job 14:12  So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep. 
Job 14:13  O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me! 
Job 14:14  If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. 
Job 14:15 Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.  

To understand what the Lord was saying to us in 1 Peter 3:18-20, we need to know that we represent Christ here on earth, and during Noah’s time, he represented Christ. The people in Noah’s time were the spirits in prison, and it was Noah who represented Christ and preached to the people.  

2Pe 2:4  For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; 
2Pe 2:5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; 

Mat 27:55  And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him: 
Mat 27:56  Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s children. 

These women represent the church of the firstborn or Jerusalem which is above. The women ministering unto Jesus means that the role of the church is to minister to one another and as we do so, we are ministering to Jesus. This ministration is therefore through what every joint supplies. 

Eph 4:16  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. 

The fact that the women were looking at the Lord afar off shows the transition stage of the church of the Lord’s elect. When we are worshiping the Lord through the law of Moses, then we are worshiping or looking afar off. That is the same as worshiping the Lord with a veil, just as Moses wore a veil to cover the fading glory. 

Exo 24:1  And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the LORD, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off.

2Co 3:13  And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: 
2Co 3:14  But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. 
2Co 3:15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.

To us His elect, this veil has been removed from us as the church of the firstborn are now worshipping the Lord in truth and in spirit. 

2Co 3:16  Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
2Co 3:17  Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 
2Co 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. 

Jesus is Buried

Mat 27:57  When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple:
Mat 27:58  He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. 
Mat 27:59  And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 
Mat 27:60  And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed. 
Mat 27:61  And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre. 

Jesus died among thieves but His burial was like that of a rich man. This is to let us know that it is through the death of our flesh that we become rich in Christ. 

Isa 53:9  And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.
Isa 53:10 Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 

2Co 8:9  For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. 

It is instructive to note that when Jesus died, His body was wrapped in a clean linen cloth (verse 59). It is through the dying of our old man or flesh that we resurrect to this new life of having the righteousness of Christ represented here by the clean linen cloth.

Rev 19:8  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 

The Guard at the Tomb

Mat 27:62  The next day, which was the day of worship, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together and went to Pilate. 
Mat 27:63  They said, “Sir, we remember how that deceiver said while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will be brought back to life.’ 
Mat 27:64  Therefore, give the order to make the tomb secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may steal him and say to the people, ‘He has been brought back to life.’ Then the last deception will be worse than the first.” 
Mat 27:65  Pilate told them, “You have the soldiers you want for guard duty. Go and make the tomb as secure as you know how.” 
Mat 27:66  So they went to secure the tomb. They placed a seal on the stone and posted the soldiers on guard duty. 

From these verses, we can see the scheme of the people was inspired by the devil to keep Jesus in the grave. We know from the word of the Lord that Jesus came out of the grave on the third day and revealed Himself to many of His disciples. These verses of scripture above are therefore to let us know that no matter the opposition or the obstacles which confront us in our everyday lives, the Lord is able to do exceedingly beyond what we can think of, or imagine, as He overcomes these obstacles on our behalf, since we are the apple of His eyes, just like Jesus. That is why we are admonished to enter into His rest as He carries us on His eagles’ wings to Himself, just as He carried the people of Israel to Himself.

Exo 19:4  Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself. 

Php 1:6  Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: 

May His Name be Praised. Amen!!