Origo

Tomorrow Christians worldwide celebrate the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. What intrigues me today are the opposing interpretations made by the first witnesses, regarding the empty tomb of Jesus. According to the Christian scriptures (Gospel of Matthew), the soldiers guarding Christ’s body were terrified by the appearance of an angel who descended from heaven and opened the tomb, showing it to be empty. These soldiers went and reported their experience to the religious leaders of Jerusalem. The religious leaders apparently believed the soldiers (they did not punish them for failing to keep the tomb secure), and no doubt verified for themselves that the tomb was empty. However, while the disciples of Jesus proclaimed that He had indeed risen from the dead, the religious leaders chose to interpret the facts differently. They did not dispute that the tomb was empty, but initiated the rumor that the disciples of Jesus had stolen His body. The Christian Gospel does not say that they believed that the body had been stolen. They apparently believed the report of the guards, but chose to circulate the rumor of theft. Why?