Alive: 21 Reasons to Believe in the Resurrection of Jesus ChristSample

Reason 5: Jesus’ tomb was guarded by the Roman government

Not only was Jesus' crucifixion a public event, but His tomb was also guarded by official Roman soldiers. These guys didn't mess around. Ephesians 6 describes their appearance and armor, as depicted below. For the Roman government to lose track of His body or allow it to be stolen is simply out of the question, given how important it was that they see Jesus die.

To secure Jesus’ dead body, “Pilate said...‘You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.’ So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard” (Matthew 27:65-66).

How is this point compelling to you?