The Vigil of the Feast of the Resurrection of our Lord
Posted on April 4, 2026 by under
Scripture: St. Matthew 27:57-66 (NKJV)
27:57 Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. 58 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him. 59 When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed. 61 And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb.
62 On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, 63 saying, “Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise.’ 64 Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ So the last deception will be worse than the first.”
65 Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how.” 66 So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard.
Devotion
Jesus is sinless and does not deserve death. He is pure and perfect. It is fitting that He be placed in a new tomb where no decay or death has ever entered. Though Jesus suffered death, He never suffered corruption. “For You will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption” (Ps. 16:10; Acts 2:27).
As we know, Jesus will not remain in this tomb. He will rise up in three days. Of course, the world has always tried to deny His resurrection. Immediately after His death the chief priests and Pharisees tried to secure the story of Jesus’ failure, that He did not rise. Ironically, the Jews, by insisting on a guard to prove Jesus did not rise, inadvertently offer greater proof of His resurrection. How could the disciples steal the body with a Roman guard standing in front of the tomb? To this day, all arguments against Christ’s resurrection are inadequate. And again, our hope and joy is that we find our life in His. Jesus’ tomb mirrors our tombs. That is, our tombs will be temporary. Jesus will raise us just as he was raised.
Collect: O God, Who didst enlighten this most holy night with the glory of the Lord’s Resurrection: Preserve in all Thy people the spirit of adoption which Thou hast given, so that renewed in body and soul they may perform unto Thee a pure service; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
