Stole His Body?

As the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and told the leading priests what had happened. A meeting with the elders was called, and they decided to give the soldiers a large bribe. They told the soldiers, “You must say, ‘Jesus’ disciples came during the night while we were sleeping, and they stole his body.’ If the governor hears about it, we’ll stand up for you so you won’t get in trouble.” So the guards accepted the bribe and said what they were told to say. Their story spread widely among the Jews, and they still tell it today. [Matthew 28.11-15]

Here's the deal, if Jesus disciples came and stole Jesus' dead body while guards were sleeping, I find it hard to imagine they would have spent all the time to remove the linen cloth in which Jesus was wrapped! 

And yet, more than one of the Gospel writers record that the linen cloths with which Jesus was wrapped were there.

The process of unwrapping Jesus would have been brutal and very messy. Remember Joseph of Arimathea's compadre Nicodemus bringing 75 pounds of spiced ointment used as they wrapped the body? No, if the disciples stole Jesus' body, they would have grabbed it, as it was, and ran!

That's what I think anyway...

Father, help us all to see that the Biblical record of Jesus' resurrection is accurate.