Matthew 28:11-15
The Guards’ Report
11 While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12 When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, 13 telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.
Before Jesus' death He was questioned by the high priest about being the Son of God...Jesus, at first, remained silent and gave no answer to his questions...But again the high priest asked Him, ‘Are You the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?’...‘I AM,’ said Jesus....‘And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven...So the high priest and those listening to Jesus heard that Jesus had affirmed that He is our long awaited Messiah...So Jesus in talking to the high priest is claiming His Divine Nature...He claims His Unique Relationship with God, and is more than just a descendant of King David, but He is God's Own Son...
But still after the chief priests and Sanhedrin and Pharisees had Him put to death on the cross...And when He died they still did not believe in Him and in all that He had done...
The chief priests did not believe in the Resurrection of Jesus so they lied about Jesus' missing after His death...So they created a misleading report...They feared that if the news of Jesus' Resurrection spread and was widely believed, it would undermine their authority and influence among the Jewish people...If Jesus was truly the Messiah, as His followers believed and claimed, it would challenge their religious leadership and potentially lead to a shift in power dynamics...
The chief priests had previously opposed Jesus and His teachings, seeing Him as a threat to their established religious order...By spreading conspiracy theories and lies about His body being stolen, they aimed to discredit Jesus and His claims, preventing His message from gaining further traction...
They were also aware that the Roman authorities were wary of any unrest or disturbances among the Jewish population...A resurrected Jesus would be cause for unrest and many questions...If the news of Jesus' resurrection sparked public demonstrations or riots, the chief priests might have feared Roman intervention and potential consequences for themselves...So the chief priest potentially feared being held accountable for failing to properly guard Jesus' tomb, as Roman soldiers were typically punished for falling asleep on duty...By fabricating the story of the stolen body, they sought to deflect blame and protect themselves from potential Roman repercussions...