[Pastor Ralph]

Q4. Why did Jesus' enemies heed his prediction of being raised on the third day even more than his disciples? Did his enemies expect him to rise? Did his followers?

[mindy]

In times of great crisis, those who keep their heads about them can maintain control over positions of power. We have seen this again and again in business and on church boards. The Pharisees and Saducees knew the Bible and knew the possibilities. They kept their cool against many Messiah-wanna-be's. They probably did this 'guard-the-tomb' thing many times. Keep in mind this is apocryphal thinking on my part. My point is this: If you know the truth and you want to keep the power you hold over the masses, all you have to do is prevent the truth from setting people free. There are three steps to accomplish this power play: 1) Learn to express your own truths confindently when Scripture offers options which offend you. 2) Post guards to prove that you are defending the faith against thieving interlopers. 3) Continue teaching your perspective confidently while the "Messiah's" disciples are grieving and crying and afraid.

[ritamae]

Q4. Why did Jesus' enemies heed his prediction of being raised on the third day even more than his disciples? Did his enemies expect him to rise? Did his followers?

Because in theor eyes if Jesus did rise as He said He would the people would believe in Him and the pharisees and the other groups would lose their following. After the trial and His death they began to remember what He said and they posted guards and placed a large stone in front of the tomb. The disciples did not expect him to rise, after his resurrection they believed the words He had spoken.

[lamountain]

I believe they paid attention to his prediction out of fear that they would be wrong and his followers all though I think they belived him thought that he was again speaking in parables

[Carole]

Q4. Why did Jesus' enemies heed his prediction of being raised on the third day even more than his disciples? Did his enemies expect him to rise? Did his followers?

Obviously no one truly expected him to come out of the grave on his own. That was completely beyond the ability of human understanding. No one did that. The disciples clearly didn't look for Jesus to come back. They'd seen him die. They'd buried him. They were currently in hiding lest the same should happen to them. Jesus' enemies didn't really expect him to rise. They were only covering all the bases. They'd experienced attempts at revolution before and they didn't want to leave that opportunity here. In fact, at least one of Jesus' disciples was a Zealot. There is every reason to believe that there were others. Jesus' enemies placed guards at the tomb because, as they said, "his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first."

[sandy]

Q4. Why did Jesus' enemies heed his prediction of being raised on the third day even more than his disciples? Did his enemies expect him to rise? Did his followers?

no-one understood that he was the resurrection and that his claims were all true.
even visiting his tomb his followers could not believe that his body had gone.

Even though the authorities did not beleive,they thought it prudent to post guards to ensure that Jesus's followers did not take the body to make false claims to his resurrection.

I am amazed that they did not think to come up with a substitute body to quash any validity or uprising as a result of the resurrection which they infact helped to authenticate.

[Tabatha]

Q4. Why did Jesus' enemies heed his prediction of being raised on the third day even more than his disciples? Did his enemies expect him to rise? Did his followers?

There were some that believed in the Resurrection ( Pharisees ) But they believed it would happen on the last days. There also had been resurrections in the old testament. Such as Elijah, Elisha, the son of the widow in Luke (Nain ) , Lazarus. They were treated as harbingers of Jesus coming resurrection. Some of His enemies believed out of fear their would be something that would happen, others believed the body would be stolen and made to believe there had been a resurrection. They were so deceived.. These enemies of Jesus did not want Him to disappear one way or the other for fear His would have even a greater following. They were so deceived in their religion just as many are today.
( Matthew 27: 62-64 ) " The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priest and the Pharisees went to Pilate. " Sir,' They said. ' We remember that while He was still alive that deceiver said " after three days I will rise again." So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, His disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that He has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse that the first".

His followers were still not understanding what He meant by the resurrection. Even when the two were on the road to Emaus. They did not recognize Him when He approached them. Thomas did not believe until he saw the wounds in Jesus hands.

It is so sad, even today so many do not believe in the return of Jesus. The enemy has many walking in deception believing in other religions in our christian churches today people are looking to false teachers, and following after the tickling of ears not realizing that God is looking for pure hearts and committment sold out 100% The enemy is robbing them of the truth.

Pastor Ralph your question is " Do we have a strong expectation and hope of being resurrected from the dead Spiritually and Physically." Oh how I long for that day to come while Jesus is cleansing and purifying my heart. I want to be ready but I know there is a cross I must go to, to die daily to be resurrected spiritually. My hope is in Jesus and I know I will see Him face to face one day. PRAISE GOD for the sacrifice of His son who has made that possible.

[s8nfighter]

Q4. Why did Jesus' enemies heed his prediction of being raised on the third day even more than his disciples?

The lifestyle of the the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the Romans was built upon piety, pomp, prestige, power, and positon. If the resurection was true all of this would change. If the resurection were true that would mean Jesus really was the Son of God, the LORD of our llives, our redeemer, our high priest, our healer, our provider, our ruler, and the lifestyles of the leaders at that time would soon sink as if they were built upon sand. Matt. 7

Did his enemies expect him to rise?

No they didn't expect him to rise, but they feared that the influence they had on people would soon disappear if his disciples took his body and hid it. For if Christ would truly rise that would mean that God would sow in each and every one of us the seed of faith, (instead of us sowing a seed of faith into the religious leaders) it would mean that God has a hope in us that differs from what we mistakenly place in religious duty and religious celebrations.

Did his followers?

I don't think his followers disbelieved as much as they misunderstood. In Isaiah 43 the LORD says he was about to do something new and different. Isaiah 43: 19 For I am about to do a brand-new thing. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness for my people to come home. I will create rivers for them in the desert! This was it, this is what He was talking about 650 years prior to. This is what was going to cause Israel to embrase her God and people who are not His people to be called His people. Sometimes, something new and defferent is hard to understand.

[armando]

Q4. Why did Jesus' enemies heed his prediction of being raised on the third day even more than his disciples? Did his enemies expect him to rise? Did his followers?

I believe that His enemies, though they dont bvelieve that Jesus was the Messiah, they want to make sure that no tricks will be done by Jesus' disciples.

[A-M]

As even a little boy of twelve years old, his knowledge and wisdom was amazing. "Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers."(Luke 2:46). Many of Jesus enemies were well versed in Scripture and would have known to some extent what Jesus was saying. There are many reasons they may have rejected Him.

I feel the primary reason may have been that they were afraid. His words rang true (and therefore even his rising could be a possibility). Their whole society was at stake for Jesus had many followers. They feared that all their rules and regulations and laws would come undone and this is what they rested upon.

Another reason could have been that they were angry. The truth hurts. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Jesus had many hard sayings and revealed what was in the heart. The heart is deceitful above all things. When we are told the truth, we often want to defend ourselves or attack.

Sometimes we are like Jesus's enemies and live by the letter of the law rather than the spirit of the law. We do not love as we should. Sometimes we are like Jesus's followers.

Like Jesus followers, we are unaware and lack understanding. Even when we are told the truth as is revealed in God's Word, we don't listen or obey it. We are slow in seeing things Jesus way. We are content to go on as we have always gone on. The disciples did not want any harm to come to Jesus (they knew better) and did not expect great things to come through suffering (resurrection). We think we know best. Our ways are not God's ways, our thoughts not His thoughts etc.

However, as we delve more into Scripture and our eyes are opened the Truth will make us free...

[charisbarak]

I think the enemies of Jesus took precautions to insure that His disciples wouldn't arrange the situation so Jesus would remain alive & threaten their gov't.

I don't think the disciples fully understood what was about to happen until Jesus came back after his resurrection. I don't believe anyone really understood or believed that He would be resurrected. When He returned, bringing the Holy Spirit to His disciples, they then began to understand & rejoice!

[Stan]

Q4. Why did Jesus' enemies heed his prediction of being raised on the third day even more than his disciples? Did his enemies expect him to rise? Did his followers?

They had seen His miracles as His disciples but they also feared Him where as His disciples feared them. They were so fearful of the Jewish leaders that it took their faith and they lock their self up in a room.

His enemies expect His body to be taken to cause a revolt among the people, I don't think they actually believed He would be raised to life or they would have been there to watch. I don't understand why the disciples weren't if they actually loved Him as John says, unless it was their fear again robbing them of their reason. I think they must have believed to some extent but only God can see a man's heart so unless it was the fear I can't see why they were not there they could have been.

[June]

At Jesus' trial His enemies remembered what He had said prior. He used other incidents to describe His resurrection and His betrayal & how He'd be raised on the third day.The disciples heard but didn't believe until after when, they recalled what He had said.
They didn't expect Him to rise, neither of them. The enemies thought His body would be stolen by the disciples and they would say He had. The followers thought that He'd always be with them. Not until after He had risen did they recall what He had said and they then believed the Scripture.

[JustJeff]

I don't believe that the enemies of the Lord believed that He would rise up on the third day anymore than His disciple did. I do feel that since the Lord made it plain that He would be resurrected, those who feared His power after His death sensed a conspiracy to steal His body to make it appear as though He did arise.
All scripture indicates that His followers thought that Jesus was dead and gone.

[masika]

The enemies of Jesus took His resurrection claims more seriously than the Disciples did; The Disciples didn't remember Jesus' teaching about His resurrection ! but His enemies remembered and took steps, they thought would prevent it ( or at least a fabrication of it ). Because of His claims, they were almost as afraid of Jesus after His death as when He was alive. they tried to take every precaution that His body would remain in the tomb. Because the tomb was hewn out of rock in the side of a hill , there was only one entrance. The tomb was sealed by stringing a cord across the stone that was rolled over the entrance. The cord was sealed at each end with clay . But the enemies of Jesus took further precaution, asking that guards be placed at tomb's entrance- The enemies failed to understand that No rock , seal , guard , or army could prevent the Son of God from rising again.

[Craig]

The chief priests and Pharisees were uneasy that Jesus might be exactly who He said He was. However, they were more concerned that Jesus' followers would steal His body and create a deception, of resurrection, greater than His deception of being the Messiah. The disciples didn't understand or comprehend the Resurrection Jesus was telling them prior to His Resurrection. They didn't get it until Jesus revealed Himself to them after His resurrection.

[Triciahh]

I don’t think Jesus’ enemies expected Him to rise, but they expected that His followers would try to say He did. They heeded the predictions because they recognized that if people believed that Jesus rose, the world would be forever changed. I don’t think the disciples expected the resurrection to happen, they only seemed to remember and recognize his prophecies about it in retrospect

[Ploughboy]

Q4. Why did Jesus' enemies heed his prediction of being raised on the third day even more than his disciples? Did his enemies expect him to rise? Did his followers?

I think neither the disciples nor the enemies expected him to rise but they did expect that someone might steal the body hence the guard. The disciples were totally dispirited and scared and certainly did not behave as though they expected the resurrection even though Jesus had spoken fairly plainly to them about it before his death. In fact for me the total change in the disciples after pentecost is the surest proof I know that the resurrection did actually happen.

[revmrf]

Q4. Why did Jesus' enemies heed his prediction of being raised on the third day even more than his disciples? Did his enemies expect him to rise? Did his followers?

Jesus' enemies were concerned that his disciples would come to the prepared tomb to steal his body away. It would seem that the chief priests, etc. had been closely watching and listening to Jesus for they seemed to understand to some extent the meaning of Jesus' teaching about his own resurrection. Even though they didn't believe that a resurrected Jesus was possible [nor any of his claims,] their influence [power?] amongst their community would be diminished or even trashed if the people believed that he had risen from the dead. For then, Jesus would be recognized as the Christ/Messiah. So they needed to ensure themselves from any unexpected outcome. Were they in for a surprise!

Neither Jesus' enemies or his followers expected him to rise... if I was one of his followers at that time... neither would I.

[luv4Jesusanu]

They weren't sure iof he would be raised on the 3rd day. AQND TO MAKE SURE NOTHING HAPPENED TO HIS BODY. They guarded the tomb. They werent sure. But with doubts of trickery. Yes Jesus gfollowers believed.