New Testament in a Year

⁵¹ At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from the top to the bottom. And the ground shook, and the rocks split apart. ⁵² The graves also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had died were raised, ⁵³ and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the Holy City and appeared to many.

⁵⁴ When the centurion and those with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they feared greatly and said, “Truly He was the Son of God!”

⁵⁵ Many women who were there watching from afar followed Jesus from Galilee, serving Him, ⁵⁶ among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

The Burial of Jesus^(A)

⁵⁷ When the evening came, there came a rich man of Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. ⁵⁸ He 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 own new tomb, which he had cut out of the rock. And he rolled a large stone to the door of the tomb and departed. ⁶¹ Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

The Guard at the Tomb

⁶² The next day, following the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered before Pilate, ⁶³ saying, “Sir, we remember that deceiver saying while He was still alive, ‘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 tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ 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 can.” ⁶⁶ So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and posting the guard.