Matthew 27:63 records the chief priests and Pharisees asking Pilate to secure Jesus’ tomb, because they remembered his claim that he would rise after three days. Their request shows they took that prediction seriously enough to guard against it, even though they did not believe it. The verse is spoken by these religious leaders to the Roman governor Pontius Pilate, the morning after Jesus was crucified and buried.
Saying, “Sir, we remember what that deceiver said while he was still alive: ‘After three days I will rise again.’
Matthew 27:63 (WEB)
What Matthew 27:63 Means
The opening word “Sir” is a respectful form of address to Pilate, the Roman governor with authority over the situation. The leaders then say “we remember,” which is an ironic phrase, since they were the ones who had pressed for Jesus’ execution and now wanted his words kept in mind. They call Jesus a “deceiver,” a label meaning someone who leads people astray, and they quote his statement that he would rise after three days.
The verse does not promise anything about what will happen. It records what the leaders believed Jesus had said and what they feared his followers might do with it. It tells you about their fear and their suspicion, not about the outcome. Read carefully, it shows that the people most opposed to Jesus were troubled by the very claim they were trying to shut down.
The Context of Matthew 27:63
Matthew, traditionally identified as the disciple who was a tax collector, wrote this Gospel for a community that included Jewish readers familiar with the Scriptures and the expectations of the Messiah. The chapter moves from the crucifixion to the burial, and verses 60 through 66 describe the sealed tomb and the guard placed there. The previous verses tell how Joseph of Arimathea laid Jesus in his own new tomb and rolled a stone across the entrance.
Knowing this setting changes how the verse reads. The request is not made at the tomb but before Pilate, and the leaders’ fear is that the disciples will steal the body and then claim a resurrection. Pilate’s reply in verse 65, which grants them a guard, shows how the story moves toward its most important turn: the tomb that was meant to be secured is the place where the resurrection is announced.
Key Phrases in Matthew 27:63
Matthew 28:6
He is not here, for he has risen, just like he said. Come, see the place where the Lord was lying.
(WEB)
This verse follows directly from the guarded tomb and announces that Jesus has risen as he said. Reading it alongside Matthew 27:63 shows how the leaders’ precautions became the setting for the proclamation they most feared.
Psalm 2:1-4
1 Why do the nations rage, and the peoples plot a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth take a stand, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his Anointed, saying, 3 “Let’s break their bonds apart, and cast their cords from us.” 4 He who sits in the heavens will laugh. The Lord will have them in derision.
(WEB)
This psalm describes rulers gathering together against the Lord and his anointed, and it speaks of God’s response from heaven. It helps you see the leaders’ scheming in Matthew 27:63 as part of a longer pattern in which human opposition is met by divine sovereignty.
A Short Prayer From Matthew 27:63
Lord, you know the plans I make to protect myself and the things I fear losing. Where I am tempted to seal off what I cannot control, help me trust that your purposes are not limited by my precautions. Show me where my resistance to a truth comes from fear, and give me the courage to face it honestly. Thank you that the story of your Son did not end at the stone. Keep my heart open to what you are doing, even when I cannot see it yet. Amen.
