Lord of the dead

The Jewish leaders address Pilate as “Lord” (Matthew 27:63),  using the word kurios .  That’s the term one would use to show respect to an official.  It can mean something as colorless as “Sir.”  But throughout Matthew’s gospel, people have generally addressed Jesus as kurios , as Lord.  Now the Jews have made their commitment.  They have a Lord, and it’s not Jesus.  They have chosen Caesar as their king.

They want Pilate the Lord to seal a tomb.  They say that the tomb is going to be sealed against grave-robbers.  But we know what Jesus’ really intended to do, namely, to come out of the tomb, to burst it from the inside.  Against that kind of power, Pilate is wholly impotent.  He can seal the tomb all he wants.  He can place all the guards He wants at the entrance of the tomb.  But the entrance is still going to be a door, an exit.  The Jews rely on Roman power to keep Jesus in check, and they will attempt to do that for a century after Jesus rises.  But it won’t work.  Neither Pilate nor Caesar is the lord of the dead.