If the soldiers had been asleep, they could not know how the sepulcher became empty. If one sentinel had been awake, he would assuredly have wakened others. If they had really slept, as they affirmed they had, the consequence was well known to all. The penalty for such neglect of duty was death, and there could be no hope of pardon; so the offenders would not be likely to proclaim their fault. If the Jewish priests and rulers had discovered the sentinels asleep at their post, they would not have passed the matter over so lightly, but would have demanded a thorough investigation of the matter, and the full penalty of the law upon the unfaithful soldiers. {3SP 224.1}

Præsterne og de øverste vidste godt, at adskillige af de døde var opstande, da Jesus opstod. De fik troværdige beretninger fra forskellige, som havde set og samtalt med disse personer, der var opstandne, og havde hørt deres vidnesbyrd, at Jesus, Livets fyrste, hvem præsterne og de ældste havde slået ihjel, var opstanden fra de døde. Man havde flittig udbredt det falske rygte, at disciplene havde stjålet deres Mesters (224) legeme af graven, og mange troede det. Men præsterne forregnede sig, da de opdigtede sine falske beretninger, og alle tænkende personer, der ikke lod sig forblinde af fordomme, opdagede deres løgn.