51 At that moment the curtain of the templeb was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks splitc 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection ande went into the holy cityd and appeared to many people.

54 When the centurion and those with him who were guardinge Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”f

55 Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs.g 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph,f and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.h

The Burial of Jesus

27:57–61pp—Mk 15:42–47; Lk 23:50–56; Jn 19:38–42

57 As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. 58 Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. 59 Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and placed it in his own new tombi that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.

The Guard at the Tomb

62 The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. 63 “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’j 64 So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the bodyk and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.”

65 “Take a guard,”l Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a sealm on the stonen and posting the guard.o