Matthew 27:63 Meaning and Explanation
“Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Jesus' enemies remember a resurrection saying at the very moment when his disciples are grieving and his body lies in a tomb. Their hostile memory does not make the saying false. Instead, Matthew shows that the promise of resurrection remains active in the story, even as authorities take practical steps to prevent anyone from announcing it.
The chief priests and Pharisees remember Jesus' prediction that he would rise after three days. Calling him a deceiver, they ask Pilate to secure his tomb because they fear the force of that claim.
The Context of Matthew 27:63
After Joseph of Arimathaea has placed Jesus' body in a new tomb, the chief priests and Pharisees come together on the next day, after the day of preparation. They address Pilate as "Sir" and describe Jesus as "that deceiver." Verse 63 recalls what they say he spoke while alive: that after three days he would rise again. Their request continues in verse 64, where they ask for the sepulchre to be made secure until the third day because they fear a theft by disciples and a public resurrection claim. Pilate grants them a watch, and they seal the stone.
What Does Matthew 27:63 Mean?
The speakers remember both Jesus' words and the limit they believe can contain them. Their name for him, "that deceiver," reveals their judgment, while the words they recall state his resurrection promise plainly: "After three days I will rise again." Matthew records the accusation without adopting it. Jesus is called a deceiver by opponents throughout the conflict, yet the reader has seen his integrity, his fulfillment of Scripture, and his calm before Pilate. The phrase "while he was yet alive" emphasizes the reality of his death and burial. The body in Joseph's tomb belongs to the same Jesus who spoke this promise. His rising would therefore be a real victory over death, rather than a vague survival of memory.
This verse prepares for the careful account of the empty tomb in the next chapter. The leaders' concern leads to a sealed stone and a guard, details that make clear that the tomb was treated as a place needing protection. Their plan grows from fear that the disciples might take the body and proclaim resurrection. Matthew allows that fear to sharpen the contrast between human precautions and the event God brings about. The chapter has already shown rulers, crowds, soldiers, and religious leaders acting around Jesus' death. None of their decisions cancels his own words about rising. The promise stands while Jesus lies in the tomb, awaiting the third day.
Jesus had spoken of his death and resurrection earlier in Matthew, often while teaching disciples who struggled to receive such words. Here adversaries recall the promise and try to manage its consequences. The irony is sober rather than comic: those who reject Jesus still recognize that his claim matters enough to require action. The resurrection in Matthew 28 answers this remembered saying through the angel's announcement and the empty tomb. It also reveals that Jesus' life was not finally controlled by the verdict of Pilate or the seal of his opponents. His rising confirms the truthfulness of the one they called a deceiver and opens the way for his disciples' continuing mission.
Bible Verses Related to Matthew 27:63
“From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.”
- Matthew 16:21
“And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.”
- Matthew 20:19
“He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”
- Matthew 28:6
“Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
- John 2:19
Where Matthew 27:63 Echoes in Scripture
Matthew 28:6 directly answers the remembered claim in this verse when the angel announces that Jesus has risen as he said. The connection is especially strong because Matthew uses the opponents' concern about a resurrection proclamation to prepare readers for the true announcement at the tomb. Their guard and seal remain part of the setting in which the risen Christ's victory is made known.
How to Apply Matthew 27:63 Today
When circumstances seem to contradict a promise of God, this verse encourages patient attention to the words God has spoken. The tomb, the stone, the seal, and the watch all looked final from a human point of view. Yet Matthew teaches us to hold present darkness together with Jesus' own promise. We can make responsible preparations in ordinary life without granting our precautions the final word. The passage also calls for care in how we label people and claims we oppose. The leaders' hostile name for Jesus did not change who he was. Truth is tested by God's work and by faithful hearing.
Reflection & Prayer
What promise of Jesus do we need to remember when events look closed and final? We may ask whether fear has led us to treat a hard word of God as though it could be contained. Suggested prayer: Risen Lord, keep your words alive in our memory. Give us patience in waiting and honesty in receiving the truth you reveal.