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 death, a  soldier  pierced  His  side  with  a  lance; blood and  water  flowed  from  the  wound,  this being the  surest  sign  that  the  heart  had  been pierced and  death  had  actually  occurred. Indeed, the wound  was  so  deep,  that,  at  a  subsequent period,  the  apostle  Thomas  was  able  to place  his  hand  in  it;  thus  it  was  a  mortal  wound. All those  who  witnessed  the  crucifixion  were  convinced of  Our  Lord's  death;  the  four  evangelists are unanimous  upon  this  point. And even  the chief priests  and  scribes,  the  bitter  enemies  of Jesus,  bore  witness  to  His  death,  since  they asked permission  to  place  a  guard  at  His  grave. Moreover, His  closest  adherents  doubted  not  the fact; they  wrapped  His  body  in  linen  cloths,  laid it in  a  grave,  and  closed  it  with  a  slab  of  stone.

4.' We  now  come  to  the  most  important  point. In order  that  no  deception  might  be  practised, and the  body  not  be  stolen,  the  sepulcher  was sealed and  guards  were  placed  before  it,  in  compliance with  the  request  of  the  Pharisees. But it was  these  very  guards  who  bore  the  most  incontrovertible witness  to  the  resurrection,  since they presented  themselves  on  the  third  day  and affirmed on  oath  they  had  seen  Christ  come  forth from the  sepulcher.

The obdurate  Jews,  however,  went  so  far  in their  blindness  that  after  taking  counsel,  "they gave,"  as  the  evangelist  tells  us,  "a  great  sum of  money  to  the  soldiers,  saying:  Say  you,  His disciples  came  by  night,  and  stole  Him  away when  we  were  asleep." What incredible  folly is this! Would any  man  in  his  senses  accept  the testimony of  witnesses  who  were  asleep? But God, in  His  wisdom,  permitted  things  to  happen in this  manner,  in  order  that  our  faith  in  the fundamental truth  of  Christianity,  namely,  the