Excuses! Have you ever made one? Have you ever heard one? If you're out of diapers and able to walk and talk, I bet the answer is "yes" on both accounts! We live in a world that transfers blame and rationalizes wrongdoing.

We fudge on legalities and hide behind lawyers (not naming any names here:-), or bureaucracies, or contemporaries. Well, just so that you know such developments are "nothing new under the sun," let's have a look AT:

TOP TEN Excuses Given By the Guards at the Empty Tomb

10. "I thought he was the pizza delivery guy leaving. No wondered he smiled when I tried to give him a tip!" Error! Unknown switch argument.

9. "I was putting another denarius in the chariot meter!"

8."With the earth shakin' and all the bright lights, we figgered we was abducted by aliens!"

7."Since the tomb was already empty when the stone was rolled away, I'm afraid you're speaking to the wrong department. Let me give you a BR#245-A-Res form and direct you to Burial Services."

6."As we've already stated several times before, according to the legal definition of "escape", we emphatically deny any wrongdoing in this matter!"

5."We was HYPNO-TIZED! Centurion Bobicus is still clucking like a chicken!"

4."You told us to secure the tomb as best as we know how (Mat. 27:65). We did! May I suggest an assessment of our current training program?

3."All I know is, this better not mess up my early retirement package!

2."Hey! What'd you expect? Did you tell us we were guarding the Son of God?--NOOOOOOOOO!"

And the number one excuse given by the guards at the empty tomb is:

1."What's the big deal? He said He'd be back!"

Glory be to GOD Forever, Amen.