What the guards were told to tell people about why Jesus’ body was gone.

Matthew 28:11-15

11 While the women were going, some of the soldiers who had been guarding the tomb went into the city. They reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12 So the chief priests and Jewish elders met together. They made a plan to explain why the tomb was empty. They gave the soldiers a lot of money as a bribe. 13 They said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole his body while we were sleeping.’ 14 If the governor hears [MTY] about this, we ourselves will make sure that he does not get angry and punish you. So you will not have to worry.” 15 So the soldiers took the money and did as they were told {as the chief priests and elders told them}. And this story has been told {People have told this story} among the Jews to the very day that I am writing this.