The Empty Tomb
In what must have seemed like a horrifying end to the life of Jesus Christ would have a glorious turn of events.
After Jesus died on the cross, His body was brought down and laid in the tomb of a rich man.
"When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple: He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed." (Matthew 27:57-60)
At the request of the religious leaders, two Roman soliders were stationed to guard His body. On the third day, two of Jesus' disciples came to the tomb only to discover that Jesus was not there.
"In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay." (Matthew 1:1-6)
In fulfillment of what Jesus promised in His earthly ministry, the Father had raised Him from the dead! What seemed like a defeat was actually a triumphant victory.
"And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:" (Luke 24:44-46)
Over the next forty days, Jesus appeared bodily to many, including a large group of five hundred people.
"To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:" (Acts 1:3)
"For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles." (1 Corinthians 15:3-7)
He continued to teach and instruct His disciples on what they were to do.
"And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight." (Acts 1:4-9)
When Jesus finished, the Bible says He ascended into Heaven to sit down at the right hand of God the Father. Unto this day, He still saves those who come to Him and makes intercession for His people. The Bible says one day He will return to reign in an eternal kingdom on earth.
"And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." (Acts 1:10-11)
"Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." (Romans 8:34)
The Lord had won a great victory. He defeated the death that came into the world in the Garden. He became the last Adam and the first of the resurrection to come.
By this, God was signaling the beginning of the end of death.
"For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:17)
"And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven." (1 Corinthians 15:45-47)
"But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept." (1 Corinthians 15:20)
The righteousness of Jesus Christ would be imputed as a gift to all who believe on Him as their Saviour.
"For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." (Romans 5:19)
Praise God! For the death in which mankind is powerless to escape was defeated by Jesus on the cross.
The reaction of His disciples and the spread of the gospel in the early Church are a powerful testimony to the reality of Jesus' resurrection. The disciples, who were hiding in defeat and confusion after His death, would face the risen Lord and come to understand what He had accomplished. The head of Satan had been bruised and empowered by the Holy Ghost, they would turn around to boldly proclaim the gospel in the face of terrible resistance, persecution and death.
Why? Because the tomb is empty and Christ truly has risen.
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In what must have seemed like a horrifying end to the life of Jesus Christ would have a glorious turn of events.
After Jesus died on the cross, His body was brought down and laid in the tomb of a rich man.
"When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple: He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed." (Matthew 27:57-60)
At the request of the religious leaders, two Roman soliders were stationed to guard His body. On the third day, two of Jesus' disciples came to the tomb only to discover that Jesus was not there.
"In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay." (Matthew 1:1-6)
In fulfillment of what Jesus promised in His earthly ministry, the Father had raised Him from the dead! What seemed like a defeat was actually a triumphant victory.
"And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:" (Luke 24:44-46)
Over the next forty days, Jesus appeared bodily to many, including a large group of five hundred people.
"To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:" (Acts 1:3)
"For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles." (1 Corinthians 15:3-7)
He continued to teach and instruct His disciples on what they were to do.
"And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight." (Acts 1:4-9)
When Jesus finished, the Bible says He ascended into Heaven to sit down at the right hand of God the Father. Unto this day, He still saves those who come to Him and makes intercession for His people. The Bible says one day He will return to reign in an eternal kingdom on earth.
"And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." (Acts 1:10-11)
"Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." (Romans 8:34)
The Lord had won a great victory. He defeated the death that came into the world in the Garden. He became the last Adam and the first of the resurrection to come.
By this, God was signaling the beginning of the end of death.
"For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:17)
"And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven." (1 Corinthians 15:45-47)
"But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept." (1 Corinthians 15:20)
The righteousness of Jesus Christ would be imputed as a gift to all who believe on Him as their Saviour.
"For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." (Romans 5:19)
Praise God! For the death in which mankind is powerless to escape was defeated by Jesus on the cross.
The reaction of His disciples and the spread of the gospel in the early Church are a powerful testimony to the reality of Jesus' resurrection. The disciples, who were hiding in defeat and confusion after His death, would face the risen Lord and come to understand what He had accomplished. The head of Satan had been bruised and empowered by the Holy Ghost, they would turn around to boldly proclaim the gospel in the face of terrible resistance, persecution and death.
Why? Because the tomb is empty and Christ truly has risen.
>>BACK TO BIBLE TOPICS
