The Vacant Cross and Tomb!
© Selwyn Stevens, M.C.R., Ph. D
© Selwyn Stevens, M.C.R., Ph. D
What do you think about at Easter? Bunnies and eggs, a four-day weekend and maybe a lot more people dead on the roads? The real reason for Easter is SIN! Yes, sin. Mine, yours, and that of every person from Adam and Eve until God stops the clock at some time in the future. When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden there were two main consequences. First Adam and Eve and all their offspring were open to the power of Satan. Secondly, and more importantly, their sin separated mankind from God. This stopped the close and loving relationship which God wanted to have with His created people.
God is Holy. The justice of a Holy God requires that a penalty for sin be paid. The full penalty is eternal death, but eternity isn't long enough to pay the debt completely. God's justice demands that a penalty for sin be paid. But God's mercy and love toward us is shown as He decided to pay the full penalty Himself.
It should have been you and me on that cross, we all should, because we all have sinned. But Jesus, who knew no sin, faced the injustice of being "made sin," and volunteered to take my place and yours. He was the substitute. He paid the penalty for each one of us. He died so that you and I might have life - that we could be made righteous - that we could be restored to a right relationship with God.
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord," (Romans 6:23).
The First Easter
Imagine for a moment that you were there in Jerusalem that first Easter morning. It had been three scary days since the brutality of the crucifixion. The disciples of Jesus were still stunned, unsure what to do, just mingling around. All their dreams were shattered, and the joyful Hosannas of just one week ago were a distant memory. Little seemed to make sense any more. But what's this? The two Marys and the other women were babbling excitedly about the tomb being empty. To make things more confusing Jesus' body was gone.
Resurrection? Well, that's never happened before. Could it possibly be true? We just don't know. We saw the nails going in - and the spear. We saw Him die. We buried Him. There must be some mistake. Is this a sick joke? Or is Jesus alive? To this very day there are still those who attempt to explain away the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Some say that it was a hoax - a fraud.
Did Someone Steal The Body?
Consider the following evidence. The Jewish Elders requested that a Roman guard of sixteen soldiers be placed outside the tomb in which Jesus' body had been laid. Pilate granted the request, and sealed the tomb.
If one member of the guard were to fall asleep or leave his post, then all sixteen would automatically be executed. That's a great incentive to stay awake!
In Matthew 28:11-15, it is recorded that the Jewish Elders bribed these soldiers to say they fell asleep, and that the body had been stolen by the disciples. If the guards were asleep, how would they have known who had stolen the body. And if they needed to be bribed, then quite obviously they had not fallen asleep.
If the disciples did steal the body of Jesus while all sixteen guards slept nearby, why would they want to remove the grave clothes which had been wrapped around the body? They had limited time and this required quick action because there would have been instant death if they had been caught? Surely this was unnecessary and time consuming.
The disciples were few in number, depressed, afraid and lacking leadership. It is most doubtful they would suddenly have become brave and daring enough to face an armed Roman guard and steal the body. If they had done this they would have been deliberate deceivers, which was contrary to the moral character they had shown both before and afterward.
What could possibly be the motive behind the stolen body theory? People may die for something they truly believe in, but it would be strange to die for something you know to be a lie. (Virtually all the disciples were martyred for their faith in Jesus.)
No, there is no evidence the body was stolen.
Did Jesus Really Die, or Just Faint?
Another theory is that Jesus didn't really die, He just fainted, and was revived by the coolness of the tomb and the spices. Pilate, as the Governor, would never have consented to the burial until he had confirmed that death had occurred.
Roman soldiers were good at their jobs, including knowing how to crucify people! They didn't make mistakes.
This fainting or swooning theory asks us to forget too many facts.
Jesus had been flogged to within an inch of His life and was so weak that He couldn't even carry His own cross. He was nailed to the big wooden beams of the cross, and hung there for three hours in the heat of the day.
The Roman soldiers pierced His side and blood and water gushed out. This showed that the spear had actually pierced Jesus' heart. After the spear in His side, the soldiers didn't bother to break Jesus' legs as was the usual practice. They knew a dead body when they saw one.
After Jesus was buried embalming spices were enveloped in the cloth which was wrapped around His body. These spices were poisonous, and would probably have been sufficient on their own to kill Him if there was still any doubt.
Escape from The Tomb?
So, we are asked to believe that in this feeble state, having been buried without food or water for three days, Jesus could somehow get out of His grave clothes, moved the huge stone on His own, and escaped the alert Roman guards. All this would have required significant medical treatment, as well as food, water and rest. Afterwards Jesus is alleged to have given His sceptical disciples the impression that He was victorious over death and the grave. Get serious!
Would Jesus, who taught about truth have deliberately and fraudulently passed Himself off as risen from the dead if it were not so? No way! All evidence shows that the faint or swoon theory is impossible.
Was It All An Illusion?
Another theory is that the resurrection of Jesus was an illusion, or hallucination; but, there were too many people around for that. Jesus even had to rebuke His own disciples for their unbelief. The people who knew Him best, who had lived and travelled with Him for the past three or more years, took plenty of time to be convinced. Once they were convinced, nothing could stop them proclaiming what they had seen with their own eyes, and knew in their hearts. No, Jesus Christ was raised from the dead!
Paul dealt with the claim that it is impossible for someone to be resurrected, in his first letter to the church in Corinth, chapter 15. His basic message is that if there is no resurrection of the dead then Jesus wasn't resurrected either. If this were true, then our preaching is useless and so is our faith. We would be false witnesses about God if we claimed that He raised Jesus from the dead. We must still be in our sins; there is no hope for any who have died believing in Christ. But Paul declares the answer.
Jesus Christ Was Raised from The Dead!
"For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man. For as in Adam all die, so all in Christ will be made alive," (1 Corinthians 15:21-22 NIV).
So how can we know for sure that Jesus rose from the dead? What proofs are there for His resurrection? Here are 7 main proofs.
1. The Empty Tomb.
When the two Marys came to the tomb on that first Easter morning they found the tomb was empty. The angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He has risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay," (Matthew 28:5b,6). Later on the men also came and saw that the tomb was empty.
2. The Angels' Testimony.
The angels testified that Jesus had been raised from the dead. They even asked why the disciples were seeking the living among the dead! (Luke 24:5-7).
3. People Spoke with Jesus.
Many people spoke with Jesus after the resurrection including Mary Magdalene, Cleopas, and all eleven disciples.
4. He Was Seen by Many.
There are no less than twelve separate appearances of the risen Jesus. Over 500 people saw Jesus at one particular time, far too many for mass hypnosis or other tricks! (1 Corinthians 15:6).
"He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by many during forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God," (Acts 1:3).
He also showed them His wounds, especially to Thomas who had expressed doubt about what the others had seen without him. The evidence of the wounds in Jesus' hands, feet and side convinced Thomas that Jesus was alive again.
5. Jesus Ate Food.
In the presence of unbelieving and sceptical people, Jesus ate fish and bread on more than one occasion.
6. Stephen's Testimony.
When Stephen was about to become the first martyr of the Christian faith, he testified to seeing Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father, (Acts 7:56).
7. Paul's Testimony.
Paul was met by Jesus and powerfully converted while he was on the road to Damascus to destroy the church there. Paul became the foremost speaker for the Christian message in his day, going on many missionary journeys and experiencing many hardships. He was finally executed for his faith, (Acts 9:5).
Since those early days many millions of people can testify to their own personal experience of the living Saviour. They know the full release from their own burdens of sin, which Jesus replaced with a deep peace. A former Lord Chief Justice of England, Lord Darling, has stated publicly that there is as much evidence of the resurrection of Jesus Christ as there is for any other event in history.
How Was Jesus Raised from The Dead?
The repeated testimony of the disciples is that God the Father did it. "You killed the author of life, but God raised Him from the dead. We are witnesses of this," (Acts 3:15 NIV).
"But God raised Him from the dead, freeing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him," (Acts 2:24 NIV).
God exerted His mighty power to fulfil David's prophecy that Jesus' body would not see decay nor be abandoned to the grave, (Psalms 16:10 & 49:15). Only God can give new life to the dead!
What Are The Results of The Resurrection?
* The resurrection proves the existence of God. If there were no God how else could Jesus have been raised from the dead? He rose because the Living God brought Him back to life!
* The resurrection proves the deity of Jesus.
Jesus "was declared with power to be the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead," (Romans 1:4 NIV).
* Salvation was completed when Jesus died on the cross, and rose from the dead.
* Salvation is now available to all who call on the name of Jesus Christ.
"If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved," (Romans 10:9 NIV).
* The resurrection of Jesus guarantees that everyone will be raised from the dead as well - the righteous to eternal life, and the unbelieving to face the judgement of God.
One day Jesus will return to the Earth - at the Second Coming - and everyone will stand before God, including those who have died. Only those who have put their faith in Jesus can know that they will be raised to eternal life with God in heaven. Jesus said "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even though he dies, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die," (John 11:25,26a NIV).
Make sure you are one of those people!
God is Holy. The justice of a Holy God requires that a penalty for sin be paid. The full penalty is eternal death, but eternity isn't long enough to pay the debt completely. God's justice demands that a penalty for sin be paid. But God's mercy and love toward us is shown as He decided to pay the full penalty Himself.
It should have been you and me on that cross, we all should, because we all have sinned. But Jesus, who knew no sin, faced the injustice of being "made sin," and volunteered to take my place and yours. He was the substitute. He paid the penalty for each one of us. He died so that you and I might have life - that we could be made righteous - that we could be restored to a right relationship with God.
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord," (Romans 6:23).
The First Easter
Imagine for a moment that you were there in Jerusalem that first Easter morning. It had been three scary days since the brutality of the crucifixion. The disciples of Jesus were still stunned, unsure what to do, just mingling around. All their dreams were shattered, and the joyful Hosannas of just one week ago were a distant memory. Little seemed to make sense any more. But what's this? The two Marys and the other women were babbling excitedly about the tomb being empty. To make things more confusing Jesus' body was gone.
Resurrection? Well, that's never happened before. Could it possibly be true? We just don't know. We saw the nails going in - and the spear. We saw Him die. We buried Him. There must be some mistake. Is this a sick joke? Or is Jesus alive? To this very day there are still those who attempt to explain away the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Some say that it was a hoax - a fraud.
Did Someone Steal The Body?
Consider the following evidence. The Jewish Elders requested that a Roman guard of sixteen soldiers be placed outside the tomb in which Jesus' body had been laid. Pilate granted the request, and sealed the tomb.
If one member of the guard were to fall asleep or leave his post, then all sixteen would automatically be executed. That's a great incentive to stay awake!
In Matthew 28:11-15, it is recorded that the Jewish Elders bribed these soldiers to say they fell asleep, and that the body had been stolen by the disciples. If the guards were asleep, how would they have known who had stolen the body. And if they needed to be bribed, then quite obviously they had not fallen asleep.
If the disciples did steal the body of Jesus while all sixteen guards slept nearby, why would they want to remove the grave clothes which had been wrapped around the body? They had limited time and this required quick action because there would have been instant death if they had been caught? Surely this was unnecessary and time consuming.
The disciples were few in number, depressed, afraid and lacking leadership. It is most doubtful they would suddenly have become brave and daring enough to face an armed Roman guard and steal the body. If they had done this they would have been deliberate deceivers, which was contrary to the moral character they had shown both before and afterward.
What could possibly be the motive behind the stolen body theory? People may die for something they truly believe in, but it would be strange to die for something you know to be a lie. (Virtually all the disciples were martyred for their faith in Jesus.)
No, there is no evidence the body was stolen.
Did Jesus Really Die, or Just Faint?
Another theory is that Jesus didn't really die, He just fainted, and was revived by the coolness of the tomb and the spices. Pilate, as the Governor, would never have consented to the burial until he had confirmed that death had occurred.
Roman soldiers were good at their jobs, including knowing how to crucify people! They didn't make mistakes.
This fainting or swooning theory asks us to forget too many facts.
Jesus had been flogged to within an inch of His life and was so weak that He couldn't even carry His own cross. He was nailed to the big wooden beams of the cross, and hung there for three hours in the heat of the day.
The Roman soldiers pierced His side and blood and water gushed out. This showed that the spear had actually pierced Jesus' heart. After the spear in His side, the soldiers didn't bother to break Jesus' legs as was the usual practice. They knew a dead body when they saw one.
After Jesus was buried embalming spices were enveloped in the cloth which was wrapped around His body. These spices were poisonous, and would probably have been sufficient on their own to kill Him if there was still any doubt.
Escape from The Tomb?
So, we are asked to believe that in this feeble state, having been buried without food or water for three days, Jesus could somehow get out of His grave clothes, moved the huge stone on His own, and escaped the alert Roman guards. All this would have required significant medical treatment, as well as food, water and rest. Afterwards Jesus is alleged to have given His sceptical disciples the impression that He was victorious over death and the grave. Get serious!
Would Jesus, who taught about truth have deliberately and fraudulently passed Himself off as risen from the dead if it were not so? No way! All evidence shows that the faint or swoon theory is impossible.
Was It All An Illusion?
Another theory is that the resurrection of Jesus was an illusion, or hallucination; but, there were too many people around for that. Jesus even had to rebuke His own disciples for their unbelief. The people who knew Him best, who had lived and travelled with Him for the past three or more years, took plenty of time to be convinced. Once they were convinced, nothing could stop them proclaiming what they had seen with their own eyes, and knew in their hearts. No, Jesus Christ was raised from the dead!
Paul dealt with the claim that it is impossible for someone to be resurrected, in his first letter to the church in Corinth, chapter 15. His basic message is that if there is no resurrection of the dead then Jesus wasn't resurrected either. If this were true, then our preaching is useless and so is our faith. We would be false witnesses about God if we claimed that He raised Jesus from the dead. We must still be in our sins; there is no hope for any who have died believing in Christ. But Paul declares the answer.
Jesus Christ Was Raised from The Dead!
"For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man. For as in Adam all die, so all in Christ will be made alive," (1 Corinthians 15:21-22 NIV).
So how can we know for sure that Jesus rose from the dead? What proofs are there for His resurrection? Here are 7 main proofs.
1. The Empty Tomb.
When the two Marys came to the tomb on that first Easter morning they found the tomb was empty. The angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He has risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay," (Matthew 28:5b,6). Later on the men also came and saw that the tomb was empty.
2. The Angels' Testimony.
The angels testified that Jesus had been raised from the dead. They even asked why the disciples were seeking the living among the dead! (Luke 24:5-7).
3. People Spoke with Jesus.
Many people spoke with Jesus after the resurrection including Mary Magdalene, Cleopas, and all eleven disciples.
4. He Was Seen by Many.
There are no less than twelve separate appearances of the risen Jesus. Over 500 people saw Jesus at one particular time, far too many for mass hypnosis or other tricks! (1 Corinthians 15:6).
"He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by many during forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God," (Acts 1:3).
He also showed them His wounds, especially to Thomas who had expressed doubt about what the others had seen without him. The evidence of the wounds in Jesus' hands, feet and side convinced Thomas that Jesus was alive again.
5. Jesus Ate Food.
In the presence of unbelieving and sceptical people, Jesus ate fish and bread on more than one occasion.
6. Stephen's Testimony.
When Stephen was about to become the first martyr of the Christian faith, he testified to seeing Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father, (Acts 7:56).
7. Paul's Testimony.
Paul was met by Jesus and powerfully converted while he was on the road to Damascus to destroy the church there. Paul became the foremost speaker for the Christian message in his day, going on many missionary journeys and experiencing many hardships. He was finally executed for his faith, (Acts 9:5).
Since those early days many millions of people can testify to their own personal experience of the living Saviour. They know the full release from their own burdens of sin, which Jesus replaced with a deep peace. A former Lord Chief Justice of England, Lord Darling, has stated publicly that there is as much evidence of the resurrection of Jesus Christ as there is for any other event in history.
How Was Jesus Raised from The Dead?
The repeated testimony of the disciples is that God the Father did it. "You killed the author of life, but God raised Him from the dead. We are witnesses of this," (Acts 3:15 NIV).
"But God raised Him from the dead, freeing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him," (Acts 2:24 NIV).
God exerted His mighty power to fulfil David's prophecy that Jesus' body would not see decay nor be abandoned to the grave, (Psalms 16:10 & 49:15). Only God can give new life to the dead!
What Are The Results of The Resurrection?
* The resurrection proves the existence of God. If there were no God how else could Jesus have been raised from the dead? He rose because the Living God brought Him back to life!
* The resurrection proves the deity of Jesus.
Jesus "was declared with power to be the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead," (Romans 1:4 NIV).
* Salvation was completed when Jesus died on the cross, and rose from the dead.
* Salvation is now available to all who call on the name of Jesus Christ.
"If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved," (Romans 10:9 NIV).
* The resurrection of Jesus guarantees that everyone will be raised from the dead as well - the righteous to eternal life, and the unbelieving to face the judgement of God.
One day Jesus will return to the Earth - at the Second Coming - and everyone will stand before God, including those who have died. Only those who have put their faith in Jesus can know that they will be raised to eternal life with God in heaven. Jesus said "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even though he dies, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die," (John 11:25,26a NIV).
Make sure you are one of those people!