The Tomb is Empty! (Matt 28: 1-15)

Friday Jesus went to the cross and died when the evening sacrifice was given at the temple. He was taken from the cross and was wrapped in a burial cloth. There was no time for Him to be prepared properly for burial because of the Sabbath. He was taken and laid in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. The tomb was sealed with the stone then Roman guards were stationed there to prevent anyone from taking His body. Sunday morning the stone was moved and the tomb was found to be empty. Jesus was no longer in the tomb but was now alive. He was seen by Mary Magdelene and His mother as well as the disciples.

So what does the empty tomb prove to us? Well it proves several things to us. The stone was moved not so Jesus could get out but so might get in and see for ourselves. His resurrection showed that He was who He claimed to be. He said the temple would be torn down and in three days He would rebuild it. If Jesus was still in the tomb, then we have no hope for eternal life. Some claim the disciples stole His body. First they were afraid and they would not take on the Roman guards and why would they die for a lie if they took His body? If the Jews had it, they would have paraded it for people to see. there are some who believe the "swoon theory". They believe that Jesus wasn't really dead but faked His death. The Romans were professional when it came to executing people and making sure they were dead. The fact is that Jesus had also been beaten and had a major loss of blood by the time He was crucified. Then to top it off, Jesus would have had to move the stone from inside the tomb after having been beaten and crucified. The only explanation is that Jesus rose from the dead and left the tomb. The resurrection demonstrated His power over death and gave Him the right to judge us because He gave His life for us. So what we believe about the tomb will decide what we do with Jesus and if we follow Him or reject Him.

The question for each of us then is whether we believe that Jesus actually rose from the dead or is He still in the tomb. What have you done with the empty tomb? Do you serve a risen Savior or do you live to serve yourself? Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead so we might have life everlasting with Him! I trust you believe the empty tomb and rejoice with me that He is Alive!