God has told us many stories in the Bible about people who died long ago, but this story is about a man who is NOT dead! He is alive! And better yet, you and I are going to see Him, and that’s for sure!
You will remember that Jesus died on the cross about 2000 years ago. Pilate, the governor, was very surprised to hear that He died so quickly on the cross. He had been a healthy man, so why did He die so soon? Here’s the answer: When God’s purpose in Jesus’ suffering and bearing the punishment for sin was finished, He stopped breathing by His own will. (You and I can’t do that—just try it and see!)
There were two rich men, Joseph and Nicodemus, who cared enough for Jesus’ holy body to take it down from the cross. They carefully wrapped it in linen cloths filled with sweet spices and then laid it in Joseph’s new tomb. Maybe you have seen a grave dug in the earth, but the tomb was different. It was a cave, perfectly clean, chiseled out of solid rock. After Jesus’ body was carefully laid in the tomb, they rolled a great stone over the opening.
There were some men who had heard that Jesus said he would rise again, which means that He would come back to life. They hated Jesus, so they asked the governor for permission to make sure that would not happen. They sealed the stone over the opening all around and set soldiers as guards to watch the tomb all night long.
But it’s not only very silly, but it’s also very wicked to use soldiers as guards to hold back the power of God. It is also impossible to reach up to heaven and erase one sin from God’s record of your life or to wipe out the awfulness of hell just by saying it isn’t there.
God’s plan was made long ago. He has already sent His only begotten Son into the world, and He has said, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:1515This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (1 Timothy 1:15)). There’s nothing you can do to change God’s Word, but you may take His offer right now, because it was for sinners like you and me that He came. Or, you can say, “No, I don’t believe that.” Whatever you try to do, you can’t make it not happen, as those guards at the tomb learned.
It was very early Sunday morning when the guards were shaken by a great earthquake, and an angel from heaven came and rolled back the stone and sat on it! What about all that sealing and guarding? The guards were terrified and ran full speed to the city and told their leaders what had happened!
Oh, no! This must be covered up! Don’t tell what you saw. Say that you fell asleep and the disciples came and stole Jesus’ body away.
The fearful guards said, What? Asleep on the job? The governor will have us killed!
We’ll pay you well for that lie, the leaders said. And if the governor hears, we’ll persuade him to keep the secret too. And so, taking the money as payment, the guards told that lie, and people believed it because they didn’t want Jesus to be alive.
But Jesus IS alive! No one can change this fact. He had risen before the angel came to roll away the stone. Perhaps you know the wonderful story of Mary who saw the angels at the tomb and then heard the voice of Jesus calling her by name, and also of Peter who went right into the empty tomb and saw the linen clothes lying neatly folded where His body had been.
The story is too long to tell you all of it here, but we urge you to read it for yourself in Matthew 27 and 28. In fact, the story is so wonderful that God has told it to us four times, at the end of the Books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the Bible. The account in Matthew 27:27-6627Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. 28And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. 29And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! 30And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. 31And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. 32And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross. 33And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, 34They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. 35And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. 36And sitting down they watched him there; 37And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. 38Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left. 39And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, 40And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. 41Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, 42He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. 43He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. 44The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth. 45Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. 46And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? 47Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias. 48And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. 49The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him. 50Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 51And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 52And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. 54Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God. 55And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him: 56Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's children. 57When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple: 58He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. 59And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60And 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. 61And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre. 62Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, 63Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. 64Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. 65Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. 66So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch. (Matthew 27:27‑66) and 28:1-15 gives the most details. It is a thrilling story and very worthwhile reading!
Now the big question is, Do you believe it? And have you accepted Jesus as your very own Saviour? If so, someday in heaven you’ll see the nail wounds in His hands and feet and the spear gash in His side where His holy blood ran out. And that’s the blood that will wash you clean from every one of your sins, if you accept Jesus as your Saviour.
He loves you so very much! Will you do that right now?
ML-05/31/2015