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 1:15). 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 27:27-66 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?
MEMORY VERSE: “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” 1 Timothy 1:15
ML-05/31/2015