Matthew 28 2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.
As we celebrate our risen savior, we realize that our belief in the death as resurrection of Jesus is the central belief of Christianity and sets us apart from every other religion on earth. No other religion makes such a claim. Many have tried to refute these claims by saying He didn’t really die, or He didn’t really rise, but evidence always points to the truth.
The Roman soldiers, experienced in death by crucifixion, thought Jesus was dead. So much so that they didn’t break his legs, but rather one of them pierced Jesus’ side. What that probably means is that he thrust his spear up under his rib cage and into his chest. If He wasn’t dead before, he certainly was now. As the soldier withdrew his spear, blood and water poured out. This pooling of blood and water is a medical condition of a failed heart that only happens in the body of someone who has been dead for a while. Truly, Jesus died of a broken heart.
Jesus was taken off the cross and buried, not by his family or his disciple, but rather by Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Jewish ruling council who is described as a good and upright man. Along with Nicodemus, they wrapped him in 75 pounds of Myrrh and aloes and placed Him in the tomb. That by itself would kill someone. They certainly thought Jesus was dead.
The Jewish leaders also thought Jesus was dead as they appealed to Pilate to make the tomb as secure as possible for fear that Jesus’ disciples might come and take his body and falsely claim a resurrection. In addition to a very large stone being put in front of the tomb, Pilate’s seal was put on the stone to certify that this tomb was not to be disturbed. To do so would have resulted in grave consequences. Not only that, but Roman guards were placed in front of the tomb. These guards took their responsibility seriously as they knew that death was the most likely punishment for dereliction of duty.
These efforts to secure the tomb give some of the greatest evidence of His resurrection. Despite their efforts, there was a violent earthquake, an angel appeared and rolled away the stone to reveal that Jesus was not there. And these rough and tough Roman soldiers shook and fainted.
His subsequent appearance to his disciples and many others proved he indeed rose from the grave. The proof is not in their claiming it, but in their changed lives. Eventually most of them were tortured and/or killed for their faith and not one of them denied Jesus’ resurrection. People don’t allow their own torture and death for something they know is a lie. They must have experienced a risen savior, because they staked their very lives on it.
Jesus allowed himself to be crucified because of His great love for each one of us to pay the penalty of death that we deserve for our sins. His resurrection from the dead proved He was victorious over sin and death, and that we can be victorious as well if we put our faith in Him. Jesus is still changing lives and people are still staking their lives on Him.
There is more evidence to prove the death and resurrection of Jesus, but in the end, it does come down to faith. Faith, I believe, that is reasonable and makes sense. But some people will always doubt and look for excuses because they don’t want to yield to the Lordship of Jesus. That is their sad choice. That doesn’t change the truth of Jesus’ resurrection and victory over sin and death. Because of that truth, we rejoice, and we celebrate.
I love the words of the worship song “Forever” when it says:
“The ground began to shake; the stone was rolled away. His perfect love could not be overcome. Now death, where is your sting, our resurrected King has rendered you defeated. Forever He is glorified, forever He is lifted high, for He is risen. He is Alive, He is Alive.”
We celebrate a risen Savior; we know that He is living, no matter what men may say.
He is Risen, He is Risen Indeed.
Blessings,
Pastor Vern