LifeWay Explore the Bible Series for April 12: The Lord is alive

In 2000, I visited the Holy Land, not for history as much as for experiencing the contextual presence of Christ in his native culture and environment. Each place brought back the sounds, smell and emotions of ancient times.

In Jerusalem, near the end of the trip, we visited to the Garden tomb, the Protestant location just outside the walls, just west of Golgotha, a block from Damascus Gate on the Nablus road.  The existence of an ancient wine press and water cistern suggests the site possibly was used as a garden.  
Seeing the open tomb brought back scriptural memories of the burial of Jesus, the Roman centurions guarding the entrance, the women finding the stone rolled away, Mary seeing the resurrected Christ, and Peter and John racing to the tomb to see for themselves if the testimony of the women might be true.  

The scene is just as one might imagine. Inside the tomb, past the small vestibule, to the right, was a shelf cut into the rock which may have been the place where Jesus was laid and remained until his bodily resurrection. Catching my breath, I stood there and experienced the awesome presence of Christ. Holy ground would not be more sacred than this.

One of the caretakers and ministers of the Garden Tomb Association greeted the curious and awestruck crowd, saying “I know you are not here just to see an empty tomb but to experience the resurrected Christ.” Sharing the story from Scripture of Christ being raised, he also explained the plan of salvation and invited all to believe.

Later, I sat on a high place and etched the scene of the empty tomb into my memory while capturing the heavy emotion of the moment, allowing my heart time to capture a personal peace. Not once was there any doubt of resurrection facts and the reality of the resurrected living Christ.

The ultimate validity of the resurrection is a faith experience through the Holy Spirit but is based on ample physical, historical and testimonial evidence as proof. The passage helps feed our desire for a factual account that could be believable. Here are several things that parlay the burden of proof for faith that Jesus, crucified and buried, is the living Lord, just as he predicted.

There is no doubt that the disciples and numerous others believed the Jesus whom they saw crucified and placed in a tomb was alive from the dead. There is more evidence for the resurrection than there are for most cases tried in the highest courts of our land.

The attempt to secure the tomb (Matthew 27:62-66)

The chief priests and the Pharisees referred to Jesus as “the deceiver” before Pilate when making their case to secure the tomb. Joseph of Arimathea had taken the body of Jesus down from the cross, prepared the body for burial, placed it in the tomb and rolled a “big stone in front of the entrance” (v. 60).

Suddenly, remembering that Jesus has predicted that “after three days I will rise again” (v. 63), there was concern the disciples would steal his body for the purpose of making the claim he had risen from the dead. Such a thing would make “the last deception … worse than the first” (v. 64). Pilate agreed with them and joined in the plan.

 A.T. Robertson, author of Word Pictures in the New Testament, thoughtfully remarks, “The problem remains why the disciples forgot and the Jewish leaders remembered.”

The first deception these Jewish leaders referred to is assumed to be Jesus’ claim to be the Messiah, the Son of God. The second deceit would be a feigned, fraudulent resurrection.

In reality, it was these plotters who made their last error worse than the first. Sealing the tomb and putting it under the watch of soldiers strengthens the evidence of the miraculous bodily resurrection of Christ. This plan was logical by reason of practicality, but the security provided additional proof, just the opposite of what was hoped for. They helped verify the resurrection.

The very words of the chief priests and Pharisees turned their brilliance into absurdity. The thoughtfulness of their reason was shattered by the mysterious reality of an empty tomb in spite of the best security the Jews and Romans could provide (v. 64).  

The astonishment of the unexpected (Matthew 28:1-4)

The visit by the women to the sepulcher brought unexpected and astounding information. As the day after the Sabbath began, Mary Magdalene and Mary, the last to leave the tomb (27:60) were the first to arrive (28:1).

Matthew records they came to “look at the tomb.” The violent earthquake may explain the concern to “look at the tomb.” We can surmise they were anxious about the condition of the body and the condition of the rock-hewn tomb where Jesus had been placed, along with the desire to complete the routine of body preparation with their oil and spices (Mark 16:1). Matthew sees the earthquake as happening in conjunction with the angel’s presence and the resurrection.  

These two women found three remarkable things: the stone that had sealed the tomb had been rolled away, on top of the stone sat an angel who appeared “like lightening and his clothes were white as snow” (v. 4), and the guards, though alive, were like dead men because of fear of the angel.

The facts that encourage faith now are falling into place. The earthquake may have been the natural signal of God’s supernatural act of empowerment of the resurrection and Jesus’ release from the tomb. Matthew says the angel rolled back the stone (v. 2).  

The sepulcher was open to allow the women to see the body was not there. There was reason to believe the body had been stolen. They had come to care for a dead man in a tomb but were the first to examine the physical evidence, combined with the historical prediction of the resurrection (v. 6). Supernaturally, the tomb was opened and supernaturally the body was gone.

Surprised and amazed, what they found was not what they expected. Unlike the guards who were stiff, these followers were alert and attentive to the things which they saw and experienced, hurrying to tell the others.

The announcement of the angel (Matthew 28:5-7)

Belief in the supernatural resurrection of Christ should quell skepticism and doubt regarding the existence of angels. An angel came to Mary to announce the birth of Jesus, the son of God, and now is present to announce his resurrection.

“Appearance” as studied in the Greek, seems to refer to a form of something but not necessarily a distinct clear visibility perhaps in the sense of “now we see but a poor reflection; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known” (1 Corinthians 134:12). The brightness would make the angel a vision without seeing clear form beyond the glare.  

The angel spoke to the question on their mind, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.” The angel invited them into the tomb to see the empty grave and undisturbed grave cloths as proof.

The appearance of the risen Christ (Matthew 28:9-10)

Still overwhelmed by the angelic encounter, “afraid yet filled with joy,” and hurrying to tell the disciples, the resurrected living Jesus suddenly appears to the women. Grief was shattered with joy. The joy of the discovery is enhanced immensely by seeing the risen Christ face to face. The angelic vision was more subtle, but the appearance of Jesus was without veil for he immediately was recognized.

Jesus gave the common greeting of his day, like saying, “Hello,” or “Good morning.” Believing what had been told them by the angel and seeing the Lord himself, they fell at his feet and “worshiped him.” Afraid and trembling with more than the mind and heart could comprehend, Jesus repeated the same assurance the angel had spoken, “Do not be afraid.” I think he must have chuckled a bit over being reunited with these devoted followers.  
Again, Jesus repeated the angelic message, “Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me” (vv. 7, 10).

Jesus makes 10 appearances following the resurrection. These become defining moments in dispelling any doubt by his followers that he was alive. That same testimony is available to seekers today in the scriptures.

The account of the cover-up (Matthew 28:11-15)

The joy of the women was pushed aside by the carping denial of the Jewish leaders. After the women left the tomb area, some of the guards, who were placed around the tomb to keep it secure, were aware of the circumstances and “went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened.” The guards observed sufficient detail of what happened to make a candid report.

Had Pilate learn of the failure of the guards to protect the tomb from looters, the guards would have been killed. The empty tomb was considered factual and the body of Jesus was missing. Regardless of the details of their testimony, the priests were convinced enough that they gathered the council of elders to contrive a plan of cover-up.  

Having contrived Jesus’ death by crucifixion, they may have feared retribution by Jesus, the disciples and his followers more than the truth of the resurrection. The Romans, Jews and disciples all were convinced Jesus was dead and buried. The Sanhedrin gave no indication the resurrection was believable though the guards must have given a truthful account.

Proceeding on that basis to protect themselves from the crowds and the guards from Pilate, the elders bribed the guards to lie about what they had seen and say the disciples came while the guards slept and stole away the body. Charged to lie about what they had seen would imply that the guards were aware of enough to confirm the resurrection.

Why would the guards lie, saying they had slept, knowing that they could face death? How could a few disciples break through the guards to take the body of Jesus? How could the Sanhedrin ignore the testimony of some of the guards? One has to ask why the Sanhedrin did not have the disciples hunted down and tried on trumped up charges, as in the case of Jesus? If the guards were asleep, how would they know the disciples took the body?

The Sanhedrin was most familiar with the effectiveness of a bribe for they had paid Judas money to betray Jesus. Bribing the guards would be just another step to hide their own deceitfulness. The guards knew Pilate could be bribed, so their secret would be kept and die with the passage of time.

The cover-up can be used against the Sanhedrin and guards to corroborate the resurrection of Jesus.

The authenticity of the resurrected Christ (Matthew 28:16-17)

Of the 10 post-resurrection appearances, Matthew includes only two of them. Matthew believed the two were sufficient to sustain his testimony of the fact of the resurrection. Following the encounter by the women, the disciples went to Galilee “to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go” and “when they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted” (vv. 16-17).  

This declaration and statement that “he is risen” has sustained the church through the ages. The empty cross and empty tomb became the foundation of our hope in Christ for eternity. The messianic hope of the Old Testament is fulfilled in a remarkable and astounding way.  

The New Testament chronicles the historicity and evidence for a risen Christ. The astonishing events of the opened sepulcher, the testimony of an angel, the appearance to the women, the disciples who saw Jesus personally in Galilee, Matthew’s Gospel account, the cover-up by the officials and the beat goes on: “Christ is risen, just as he said.”

In spite of the evidence, some doubted. Everyone who hears this message must decide for themselves: Is Christ the resurrected Son of God and Savior, or is he just a “deceiver?” Doubt is healthy, providing the stimulus to explore the truth found in the evidence that would spark faith in this supernatural event.

As always, God gives us a choice. Faith can only be faith when there is freedom of choice. Matthew portrays the Jewish leaders and the Roman authorities as deceivers and Christ as the authentic risen Lord.