The Empty Tomb

“At daybreak on the first day of the week the women who had come from Galilee with Jesus took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb; but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.” 

Luke 24:1-3

The belief in the empty tomb, that Jesus rose from the dead is indispensable to being a Christian. If we don't believe that, we might as well not be a Christian. Very early on Sunday morning, the women went to the tomb, fully expecting to use the burial spices they had brought to put on Jesus' body. But instead they found that the stone had been rolled away. It was a very large stone, very heavy, and they discussed this puzzle for a while.

You can imagine how frightened and bewildered these women were. They were already in such a mix of emotions at what had happened to their beloved Jesus, and now this! Even the men dared not visit the tomb until the women told the implausible story of the empty tomb. They were all so afraid for their life, that this is proof that the story of the empty tomb is true. Why would timid, frightened people become suddenly so brave and committed, ready to face opposition from the powerful Roman leaders ?

"German theologian David Strauss first advanced a theory nobody has been able to refute since 1835. A person in Jesus' pathetic condition would never have inspired his disciples to go out and proclaim that He is Lord of Life who triumphed over the grave. They wouldn't have started a worldwide movement based on the hope that they too would have a resurrection body like His." (p. 271, Case for Christ by Lee Strobel)

Theologian Gerald Collins said: "In a profound sense, Christianity without the resurrection is not simply Christianity without its final chapter. It is not Christianity at all."

"I know the resurrection is a fact, and Watergate proved it to me,” Chuck Colson wrote. “How?  Because 12 men testified they had seen Jesus raised from the dead, then they proclaimed that truth for 40 years, never once denying it. Every one was beaten, tortured, stoned and put in prison. They would not have endured that if it weren't true. Watergate embroiled 12 of the most powerful men in the world-and they couldn't keep a lie for three weeks. You're telling me 12 apostles could keep a lie for 40 years? Absolutely impossible!"

The resurrection is the very basis, the very heart, the rock of our Christian faith. Today we celebrate that Jesus is risen, He is risen indeed!!