Visiting the tomb of Jesus

THE TEXT

“Now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. So she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.’” John 20:1-2

THE CONTEXT

·      Jesus was crucified in `John 19. Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus asked Pilate for permission to take the body of Jesus and to bury Him, John 19:38. Joseph along with Nicodemus buried Jesus in a new tomb, John 19:38-41.

QUESTIONS FROM THE TEXT

·      Q: How long was Jesus in the tomb?

·      A: He was in the tomb for 3 days.

o   John 2:19-21 “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. The Jews then said, ‘It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?’ But He was speaking of the temple of His body.

o   These three days were not a full 72-hours as we may typically think. Any part of the day for a Jew during this time was considered a day. Jesus was buried on Friday. He was in the tomb all day Saturday (the Sabbath), and then rose early on Sunday morning.

·      Q: Is there significance with Mary Magdalene going to the tomb?  

·      A: There is! The fact that John records a woman going to the tomb points to the trustworthiness of the apostles. If the apostles were seeking to deceive people and/or gain power, they would have never included a woman going to the tomb and then going to tell the apostles what happened. This is because of how women were viewed during this time. The fact a woman is mentioned points to the fact how the apostles were only concerned with telling the truth.

THE APPLICATION

·      The empty tomb is a reminder of God’s power and how He keeps His promises! Trust Him!

·      The empty tomb is a reminder of what is to come. When the Lord returns, we will be raised.

·      The empty tomb needs to be shared with others. Do we talk about His resurrection enough?

·      The empty tomb and the events surrounding it need to be studied more. Our young people should have great knowledge of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Visit the empty tomb often!