Emptiness, The Unshakable Evidence of Christ’s Great Victory!
You love it too, right?
What a season to be alive!
Let's muse, meditate upon and rethink Good Friday and Easter morning from the Scriptures -- something VERY SIGNIFICANT, something earth-shattering rocked our world.
Shake, rattle and roll--what a blessing for so many. It happened as Jesus said it would!
The Bible (Matthew 27:50-53) states that the earth shook, and the rocks split into pieces. Many bodies of Old Testament believers who had died (fallen asleep) were raised up, and they came out of their tombs after Jesus' resurrection. They entered the holy city, appearing to many people there.
The bodily resurrection of many dead Old Testament saints during that time of Jesus’ death and resurrection, as recorded in Matthew 27:52-53, serves as a profound testimony to Christ's divine authority over life and death. This totally underscores the truth proclaimed in 1 Timothy 6:14-16—that immortality belongs to Christ alone! The Scriptures affirm that only God holds the power to give and take life (See 1 Samuel 2:6; Deuteronomy 32:39). It is this very power of God that makes Christ's resurrection the cornerstone of our Historic Christian faith.
Unlike all the founders of other world religions, Jesus Christ alone conquered death, forever establishing His supremacy. He not only had a part with the Father and the Spirit in planning His death, His burial and His resurrection, He also remained sovereign over all of it. It's true, Jesus had a part in raising Himself out of that dank tomb.
His resurrection is not only the foundation of our faith but it's also the reason we gladly proclaim His name and trust in God the Father.
"And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith" 1 Corinthians 15:14
It assures us in Christ that our sins are forgiven.
"And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins." 1 Corinthians 15:17
This confirms His victory over death.
Additionally, this event finds a parallel in Ezekiel 37, where the vision of dry bones being brought back to life literally foreshadows the fulfillment seen with the OT saints’ resurrection. Their rising signifies both the inauguration of Christ’s kingdom and a preview of the final resurrection that is to come. The fact that only some saints, rather than all, were raised highlights Jesus’ power over death while also pointing us forward to His second coming and final judgment. At that time, all whose names are written in the Book of Life—saved by grace through faith—will be raised with bodies fit for Heaven and to eternal life with the Father. The wicked dead will be raised with bodies according to where they are going.
Understanding that Jesus has died and risen victorious over death REALLY OUGHT TO FAN THE FLAMES IN US WITH EVANGELISTIC PASSION. It should SO STIR within us a holy urgency. Yes, to repent, to place our full trust in Christ alone, to study the word, to pray, to grow spiritually, to mature, and to compel us forward in simply spreading the gospel to others.
For those who do, the promise remains: we too will be raised and transformed in the Rapture -- “in the twinkling of an eye” (1 Corinthians 15:52), sharing in His bodily resurrection and eternal glory. No blessing is earned by us. All the blessings are free, and the Blesser (God) is the our best blessing of all, therefore we will continue to worship Him! Yep, in Spirit and in truth. The Bible says...
"And Jesus cried out again with a loud agonized voice, and gave up His spirit voluntarily, sovereignly dismissing and releasing His spirit from His body in submission to His Father’s plan. And at once the veil of the Holy of Holies of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; the earth shook and the rocks were split apart. The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints (God’s people) who had fallen asleep in death were raised to life; and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection, they entered the holy city (Jerusalem) and appeared to many people." amp
And the stone was rolled away from one empty tomb that was MOST SIGNIFICANT. Christ's! I still love seeing the emptiness within!
The pivot point of all history-past and future just happened there: Jesus came alive!
This wasn’t wishful thinking or some religious legend—it was reality that had been foretold by Him.
And guess what.. the first eyewitnesses of Christ's reseretion were not kings, popes or scholars but humble, grief-stricken women who came to mourn His passing, and then left proclaiming the impossible: "He is not here; He has risen!" (Matthew 28:6). That one empty tomb is not just a footnote in history—it is the bedrock of our Christian hope.
* Matthew 27:64 – "Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first."
* John 20:8-9 – "Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead."
* Matthew 28:8 – "So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples."
* 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 – "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures."
* Romans 6:4 – "We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life."
When I think of all those answers from above to my prayers with such precise timing! Yes, with such divine precision, exactly according to what I asked for, I then remember Christ's empty tomb. I thank and praise Jesus for His death and His resurrection! He's 100% alive, HIS TOMB IS ALL THE WAY VACANT--Jesus hears me when I call. He'll hear you too, when you repent and cry out to Him.
And what's extra-intimate, what I really love is when God lovingly answers my requests in unique ways that only I recognize.. only I know it's for sure Him responding to me.
God beautifully initiates the longing. We each respond in prayer, then He deeply personally and intimately gives to us. There's such a satisfying feeling of being heard (answered by God). He's still a need-meeter, when His answers seem to align perfectly with your voiced needs at precisely the right moment.
The Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—each uniquely recount this discovery of that vacant grave. There is a complete unity with them and with us believers today! We agree with the Word.
These independent yet totally harmonious testimonies point to a single, undeniable truth: Jesus was killed, was crucified unto death not some mere swoon. Yes, before many people, He his corpse was buried, and then His tomb was found vide, vazia, leer, vacía, vik, void, EMPTY (Mark 16:6, Luke 24:3, John 20:2)! It's still is empty. People saw it empty and saw Him out walking among them again.
"The empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives!" – Matt Maher
"What silence filled the empty grave, yet all the world rejoiced that day. For in that hollow space so bare, lies proof that Christ has conquered there!" – Anon.
"The stone was rolled away from the tomb, not to let Jesus out, but to let us in to see that it was empty." – W.A. Criswell
"The empty tomb of Christ has been the cradle of the church." – William Lane Craig
"The resurrection is the hinge on which the story of Christianity turns, and the empty tomb is the doorway to our eternal hope." – Max Lucado
"The empty tomb tells the story, pure love poured out in saving glory. He is risen, death undone, victory shines in God's own Son!" – Gloria Thurman
"Christianity does not rest on a dead man’s bones, but on an empty grave." – Adrian Rogers
Sure, false teachers and other liars are still going to lie of course, and the skeptics will also do their own thing. Let the decievers do what they wish! They'll one day have to give an account!
Those of the world have long sought alternative explanations regarding Christ's empty tomb, but none hold weight against the overwhelming evidence we have.
- If the body had been stolen, Roman and Jewish authorities could have easily disproven the resurrection by producing Christ's cold corpse.
- If the disciples had gotten together to work out the kinks in fabricating their story, why would they endure such fierce persecution, imprisonment, and martyrdom for a lie?
- If Jesus had only swooned and later revived, how could a severely beaten-up and crucified man with a hole in his side.. relocate that massive stone and totally escape notice by any human?
You know how the then known world of the first-century was filled with false teachers and messianic movements, but only one messianic movement—the one centered on the risen Jesus Christ—transformed the world.
A lifeless leader leaves a movement to wither behind him? Nope; a risen King ignites the spread of His gospel message with an unstoppable Kingdom.
The disciples, once paralyzed by fear, then became fearless proclaimers of the gospel. Peter, who denied Jesus three times due to fear, stood before thousands fearlessly and declared, "God raised Him up, loosing the pangs of death" (Acts 2:24). This emptiness with that boldness was not fueled by deception but by divine purpose and power!
The empty tomb is not just an ancient event—it is a present call for you and me. It demands a response to God. If Christ has truly conquered death, then passive neutrality is not an option. Jesus' physical resurrection is an invitation to new life, a call to heartfelt repentance, a new relationship, and the promise of eternal victory. It silences every doubt, shatters every negative chain, and proves that the grave is not the end for any of those who believe in Him.
Do you need "Easter Hope"? Just grab hold of the gospel and Christ!
In love Jesus died for you, He now lives. And because He lives, so shall we with Him.
* Peter Marshall said: "The stone was rolled away from the door, not to permit Christ to come out, but to enable the disciples to go in."* "Thank God, we have an empty tomb. The glorious fact that the empty tomb proclaims to us is that life for us does not stop when death comes. Death is not a wall, but a door.”* This empty tomb was left that way for living mortals not for God, so that they could see in/the truth.* Kurt and Craig D. Lounsbrough say: “Sooner or later I will realize that the very things I most desperately need are the very things I am unable to give myself. Therefore, I will either be left despising the fact that I am doomed to live out a life that is perpetually empty, or I will realize that Christ with His empty tomb left behind is the single thing that will eternally fill me.”* The person of Christ after his empty tomb was ditched is still the One to humbly run to for lasting fulfillment.* Bruce R. McConkie said: “As we read, ponder, and pray, there will come into our minds a view of the three gardens of God—the Garden of Eden, the Garden of Gethsemane, and the Garden of the Empty Tomb where Jesus appeared alive to Mary Magdalene.”* The empty tomb is connected to an Essential of essentials (Jesus' Rez) and within the context of key events in God's salvation history.* So many Easter hymns focus on Jesus' victory over the grave not on eggs, tulips and bunnies (distractions). So phrases such as, "Up from the grave he arose", or "He is risen", all point to that empty tomb of His.* When hymns state that "death has been defeated", this is solely because of the living Christ's empty tomb.* Victory over Death Theme: The empty tomb still symbolizes Christ's complete triumph over the devil, the fleshly nature and the corrupt world system. His resserecttion is still thee Cap aka Cornerstone of all Christian hope.* It stands as tangible evidence..PROOF..of that most important miraculous event. Re-look at Luke 23:50-56. The burial and tomb are related to the supernatural too, as with all else of Jesus' reserection. All four gospel writers talk about this.
God was indeed ordering all of it with his burial even. He had allowed some very bad things to bring about His very good thing for believers.
At the cross, at Jesus' burial, and at the tomb of Christ, all three members of the Trinity are acting instead of being passive. When Jesus died, He still existed DUH ..and He was still involved in overseeing all aspects of his own burial and what followed too. He remains sovereign.
The real neutral (Roman soldiers), the real haters (jealous Jewish Sanhedrin), and the real lovers (of Christ, followers) were acting. Man if you still wrestle and struggle with whether there's a Divine Purpose in history, whether God is still Sovereign over everything, or with whether the Scriptures are true, and whether Christ is really who he claimed to be. Guess what.. there is enough in Jesus' burial to remove all those kinds of questions or doubts in your mind.
God moves in history in two ways directly.
1.) Miracles! What do you think about all the so called signs and wonders you see in our day? Some are fake and from religious fraudsters. But God moves in history using His miracles. You know that a miracle is God accomplishing his purpose by Him simply interrupting or suspending the natural law and process that He earlier set up here. He created the whole universe and He created the laws and the processes that still sustain the universe, but He very rarely interrupts those processes.. otherwise they'd be called "regulars." God suspends those processes he set up -- yes, He does something that has no scientific explanation at all. These are purely inexplicably for us humans. I'm talking about His Miraculous and Supernatural moves here, they're very rare.
Guess what.. you and I can count the miracles in the Old Testament pretty easily. There are not many of them really and after the ministry of Jesus and the ministry of His real apostles was completed, the rest of the New Testament shows a few miracles that happened.
There was indeed a flurry of God's miracles, the likes of which never occurred in history and they were done by Jesus to authenticate his Messiahship. They were done by his Apostles here to affirm and authenticate that they were the messengers of His sound gospel. But then as the New Testament moves away from His apostles, the miracles basically fade out off the scene some. I don't consider myself a cessationist, because Jesus can and does still do what he wants with miracles.
I say his greatest miracles still are that He raised Himself from death, and he saves sinners like me.
God's other miracles are pretty rare these days and they were in all of human history before Jesus first came to earth in that manger.
Again, there was a plethora of miracles around the time of Christ and the Apostles; and the rest of the time they're rare to be observed.
2.) Providence! In the very opposite fashion from miracles there is God's Providence and it goes on all the time. Grasp this.. God works in His earth through Providence. It happens not rarely at all. There is never a moment or millisecond in which it is not operating here. Providence is another way that God constantly in His earth works without any interrupting of the natural laws. Yes, without suspending natural processes here. God accomplished his purposes via Providence too by taking all of the infinite number of attitudes around us, and expressions, and intentional or non-intentional acts and behaviors of free-agents called human beings and spiritual beings too who make choices and do things here. God takes them all and weaves them perfectly into his own purpose, working things out for the good (see Rom. 8:28). Man, to me this seems to be a greater Miracle than a one of his other miracles worked and it constantly goes on all the time. He weaves it all together -- all of the infinite behaviors of all types of people and even demons with meticulous precision of timing.. to fulfill exactly His will here. It happens and it's a far greater display of His wisdom and His power than is His momentary interruptions of natural law (a.k.a. a miracle).
What happened to make Christ's grave become empty was a great miracle of the Godhead! God had already made graves empty from their dead people. It's all so easy for Him to do.
Imagine standing at the mouth of that one silent tomb, the air thick with the weight of huge loss for people mourning.
Just days before, our living hope itself.. a Person..had been crucified, nailed to a Roman cross. There hung the man who dared to claim divinity.
Then, a big stone lies there ..rolled away, the darkness within that hole in the earth was pierced by the unsettling reality of complete emptiness.
And That Empty Tomb Still Points To Our Living Lord. Let's Do That As Well!
This isn't just any absence; this is the void left by the body of Jesus of Nazareth, and it screams a truth out that continues to echo through all the ages: He is not here. He is risen and you can do something with Him! Reject or embrace Jesus -- I say come to Him as you are.
Is this an old fairy tale? Nope, this is far from some fanciful tale spun from wishful thinking. There was a real historical earthquake that marked it, the tremors of which reshaped the world and continue to reshape here.
Consider this: the very location of Jesus' burial was common knowledge, etched in the minds of both His devoted followers and His bitter enemies.
He wasn't tossed into an anonymous rocky pit; He was laid to rest in the private tomb of Mr. Joseph of Arimathea, a very respected member of the very council that condemned Christ to death.
Think about it – the early Christians, harboring understandable animosity towards those who orchestrated their Savior's death, would hardly invent a story crediting one of their adversaries with the generous giving to Jesus an honorable burial. This detail rings with the authenticity of eyewitness testimony and a reluctant admission of fact.
Furthermore, archaeology confirms those four Gospel accounts, revealing that the tomb described – a bench tomb normally favored by the wealthy – it aligns perfectly with what we know of that Joseph.
This wasn't some generic hole in the earth. This grave was a very specific, identifiable place. And here's the crux of it: the Sanhedrin, Jesus' chief opposition, knew exactly where He was buried.
If the resurrection was a hoax, a mere whisper or hint of delusion, wouldn't they have simply marched to that tomb, produced the lifeless body, and crushed that burgeoning Christian "Jesus movement" in its infancy?
Jerusalem, the very city where Jesus lived, taught, was loved, did miracles and was crucified, became the epicenter of this new faith.
This explosive growth in the face of it all speaks volumes. The silence from the grave was deafening to the doubters.
Even before the Gospels were penned, the Apostle Paul, writing a mere two decades after the crucifixion, anchors the resurrection in an early, foundational creed:
"..that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures..." 1 Corinthians 15:3-4
When you share the gospel does it have that deliberate sequence: death, burial, resurrection? It really should!
For Paul, a former Pharisee steeped in the understanding of physical resurrection, an empty tomb wasn't an optional add-on; it was an inherent consequence.
What was buried down under dust and rock must be raised up out of that. This wasn't some spiritualized, ethereal rising; it was a tangible victory over death itself.
Paul's direct connection to the apostles Peter and James, the very pillars of the early church who walked closely with Jesus, lends undeniable weight to this foundational truth!
Interestingly, even the enemies of Christianity inadvertently testified to the empty tomb. That's worth repeating.
Matthew's Gospel itself records the Jewish leaders' desperate attempt to explain away the absence of Jesus' body: they claimed the disciples had stolen it (Matthew 28:13-15).
This accusation, echoed by later historical figures like Justin Martyr and Tertullian, is a VERY POWERFUL admission.
Why concoct a story about theft if the body was still securely within the tomb? Their counter-narrative inadvertently confirms the very thing they sought to deny – the tomb was empty.
Their efforts to extinguish the flame of the resurrection non-fake-news only fanned its embers.
Re-consider the unlikely witnesses: they were women. In that day they didn't even count.
In the patriarchal society of first-century Israel, a woman's testimony held significantly less weight than any man's.
If the Gospel writers were fabricating a story to gain credibility, they would have undoubtedly presented male disciples as the first to discover the empty tomb.
Yet, all four Gospels consistently name women as the initial witnesses. Mary Magdalene, in particular, a woman with a jaded and demonized past, is placed at the forefront.
This detail has the unmistakable ring of truth. Why would the early church intentionally choose less credible witnesses, even portraying their male leaders as fearful and absent, unless it was precisely what happened? Their insistence on this one detail, despite its potential to raise skepticism, underscores the undeniable reality that they encountered.
These aren't isolated coincidences; they are interwoven threads forming a robust tapestry of historical evidence. God knows what He is doing.
Even skeptical historians acknowledge the compelling nature of the case for the empty tomb. It stands as a powerful, undeniable fact.
But the empty tomb isn't the end of the story. Not for those living back then, and it isn't for us believers either; it's the beginning of a new one!
It's the resounding exclamation point on Jesus' claim to be the Son of God, the Messiah who conquered sin and death.
That emptiness wasn't a vacuum; it was a void soon filled up by the vibrant reality of the resurrected Christ, appearing to individuals and groups, offering irrefutable proof of His victory.
No ancient history NO NO! It's a living truth with a living Savior that demands a lively response from you and me today! Choose. Come to Jesus by faith, saying Yes Lord.
Yeah, right now is a good time.. or just put it off, ditching him forever!
The empty tomb isn't merely some religious relic of the past to build a Roman church or shrine on; it's an open door to a future filled with hope in Christ. We don't worship a tomb or a book or anything over in the Holy Land.
But that tomb declares that death has lost its sting due to Jesus, that the grave has no final victory. Because He (Jesus) lives, we too can fully live – not just in some fleeting existence, but an eternal one, reconciled to God through the sacrifice and triumph of Jesus. It's about abundant and eternal life! Believer, it means you will never be forsaken by God the Father as Jesus wasn't really forsaken by Him.
The question isn't just whether you believe the tomb was empty; it's what you will do with the profound implications of that tomb's emptiness. Will you allow this historical reality to remain a distant fact with a distant God, or will you let it ignite a fire in your soul to get right with God?
The empty tomb is an invitation to a new life, a life defined by real forgiveness, purpose, rez-power and the unwavering hope found in a risen Savior.
Embrace the truth -- embrace Jesus. Live in His light, and experience the transformative power of a loving Father who conquered death and offers you the same victory in His Son.
The tomb is empty. He is alive, and that changes everything!
"Then He said to them, 'My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.'" Jesus said that! It wasn't an easy prayer time.
- I (Kurt) was once told that Jesus was rejected and cut off from His loving Father, that He was totally separated from Him.
- I was told He died spiritually, in addition to being killed physically.
- I was told that He was turned into some wormy creature of the underworld due to our sins piled onto him.
- I was told that He fought with the devil in hell over the keys, and that He then needed to be born again in hell as our example.
I say Jesus obviously felt forsaken of God the Father for a moment so that you and I won't ever have one moment of being forsaken by Him. Yes, so we can know we're forgiven before the Father. Jesus entered the darkness so that we might ever walk in the light. He emerged alive from that sealed grave so that we will also one day emerge alive from our graves. Jesus righteously did everything He could do before the Father wanting you to be blessed. It was for you and me, so that we would never have to be separated from the Father for all eternity! He wasn't forsaken by the Father--the union of the Godhead was never broken, even when it felt like it was.
Jesus experienced rejection and loneliness.. sure. He experienced anguish. Earlier in the Garden of Gethsemane, He asked Peter, James, and John just to be there with Him. But Matthew 26:56 tells us that a short while later, “all the disciples forsook Him and fled.”
He'd felt forsaken before. Then, perhaps in the loneliest moment of His life, He cried out from the cross,” ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’” (Matthew 27:46). With excruciating pain and the dislocation of bones he cried out.
It is believed by many (myself included) that at that moment on the cross, God did pour all the sin of humanity onto His sinless Son there. As the Heavenly Father, who is holy, turned His face from the sin, Jesus obviously felt separated momentarily from Him. In that moment, Jesus experienced loneliness like we never have known, but in reality the Father didn't forsake Him.
I'm glad that the evidence is clear. It's so undeniable: the tomb is empty because the Father didn't forsake Jesus our living Lord.
Are you ready for the gospel today.. the earth-shattering announcement of a new dawn? Non-forsaken Jesus is alive!
The absence in that cold stone chamber wasn't due to some void of weakness or defeat, but due to the explosive evidence of ultimate victory!
The emptiness of that tomb isn't merely about what or who was missing; it's about what is now available to you right here and now: Jesus with His full forgiveness that washes away all the filth so that you can walk clean forever, with His purpose that transcends all the mundane, and a living hope that firmly anchors your soul amidst the fiercest of life's storms.
The risen Christ didn't just escape death once dead; He conquered it once and for all.. for you! For me!
He stands ready to bridge the chasm between any sinner and a holy God, offering a meaningful relationship defined by real grace and boundless agape love! Come to Jesus on His terms.. come back to Him now!
The empty tomb isn't a permanently closed chapter; it's the opening line of your own story of redemption. Step on through that open door. Jesus is the door of entrance. Embrace the living Lord now. Experience the profound, life-altering REZ-power and be filled with His Spirit. The tomb is still empty. He is risen and cares about you. Your new beginning awaits!
You know how the phrase "empty tomb" or "empty grave" isn't consistently used verbatim across all Bible translations. However, this clear concept is undeniably present, and different translations convey it in slightly varied ways. Focus in on how various translations approach the passages:
Here are some Bible Translation Nuances:
* Matthew 28:6:
* "He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay." (NIV)
* This translation, like many others, emphasizes "the place where he lay," directly indicating the tomb's emptiness.
* Other translations will say, "Come, see the place where the lord lay." (KJV)
* Mark 16:6:
* "Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him." (NIV)
* Here, the phrase "See the place where they laid him" serves as clear evidence of the empty tomb.
* Luke 24:3:
* "They entered the tomb, but did not find the body of the Lord Jesus." (NIV)
* This is a very clear statement that the tomb was empty.
* Some translations say, "And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus." (KJV)
* John 20:1-2:
* "Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, 'They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!'" (NIV)
* John's account highlights the removed stone and Mary's immediate recognition that the tomb was empty.
Basic Observations:
* While the exact phrase may vary, the core message remains consistent: the tomb where Jesus was laid was found empty of him or any human.
* Translations like the NIV and KJV, among others, effectively convey this concept through phrases like "the place where he lay" and "they did not find the body."
* It is important to understand that the literal translation of the greek words, point to the fact that the grave, or tomb was empty.
The biblical accounts consistently attest to the empty tomb as a central element of the resurrection narrative. The Bible encourages you and I believer to to be ready to give an answer related to our hope with gentleness and respect. Are you? Can you address and articulate these Bible thoughts below and add in some depth of truth to this discussion?
Got Some Empty Tomb Questions:
-Where was Jesus for the three days between His death and resurrection?
-Did Jesus go to hell between His death and resurrection?
* 1 Peter 3:18-20 (NIV): "For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, through whom also he went and preached to the imprisoned spirits— to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built."
* This passage is often used to support the idea that Jesus descended to the realm of the dead and proclaimed a message.
* Ephesians 4:9 (NIV): (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions?)
* This verse can be interpreted as indicating a descent before the ascension.
What is the Swoon Theory a lie? Yes. Did Jesus survive His crucifixion? No. Explain the evidence.
* John 19:33-34 (NIV): "But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a flow of blood and water."
* This passage confirms the Roman soldiers' verification of Jesus's death.
* Mark 15:44-45 (NIV): "Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. So he summoned the centurion and asked him if Jesus had been dead for a long time. And when he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph."
* This shows that Pilate had the death confirmed by a Roman Centurion.
What was the significance of Jesus being dead for three days?
* 1 Corinthians 15:4 (NIV): "that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures."
* This verse affirms the "third day" timeline and its perfect alignment with Scriptures.
* Matthew 12:40 (NIV): “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."
* So Jesus himself referenced the three days.
How was Jesus’ death a real sacrifice if He knew He would be killed and then physically resurrected?
* Hebrews 9:14 (NIV): "How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!"
* This highlights the sacrificial nature of Christ's offering.
* John 10:17-18 (NIV): "The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”
* Jesus's willingness with this self-sacrifice is profound.
What is the harrowing of hell?
* Referring back to 1 Peter 3:18-20.
Is the resurrection of Jesus Christ true? Yes, it happened. Why does it matter that Jesus rose from the dead? Otherwise you and I couldn't be forgiven or regenerated inside. Why should I believe in Christ’s resurrection? Because God says believe and it takes more faith not to believe. What is the importance of the empty tomb? Your eternal destiny hangs on this fact born again believer.
* 1 Corinthians 15:17-19 (NIV): "And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied."
* Paul emphasizes the centrality of the resurrection to Christian faith.
* Romans 4:25 (NIV): "He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification."
* The resurrection's role in justification.
* John 20:6-7 (NIV): "Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen."
* The empty tomb, and the condition of the cloths are evidence.
Does Jesus have a physical body in heaven? Yes. Why is the truth of the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ so important? You too will be raised physically, believer.
* Luke 24:39 (NIV): "Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”
* Jesus's own affirmation of His physical resurrection.
* 1 Corinthians 15:42-44 (NIV): "So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body."
* The promise of a resurrected body.
After His resurrection, why did Jesus tell Mary not to touch Him, but later tell Thomas to touch Him? Jesus told Mary Magdalene "Do not cling to me" (John 20:17). Because he hadn't yet ascended to the Father. Thomas, unlike Mary, needed a different response because he was dif -- physical evidence and proof.
* John 20:17 (NIV): "Jesus said, 'Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"
* John 20:27 (NIV): "Then he said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.'"
Why didn’t the disciples always recognize Jesus after His resurrection?
* Luke 24:16 (NIV): "But they were kept from recognizing him."
* One will look different after they have been scared and died, but this also indicates a supernatural element.
* John 21:4 (NIV): "Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus."
* Even familiar close friends did not always recognize him.
Who resurrected Jesus? The Father, The Son (himself), and the Holy Spirit -- all three members of the Godhead had a part in this event.
* Romans 8:11 (NIV): "And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you."
* John 2:19 (NIV): Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
Can the various resurrection accounts from the four Gospels be harmonized? Yes, they do harmonize.
* Is it best to study each gospel account in its own context as real Christians with the Spirit living on the inside? Yes, He perfectly authored the Bible through flawed men. It's best to fully grasp the truths to understand that each gospel author was writing to a specific audience (with slant, not error), and from their own perspective. The books of the Bible weren't written to us but they were written for us as well as to for the original hearers.
Now what does it mean to you that Jesus rose “again”? Have you believed and been born again spiritually? You can be right now. KnowGod.org
* Refer to 1 Corinthians 15:4
Keep that a view in your mind of the Lord and those three gardens of His—the Garden of Eden, the Garden of Gethsemane, and the Garden of the Empty Tomb where Jesus appeared alive to Mary Magdalene.”
