The Empty Tomb
By- Crickettt
John 20:1-18
1/ 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. 2/ 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!"3/ So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4/ Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5/ He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6/ Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7/ as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. 8/ Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. 9/ (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)10/ Then the disciples went back to their homes, 11/ but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12/ and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.13/ They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?""They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." 14/ At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.15/ "Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?"Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."16/ Jesus said to her, "Mary."She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).17/ Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' "18/ Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her.
The Bible teaches us that Jesus was crucified on a cross and on the third day He arose. Jesus' death and resurrection was, prophesied even in the Old Testament Books prior to Jesus' birth. Jesus came to fulfill the promised scriptures which told of a savior being born and would also be put to death, but on the third day he would rise from the dead. God paved the way for mankind to receive salvation and be forgiven for their sins. In Matthew 27:51, the scripture says, at that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split.
Before Jesus paid such a great price for our sins, the only way to be forgiven was through a very complex process which involved the temple priests, a chosen high priest and the sacrifice of animals. The veil of the temple mentioned above, was the divider between the priests and the Holy of Holies. A High Priest who was chosen at an early age and trained thoroughly for many years was the only one allowed into the Holy of Holies. Behind the curtain was the Ark of the Covenant which contained the two tables of stone (Ten Commandments given to Moses by God), Aaron's priestly rod which budded and a pot of manna. By entering into the Holy of Holies, the High priest was in the very presence of God. This was allowed only once a year. However, when the veil was torn, it represented the fact that the way to heaven and direct contact with God was now open (Heb.10:19-22). Jesus conquered death once and for all!
Let's take a moment to see the full picture of the crucifixion as it took place 2,000 years ago. First of all, during Jesus' ministry, he taught about a new covenant or promise made between God and mankind. The old teachings and old laws were considered the only way to get to heaven. When Jesus began to teach on receiving salvation through believing and not by works alone, the Pharisees would not accept his message and instead took it as an act of treason and blasphemy against God. Since Jesus did proclaim to be the promised Messiah they were expecting, the priests did not like his way of teaching. Jesus did not come to change the law but, to fulfill the law. He wanted them to see that they had been using the laws handed down to them wrongfully to meet their own needs and standards. The laws were given to govern the people and provide order among them.
The Bible says, Jesus was without sin and he was sent to teach that the way of salvation was only through believing on and accepting the Son, Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Jesus was charged with treason and blasphemy by the very ones who should have known who he was since they were "priests". He was taken out and flogged and handed over to the Roman soldiers to be beaten, spit upon, mocked and literally mutilated. The whip they used to lash him with contained several small razor sharp-spiked balls which when struck, would rip the flesh to the bone. Jesus' body was torn to pieces. And with each lashing he received, our diseases and our sicknesses were placed upon Him. I learned through research, that each lash Jesus received represented one major disease in which other diseases are derived from. So, the number of lashes Jesus received were not just by chance but, were actually planned by God to fulfill his complete plan through Jesus. The Bible says in Isaiah that Jesus' beard was ripped from his face, and he was mutilated beyond recognition as a man. The soldiers stripped his garments and cast lots for them. They placed a crown of thorns upon his head (the thorns were about an inch in length). Since the thorns were thick and solid, they were able to puncture through Jesus' head and to his skull. He was forced to carry a cross strapped across his back to the place of his crucifixion called Calvary. There, he would be crucified between two thieves. However, during the process of carrying the cross, Jesus became extremely weak and a Roman soldier made a man from the crowd carry the cross the rest of the way. Jesus had to walk through throngs of people who were spitting at him, shoving him around and punching at him. The humiliation of having his own people laugh and mock him had to hurt Jesus very much. And to think, the people who were hurting him so, were the very ones Jesus would soon die for. Jesus had lost a lot of blood by now just by the lashing and beatings, etc.
His face, full of blood, swollen and beaten beyond recognition still expressed compassion for those around him and especially for the ones who stood by watching and crying for him. Those were the ones who loved and believed in Jesus as God's only Son. Jesus could have called ten thousand legions of angels to rescue him and destroy mankind from off the face of the earth. Jesus' love for us was so deep and he knew he had to complete his Father's will in order that mankind could be saved from eternal death.
They laid Jesus down on the ground, stretched his arms out across the cross and drove large nails into his wrists. These nails were not just small nails, they were very large in diameter and several inches long. Then, they overlapped his feet and drove a single spike through both feet and into the wood of the cross. I cannot begin to imagine the horror of such pain that Jesus experienced during the entire ordeal of his crucifixion. Just the fact of knowing that he was dying for a sinner as myself proves to me that Jesus was not thinking of himself, but for us.
The soldiers stood the cross upright and dropped it into the hole in the ground. The jarring from the cross being dropped, ripped the flesh in his hands and feet where they had driven the spikes. There was so much blood now from the crown of thorns stabbed in his head, his mutilated body and face, and now his hands and feet. Then, to top it all off, if that weren't enough, they pierced his side with a sword. The Bible says, that blood and water poured out of his body. This fulfills the scriptures which states, Jesus shed his life's blood for you and me. He hung upon that cross in such agonizing pain and yet, in the middle of it all, he cried out to the Father to "Forgive them, for they know not what they do". You see, Jesus loved you so much that he allowed himself to become disfigured for you. He literally died just for you so that through his death and resurrection, you would be saved from eternal damnation. The Bible says clearly that He bore our sickness and carried our sins to the cross. At His very moment of death, every sickness and disease which has ever been known to man or will ever be known to man (past, present, and future); every sin ever committed or would ever be committed, came upon Jesus. Not only did he literally suffer from it but, those diseases and sins died and became non-existent when Jesus died. So, I guess you could say, Jesus truly paid the price for us with His life!
However, that's not where it ends. For you see, Jesus arose on the third day just as he had promised he would. He was even seen by his disciples and also by others in different places. Jesus gave us the greatest gift that man will ever receive. He gave us eternal life! When that third day arrived, a great earthquake arose, and the angels of God came down and rolled that huge, heavy stone away like a piece of candy. Jesus stepped out in all of His glory while all of heaven rejoiced in song and praise! For Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is Alpha and Omega (the Beginning and the End). He is omnipresent (ever present everywhere). He is the Great I Am, He is Prince of Peace, Mighty God, Holy One, Emanuel (God is with us), and He is the creator of everything.
We have the opportunity of a lifetime to reach out and grab hold of this free gift just by simply believing. Yes, Jesus is no longer on the cross and Praise God, he definitely is not in that tomb. That tomb is empty!
He is God, who came in the flesh of man to walk with us, talk with us, and teach us his ways. Jesus, the one who created us, humbled himself and died for us. He left his glorious home in heaven with all its splendor to suffer upon a cross and take upon himself the sins of the world. What "great" love Christ bestowed upon mankind. I don't know of a single person today who would ever endure what Jesus did for a bunch of sinners who didn't even care about him. People, that hated him and wanted him dead. People, that cursed his very name and still do to this day. Jesus paid the ultimate price and gave us life if we will only accept it. Don't let his death be meaningless to you. Read this again and again until you can fully picture in your own mind what Jesus' death and suffering meant for you. Then, if there are any areas in your life which are not quite right, stop and ask for God to forgive you. Let God become the center of your life again and let this be a new beginning, a new life for you today! We're not guaranteed tomorrow, so why not do it today.
We celebrate Easter because it symbolizes the beginning of new life not only within us but around us. Life can be different for you no matter where you are or how impossible it may seem. Jesus took a most difficult situation and turned it around in Victory. You can too! There is one rule, you must receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior and then live it in your daily life. It won't be easy I can assure you but, with God all things are possible! I pray that you will see for yourself the true meaning behind Easter and exactly what took place in order for you to have that victory. May you grow stronger in the Lord because of this message and I know God will always be with you urging you in the right direction. You are in my prayers!
Your friend in Christ, Crickettt
(All scripture used in these lessons were taken from the NIV Version unless otherwise noted)
I read a poem once which to me says it all:
"I asked Jesus," how much do you love me Lord?" And He replied, "This much." Then He stretched out his arms and died."
©Copyright 2019-Crickettt’s Sanctuary/Author- “Crickettt”. All Rights Reserved.
All written materials in personal blogs, websites or network pages cannot be used, reproduced, copied to a CD, sold and distributed or altered in any way without permission from the owner. Thanks for your cooperation and God Bless.
