The Passion 20

At the Tomb

         The leading priests and Pharisees went to Pilate asking for guards to watch over Jesus tomb. Their major fear seemed to be not that Jesus would rise from the dead, but that the disciples would steal the body and say He had risen (Matthew 27:64). The disciples hid in fear, disillusioned and confused. 

It was at this point that the religious leaders were desperate to end what they considered to be an immense threat to their way of life and way of administering God’s Law. They added hundreds of additional laws to the Torah so as to have control over the people. Jesus was there to bring freedom in the spirit and freedom from man’s sins.  The leaders, though waiting for a Messiah, were looking for the wrong type of Messiah. They wanted a conquering warrior king, not unlike David, to defeat the Romans and their oppressive control over the Jewish people. God’s plan involved love, peace, and blanket forgiveness in exchange for obedience.

                  So once Jesus was placed in the tomb and tended to by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, the guards rolled the immense stone in front of the opening. The guards had been commissioned to watch over the tomb so no one could come and remove the body. 

                  Three days after Jesus was buried, early on Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene and a friend went to visit the tomb. While on their way there was a great earthquake!! The earthquake was caused by an angel who had come down from heaven. He rolled aside the stone and sat on top of it. Matthew 28:3-4 ^{(Amplified Bible)} described the scene: “The angel’s appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were as white as snow. The guards shook, paralyzed with fear [at the sight] of him and became like dead men [fainted].” The angel told the women not to fear, that Jesus wasn’t there, but had risen just as He said He would. He added that Jesus was going ahead of the disciples and would meet then back in Galilee.  The angel didn’t roll the stone away to allow Jesus to get out, but so the women could go in to see that He had indeed risen. 

The angel had four messages for the women: 1 - “Don’t be afraid”; 2 – “He isn’t here.”; 3 – “Come and see ...” and 4 – “Go quickly and tell”. Under the circumstances not much needed to be said. The very otherworldly appearance of the angel was all that was needed to convince the women that this messenger was from Almighty God. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible