Scottsbluff Church of Christ
April 1, 2018
The Tomb was Empty
Matthew 28:1-10 NIRV
Jesus was born…
Jesus lived…
Jesus died for us on the cross..
Jesus rose from the dead!
Ephesians 2:6-8 NIRV
Ephesians 2:12-13 NIRV
If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
1 Cor. 15:19
His followers watched Him die a horrible death on a Roman cross.
Others saw His body anointed with spices, wrapped in linen, and sealed in a tomb.
The Case of the
Dead Messiah
I. There Were Harsh Realities
A. These women were on a sorrowful mission –
They “had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him,” Mark 16:1.
John 19:38-42 NIRV
Mark 16:9 NIRV
B. A Slain Messiah
He died a horrible death!
He was beaten with fists, Luke 22:63-64; Matt. 26:67
He was whipped with a scourge, John 19:1
He was spat upon, Matt. 26:67; 27:30
He was mocked, Matt. 27:26-32; 39-44
He was stripped of His garments, Matt. 27:35
He was nailed to the cross, Matt. 27:35
Isaiah 53:4-7 NIRV
II. Matt. 28:2-6
THERE WERE HEAVENLY REVELATIONS
A. vs. 2-4 The Angel was sent with power
1. The Angel Removed The Stone:
Mark 16:3, “And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?”
2. The Angel Removed The Soldiers
The Jewish religious leaders went to Pilate and asked him to secure the tomb.
Matthew 27:62-66 NIRV
The soldiers took the bribe, and spread the story that the body of Jesus had been stolen by the disciples…Matt. 28:11-15
B. vs. 5-6a The angel shared some much needed spiritual truth.
1. vs. 5 - The angel acknowledges that Jesus did die on the cross.
>His death was real.
>The body in the tomb was real.
Jesus didn't "swoon"
>Jesus’ death on the cross satisfied all the holy demands of God
>Jesus’ death on the cross fulfilled the requirements of God’s Law.
On the cross, Jesus took our sins upon Himself, 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Pet. 2:24.
“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins,” 1 John 4:10.
Rom. 3:25; 1 John 2:2
Hebrews 9:12-14 NIRV
Jesus forever “His people from their sins,” Matt. 1:21
2. vs. 6a - The next words from the angel…
“He is not here: for He is risen, as He said.”
1 Corinthians 15:12 NIRV
C. vs. 6b - The angel invites the women to “Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”
III. vs. 7-10 - The angel commanded them to go tell the disciples that Jesus had risen from the dead.
A. An unexpected welcome –
The disciples thought they were crazy!
Lk. 24:11 - 11 And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them.
1 Cor. 15:19 - “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.”
A dead Savior can save no one!
John 10:10 - 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
John 1:12- 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God
2 Cor. 5:17 -Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:The old has gone, the new is here!
Rom. 4:25 - “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.
1 Cor. 15:13…
“If” the resurrection is a myth, Jesus is still in His tomb!
1 Cor. 15:14– “If” the resurrection is a myth, our preaching, our testimonies, and our faith are all empty, without value and are the product of deceived and delusional thinking.
1 Cor. 15:15– “If” the resurrection is a myth, everyone who has ever testified about the resurrection is a liar!
1 Cor. 15:17– “If” the resurrection is a myth, our hope of salvation is misplaced and we are still trapped in the bondage of our sins.
“If” Jesus is dead, all the promises of salvation mean absolutely nothing.
1 Cor. 15:20:“But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.”
The resurrection matters!
B. When they saw Him, they were overcome with joy. They fell at His feet and “worshipped” Him.
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth,” John 1:14
The resurrection of Jesus was a real event, with real results that prove…
1. Jesus is the Son of God, Rom. 1:4
2. Salvation is completed and the Lord’s sacrifice was accepted for our justification, Rom. 4:24-25
3. We have an intercessor in glory, Rom. 8:34
4. Jesus is Lord, Rom. 14:9
5. Jesus will one day come to judge, Acts 17:31
6. The dead will one day be raised, John 5:24-29