The Echoes of Easter Pt 5
"His Conquest in the Garden"
Luke 24:1-12
Luke 24:1 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. 3 And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: 5 And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, 7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. 8 And they remembered his words, 9 And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles. 11 And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not. 12 Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.
Introduction: Let's begin our study with a question. Let's begin:
I. The Entombment of Jesus
John 19:38 And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus. 39 And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. 40 Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. 41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. 42 There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.
a. The plea for His body
b. The preparation of His body
39 And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. 40 Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.
The body the Lord would be washed, anointed with oil and then this mixture of spices would be packed in and around the body and in the linen clothes that He was wrapped in. Note: For an ordinary person about a pound of spices would have been used; Josephus mentions the use of 40 pounds for a person of great distinction but Nocodemus brought 100 pounds; a great sum. It is ironic that these two men come out of hiding and clearly associate themselves with Jesus at his death, since they would have thought his movement had come to an end. They had nothing to gain and everything to lose. This action makes the extent of their dissent evident to their fellow Jewish leaders. Their request for the body was also a very courageous act. Now, as to the value of what Nicodemus did when He who brought the 100 lbs of spices, "...a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight..." This was probably in powder form and was more than likely being reserved for his own burial. Myrrh was quite common but aloes was literally worth its weight in gold. (Herodus) To put this in perspective, the spikenard used to anoint Jesus by Mary was worth about 300 denarii, a year's wages for a laborer ($20,000 in our dollars) but the aloes mixed with myrrh would have had a value of $500,000.00 in today's currency! www.plaza1.net
c. The protection of His body
Matthew 27:62 Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, 63 Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. 64 Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. 65 Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. 66 So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.
1. The stone
This would have been a disk shaped that was used to block the entrance to the tomb. Three of the Gospel accounts use the word kurio which means to "roll away." Like many other first-century Jerusalemites, Jesus was buried outside the city in a cave hewn in a limestone hill. The "great stone" (Matthew 27:60) that sealed His gravesite was set on an incline in a channel cut in the rock, making it easier to cover the tomb by rolling the stone downhill. It took several men to roll the stone back up the incline, which discouraged grave robbers and wild animals from trying to enter the tomb. www.ligonier.org
2. The seal
The seal was a soft, moldable substance, probably clay, or wax that was imprinted with the Roman imperial seal and attached to the stone with a rope. Breaking the seal would incur the Empire's wrath -- if someone could get past the guards. www.ligonier.org
3. The soldiers
Bible scholars speculate that from as few as 4 (quaternion") with a centurion or as many as 50 (a combination of Romans soldiers and temple guards) would have been at the tomb to secure its occupant.
Application: Joseph and Nicodemus offer us an example of what the disciples of Jesus ought to do. It is unfortunate that when they might have helped the Lord they didn't for fear of the Jews but to their credit after His death they broke with their peers and openly display the mantle of discipleship which would have made them targets for the enemies. We need to do for people and the Lord while they/we are alive because the day will come when we can't!
II. The Empty Tomb of Jesus
Matthew 28:1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. 2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: 4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. 5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. 6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. 8 And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.
a. The angelic intervention
The Gospel accounts differ in the number of angels that attended the resurrection of Jesus but they do not differ in the fact that there was direct angelic intervention! Matthew tells us that 2 ...there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:
b. The angelic information
5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. 6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
c. The angelic instructions
7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. 8 And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.
III. The Enlightenment by Jesus
THE HISTORICAL CREDENTIALS OF CHRISTIANITY
There exists no document from the ancient world, witnessed by so excellent a set of textual and historical testimonies . . . Skepticism regarding the historical credentials of Christianity is based upon an irrational bias. Clark Pinnock, Mcmaster University
SOURCE: "Evidence of the Resurrection" by Josh McDowell. http://www.leaderu.com/everystudent/easter articles/josh2.html
ALL THE EVIDENCE
Professor Thomas Arnold, for 14 years a headmaster of Rugby, author of the famous, History of Rome, and appointed to the chair of modern history at Oxford, was well acquainted with the value of evidence in determining historical facts. This great scholar said:
"I have been used for many years to study the histories of other times, and to examine and weigh the evidence of those who have written about them, and I know of no one fact in the history of mankind which is proved by better and fuller evidence of every sort, to the understanding of a fair inquirer, than the great sign which God hath given us that Christ died and rose again from the dead."
Brooke Foss Westcott, an English scholar, said: "raking all the evidence together, it is not too much to say that there is no historic incident better or more variously supported than the resurrection of Christ.
Nothing but the antecedent assumption that it must be false could have suggested the idea of deficiency in the proof of it."
SOURCE: "Evidence of the Resurrection" by Josh McDowell. http://www.leaderu.com/everystudent/easter/
articles/josh2.html
HOW GOOD ARE THE FACTS?
I claim to be an historian. My approach to Classics is historical. And I tell you that the evidence for the life, the death, and the resurrection of Christ is better authenticated than most of the facts of ancient history.
E. M. Blaiklock, Professor of Classics at Auckland University
SOURCE: "Evidence of the Resurrection" by Josh McDowell. http://www.leaderu.com/everystudent/easter/
articles/josh2.html
a. He identifies Himself v. 39
Luke 24:36 And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 37 But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. 38 And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? 39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. 40 And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? 42 And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. 43 And he took it, and did eat before them.
1. He confirms His words
Everything that Jesus said about Himself is confirmed by the fact of His resurrection. He claimed to have the power to forgive sin and because He lives we can claim His forgiveness of our sins!
2. He has conquered death
Death has stalked humankind throughout history. Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) French-Occitan author, humanistic philosopher, statesman said it briefly, "All days travel toward death, the last one reaches it." Despite the loud protests that death is just a part of life, most of us sense that death just isn't natural.
Mel Brooks hardly is a theologian but he offers a realistic view of what we think about death:
Why do we have to die? As a kid you get nice little white shoes with white laces and a velvet suit with short pants and a nice collar and you go to college, you meet a nice girl and get married, work a few years and then you have to die! What is this? They never wrote that in the contract.
--Jesus proved what we long suspected but just weren't sure of, death is not the end. Jesus came back to invite us to share the victory. James Hickman
3. He comforts us in our distress
"There's hope God can transform your darkest hour."
--The disciples had lost their teacher and friend. Their dreams had been dashed to the ground.--Jesus' resurrection was a rebirth of hope. James Hickman
Conclusion: "The Easter story ends not with a funeral but with a festival. It demands not our applause but our allegiance, not our compliments but our capitulation." Owen Bourgaize
RESURRECTION TREE
In a cemetery in Hanover, Germany, is a grave on which were placed huge slabs of granite and marble cemented together and fastened with heavy steel clasps. It belongs to a woman who did not believe in the resurrection of the dead. Yet strangely, she directed in her will that her grave be made so secure that if there were a resurrection, it could not reach her. On the marker were inscribed these words: "This burial place must never be opened." In time, a seed, covered over by the stones, began to grow. Slowly it pushed its way through the soil and out from beneath them. As the trunk enlarged, the great slabs were gradually shifted so that the steel clasps were wrenched from their sockets. A tiny seed had become a tree that had pushed aside the stones.
The dynamic life force contained in that little seed is a faint reflection of the tremendous power of God's creative word that someday will call to life the bodies of all who are in their graves. He will also bring back every person drowned at sea, cremated, or destroyed in some other way. This is no problem to the One who made something out of nothing when He spoke the universe into existence. Unbelief cannot deter the resurrection. But faith in the risen Christ opens the door to blessings that His resurrection guarantees -- a glorious new spiritual body and a home in heaven. In new bodies we will be reunited with saved loved ones to live with Jesus throughout all eternity.
(From a sermon by Gerald Flury, Our Calling, 10/25/2010)
