INTRODUCTION
• SHOW VIDEO CLIP
• SLIDE #1
• Over the last three weeks we have looked at three questions, “Is Jesus The Son of God”, “Is Jesus the Only Way To God”, and “Why Did Jesus Die.”
• If we let the story end right there, we would then fit in with all the other religions in the world that are based on a personality, our leader would be dead.
• In his book, “The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict” author Josh McDowell states the following: “All but four of the major world religions are based on mere philosophical propositions.
• Of the four that are based on personalities, rather that on a philosophical system, only Christianity claims an empty tomb for its founder. Abraham, the father of Judaism, died about 1900 B.C., but no resurrection was ever claimed for him.”
• Further we know that Mohammed died on June 8, 632 A.D. at the age of 61 in Medina. His tomb is visited by thousands of his faithful followers each year.
• If we have a tomb with a dead savior in it, what use would he be to us?
• The tomb was found empty on that blessed Sunday morning.
• The foundation of Christianity is the resurrection of Jesus. Critics of the faith will try to discredit the resurrection because they too understand that Christianity rises and falls with it.
• In 1 Corinthians 15:12-19 Paul tells us that if Jesus was not raised from the dead, then our faith is in VAIN and is worthless, he further states we would be the most pitied of all people because we would have believed a lie had Jesus not been raised.
• The tomb was empty! WHY???
• Is Jesus alive? Are there any other credible theories concerning what happened on that wonderful Sunday morning after the crucifixion?
• There have been people throughout time who have set out to prove the resurrection did not happen, only to give their lives to Jesus after they studied the evidence.
• One was Frank Morison who was an English lawyer. He wrote a book called, “Who Moved The Stone.” As he did the research for the book, he was convinced enough about the evidence of the resurrection that he became a follower of Jesus.
• I want us to look at five explanations that could explain why the tomb was found empty!
• Let us begin our quest to answer the question, WHY WAS THE TOMB EMPTY?
• SLIDE #2
SERMON
I. THE STOLEN BODY THEORY
• One conceivable theory concerning why the tomb was empty is that someone stole the body of Jesus.
• As a matter of fact, when Mary first came to the tomb, this is what she thought had happened.
• SLIDE #3
• John 20:1-2(ESV) 1Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”
• In John 20:12-15 Mary tells the angels that someone took the body of Jesus.
• Mary’s initial thought was someone took the body. She did not expect a resurrection.
• In Matthew 28:11-15 when the guards reported to the chief priests what happened, the priest paid the guards off to lie and say the disciples stole the body from them.
• It is interesting that the priests did not dispute the testimony of the Roman soldiers.
• Plus if you remember the religious leaders had the guard posted to keep the disciples from taking the body and saying Jesus was alive.
• The problem here is that the religious leaders had more faith that Jesus was be resurrected than His own disciples did.
• Jesus closest disciples did not expect a resurrection to happen.
• Could the body have been stolen? Possibly. But listen to this. Who took it?
• Within a few weeks of the empty tomb the church was gaining all kinds of momentum. If the Jewish leaders took Him they would have paraded His body around Jerusalem to stop the church in its tracks.
• The disciples as I said did not expect Him to be raised, plus they had too many obstacles in the way of stealing Him. Professional soldiers, the rock, the seal, plus their own fear.
• The disciples were also honest men who most likely would not do something so dishonest. These men left Jesus in fear for their lives when He was arrested. (Matthew 26:56)
• The Romans had nothing to gain by stealing the body; the last thing they wanted was an uprising to occur.
• One other thing to consider concerning the disciples. If they stole the body, how do we account for there transformation from cowards to bolding proclaiming Jesus in the streets of Jerusalem with no fear of losing their life?
• If they stole the body, do you think that a lie would embolden them to do what they did?
• People will die for something they believe in, but not for a lie.
• The last point. How does a stolen dead body make over 15 recorded appearances to people, one of the appearances was to over 500 at one time. (1 Corinthians 15)
• SLIDE #4
II. THE WRONG TOMB THEORY (LUKE 24:1-12)
• This is another theory that could explain the empty tomb. The ladies went to the wrong tomb. Then they reported Jesus being gone.
• I believe based on the evidence this is a very weak explanation. First of all, if you remember the account in John 20 we read, not only did the women go to the tomb, but Peter and John went also. So did they go to the wrong tomb?
• Plus would not the owner of the tomb, Joseph of Arimathea know where the tomb was?
• Wouldn’t the disciples looked pretty stupid if they ALL went to the wrong tomb, then proclaim that Jesus was alive, then only to have the Roman and Jewish authorities who knew where the tomb was produce a body?
• How does this theory fit with the testimony of the guards? Did they not know where the tomb they were guarding was?
• Lastly, how does this explain the fact that a dead body make over 15 recorded appearances to people, one of the appearances was to over 500 at one time.
• This one does not fly.
• SLIDE #5
III. THE SWOON THEORY (LUKE 24:13-16)
• This is the one I really like, especially after seeing the movie, “The Passion of The Christ.”
• This one says that Jesus did not die on the cross, but that He was merely passed out. They say the coolness of the tomb revived Him. They said the folks then were not sophisticated enough to know when a person was dead. This theory was promoted about 2 centuries ago by a man named Venturini according to bible scholar J.N.D. Anderson.
• Remember, the Romans were professionals. They knew how to kill people. Blood and water flowing from the wound inflicted with the spear suggests the outer wall of the heart and the lung was pierced.
• If you saw the Passion movie, you got a pretty good idea of what happened to a person before they even got on the cross. The Romans knew how to beat a person until they were about to pass out, then they would stop and start again.
• Now think about this.
• Jesus was beat half to death, hung on a cross for hours, hand spikes driven through His wrists and feet, then He was wrapped in 75 pounds of burial spices and cloth, then He was put in a tomb that was blocked by a stone that some say would take 10 men to move. Then He woke up, moved the stone, over powered the guards and ran off.
• Plus that day, He joined a couple of people on the road to Emmaus.
• SLIDE #6
• Luke 24:13-16(ESV) 13That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles£ from Jerusalem, 14and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.
• Now for your information, Emmaus was a 7 MILE walk from Jerusalem. I would say Jesus had quite a revival to have the energy to do that. Remember also He was hungry and lacked sleep from the trials also.
• Lastly, how does this explain the fact that a dead body make over 15 recorded appearances to people, one of the appearances was to over 500 at one time.
• This one does not fly.
• SLIDE #7
IV. THE HALLUCINATION THEORY (JOHN 20:24-29)
• I am only going to touch on this one. It says that all the appearances of Jesus were hallucinations. Let’s look at John 20:24-29.
• SLIDE #8
• John 20:24-29(ESV) 24Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin,£ was not with them when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” 26Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
• Pretty good hallucination. Usually hallucinations do not occur in groups, much less groups of 500 at one time (1 Corinthians 15). You usually cannot touch a hallucination either. Usually there is a sense of anticipation that goes with hallucinations; the disciples had none concerning Jesus and His resurrection.
• This one does not seem to fly either.
• SLIDE #9
V. THE JESUS IS ALIVE THEORY (1 COR 15:3-8)
• Now this last theory as to why the tomb is empty is the only one that not only makes sense, but also fits the evidence.
• As a side note, critics will say you cannot use the evidence in the bible? Why not? Luke is writing eye-witness testimony, Matthew and John were eyewitnesses.
• The fact that Jesus is alive is the only logical answer to the empty tomb.
• SLIDE #10
• 1 Corinthians 15:3-8(ESV) 3For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.
• This explains why people saw Jesus after the crucifixion, it fits with the evidence we have also.
• This makes sense because Jesus told us He would die and be resurrected on SEVERAL occasions we have recorded in the gospels. (Matt 16:21; 17:22-23; 26:32; Mark 8:31-9:1, 9:31, John 12:34, etc)
• It also fits with the response of His enemies. READ Matthew 27:62-64.
• SLIDE #11
• Matthew 27:62-64(ESV) 62Next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ 64Therefore 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.”
• It fits what the eyewitnesses saw and history supports it. Even the few remarks about Jesus outside the bible with Josephus and Tacitus do not contradict what we read.
• If Jesus was dead, why were His enemies so silent? Believe me the last thing they wanted was for Jesus to be resurrected because that would mean they killed the actual Son of God!
• I can say with FULL FAITH based on logic and evidence that Jesus is indeed alive and is with the Father in heaven today! Jesus is the only person for whom we celebrate their resurrection!
CONCLUSION
• There it is. The case has been laid out before you. If you believe that Jesus is alive, what are you going to do about it? There is only one intellectually honest thing to do that is to surrender your life to Jesus.
• The great thing about God is that He leaves the choice up to you. The love of God is what led Jesus to allow Himself to take the punishment and to suffer the cruel death He was subjected to.
• Easter is the day we celebrate the empty tomb, today could be a new day for you also.
• If you have not accepted Jesus, I hope that if nothing else today begins your journey down that path. What a shame it would be to waste the gift that has been given to you!
• Christianity rises and falls with the resurrection. Since Jesus is the risen Son of God, what does difference is that fact making in your life right now?
• Today is the day of salvation!
• During His trial, Jesus' chief accuser was the Jewish high priest Caiaphas, who served in that position from 18 to 37 A.D. It was Caiaphas who accused Jesus of blasphemy for claiming to be God and handed Him over to Pilate to be killed. Just six years ago, archaeologists were digging in Jerusalem, and they managed to uncover the burial grounds of Caiaphas and his family. But though His accuser's grave has been found, nobody to this day has ever uncovered the body of Jesus Himself. (Lee Strobel- Sermon, Jesus is Alive. True or False. www.sermoncentral.com)
