THE THREE TOMBS
1 Cor 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? - Grave/Tomb = the place (state) of departed souls
As we gather to celebrate Easter Sunday – a day when the Christian faith recognizes the resurrection of Jesus Christ - let us share from the scripture about three tombs that Jesus visited in His ministry time on earth each of which reveals truth about the person of Jesus
THE TOMB OF LEGION
Mark 5:1-20 Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes. And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him. And he cried out with a loud voice and said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me." For He said to him, "Come out of the man, unclean spirit!" Then He asked him, "What is your name?" And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion; for we are many." Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country. Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains. So all the demons begged Him, saying, "Send us to the swine, that we may enter them." And at once Jesus gave them permission. Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea. So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that had happened. Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine. Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region. And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you." And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.
At this tomb Jesus was met by a man controlled and possessed by an evil spirit who lived amongst the tombs - an unclean spirit – we are told that as soon as Jesus got out of the boat this man who had an evil spirit comes running out of the to meet Him
An unclean spirit means he was morally dirty - an unclean spirit, or an evil spirit, simply means a demon that is morally filthy. The demon would make this man say and think things that were morally filthy - time after time, again and again, and day after day. It’s all he could think about. It’s all he could say. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.
The word "legion" implies 6,000 soldiers – and no one was strong enough to subdue him because of these demons - not even with a chain for he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet – man had no power over this situation – but when he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of Him and shouted at the top of his voice, ’What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won’t torture me!’ For Jesus had said to him, ’Come of this man, you evil spirit!’"
The man falls down flat on his face before the Lord Jesus and he worships Jesus there. He worships Him both in his position and in his vocabulary. A man who couldn’t say anything that wasn’t morally reprehensible suddenly has fallen before the Lord Jesus confessing who He was and worshipping Him
The word that is used in the Greek language is the word proskuneo, and it simply means to fall on your knees and put your head down to the ground put your nose and your face down in the dust of the earth and that’s the word for "worship" in the Bible in the New Testament.
Praise is always up; worship is always down. The demons threw him right to the ground in worship of the Lord Jesus.
They say what do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God Isn’t it interesting that sometimes demons have a better understanding of who Jesus is than theologians do?
It’s not the first time demons have done this sort of thing in Mark 1:21 it says "They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, ’What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!’"
These demons, recognize who Jesus is - they worship Him – you see there is no doubt in the sphere of the Devil and demons who is almighty and in charge there is no issue here because they understand who Jesus is!
JESUS comes from the word Yâsha’ ’salvation’ it is the Hebrew verb ’to save’, from which we get the name Jesus and the word ’hosanna’ they mean salvation in the here and now they also mean ’to deliver’, or ’liberate’ from evil, setting free into a spacious rather than a constricted place. It is commonly translated by such terms as ’safety’, ’welfare’, ’prosperity’, ’health’ and ’victory’. Salvation is not only spiritual; it includes God’s practical intervention in healing, deliverance and provision. Interestingly all the letters making up the Hebrew word are parts of the physical body: hand, tooth, and eye.
The Greek word is sôzô, to ’save’, and ’salvation’, have a similar meaning as yâsha’. They can be translated ’deliver’, ’protect’, ’heal’, ’save’, ’preserve’, ’do well’ and ’be whole’. Sôzô is used of healing of deliverance and wholeness of resurrection in and of care and provision. Salvation in both testaments is not only of the soul, but of the whole person, life and liberty.
So when Jesus salvation visits the tomb of this possessed man there can only be one result – the demons are cast out and the man becomes saved - and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind
THE TOMB OF THE LORD
Matthew 28:6-9 He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you." So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word. And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, "Rejoice!" So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.
He is not here; for He is risen – 1 Cor 15:3-4 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures
Tombs and graves represent death and the place of departed souls – Jesus by His very Name and identity – The Son of God – could not and cannot remain in such a place – for God is the very essence of life – without God there would be no life! The power of the resurrection and life of God was so powerful that we are told in Matthew 27:52-53 and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many
THE TOMB OF LAZARUS
John 11:1-7, 20-34, 38-44 - 38-44 Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days." Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me." Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!" And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."
Jesus is in Galilee when He receives word that a beloved follower is desperately ill. He waits two days and then heads to Bethany, in Judea. On the third day Jesus arrives but Lazarus is dead and buried. Jesus comforts Lazarus’s two sisters, Martha and Mary. Each is sure that if Jesus had been there their brother would not have died.
Mary and Martha are types of the believer and their response to Jesus expressed three things which typify us:
a. Disappointment that Jesus was not there to heal Lazarus
b. That they believed Jesus could have healed Lazarus if He had been there but it was too late now
c. A limited faith (Pictures the church today)
Jesus was troubled by their response - Greek, embrimaomai = a word to express indignation - Jesus wept - Jesus went to the root of the problem and issued three commands - v39 Take away the stone - v43 Lazarus come forth = v44 Loose him and let him go
The Tomb – represents the limitations we place upon God because of our lack of faith – it is a place of death and captivity – The Stone – represents those things which block and render powerless the power of God – The rolling away - represents faith – The grave clothes – represents those things of the carnal and old life that prevent us walking in the newness of the new life.
CONCLUSION
As we ponder these encounters of Jesus at the three tombs – the possessed mans – the Lords own and that of Lazarus there is something that strikes us – that Jesus is the Son of God and resurrection and life and that He is not an issue in the realm of God Himself or even in the realm of the demonic – instead it is a problem among man – unbelievers and believers – how we need to encounter this Jesus and His salvation – as we prepare to share in the Lords Table – I ask you “If you do not know Jesus as your Savior now is the time to receive Him and know His life” – “If you are a believer and have limited God now is the time by faith enter into all that God has for you”
John 11:25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
