The resurrection of Jesus demands a personal response. Pollsters take pleasure in getting the opinion of the general public, asking, "Do you believe that Jesus rose from the dead?" They are keen to tell us: what percentage believe he actually physically came to life again; how many say he didn’t and those who don’t know. The pollsters take special pleasure in asking senior clergymen, with surprising results!
Yes, the resurrection is an event of history that demands that we have a view. Is it true or not? This is because it’s a fundamental fact of Christianity. It’s something the individual must face up to. It can either be a stumbling block or the stepping stone to true faith. The requirement for a response is found in the gospel stories, going back to the very first day after the crucifixion of Jesus.
The Jewish religious authorities didn’t want to spoil the high Sabbath of Passover, the most important day of the calendar, by having it polluted with the bodies of dead criminals hanging outside the city wall. It was important that the corpses be removed before nightfall. A soldier was detailed to make sure the three men who had been nailed to the crosses died in good time. The two thieves were still alive so their legs were smashed so they could no longer raise themselves to struggle for breath. But when the soldier came to Jesus, he was breathing no longer, but just to make sure, the soldier jabbed him in the side with his spear and out gushed blood and water. So much for the theory that Jesus didn’t rise from the dead because he didn’t die after all, but only swooned and somehow revived in the coolness of the tomb! What nonsense! Yes, Jesus was definitely dead.
The chief priests weren’t satisfied. Jesus was undoubtedly dead. And yet there was something in the back of their minds that disturbed them. They recalled that Jesus had said, "After three days I will rise again." They were afraid that the disciples of Jesus might just steal the body and tell the people that he had risen from the dead. They went to Pilate, the Roman governor, and persuaded him to post a guard over the tomb after it had been sealed to the satisfaction of the religious hierarchy. It all seemed so final.
But there was another group of people who were interested in Jesus. It was the little band of women who had been devoted in serving him. We’re told, "they had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs." They had watched him on the cross, horrified and helpless, and now he was dead. The only service they could render was to his dead body! The male disciples were safely holed up behind locked doors, and one has to admire the courage of these women, such was their devotion to their Lord.
There was no thought in their minds that he would come to life again. We’re going to see how they responded to the great drama of the sequel to the crucifixion of Jesus. It tells how they changed from fear to faith, from tears to joy, from emptiness to belief. Mary Magdalene led that group of women (John 20;1-18). They had seen the burial party stoop to enter the tomb, taking the body of Jesus. When they emerged, they heaved into position the great boulder to block the entrance, and then the guard officially sealed it. To break the Roman seal was punishable by death!
Mary’s world had collapsed. She had lost hope and purpose. All that was left to her was to honour the memory of Jesus by embalming his body with spices. We’ll follow her as, early on the third day after the crucifixion, she made her way to the garden tomb. She was in for a glorious surprise as she made that essential progression from deep despondency to resurrection joy. It’s a journey of discovery we too need to make. But for Mary there came first the difficult experience of:
SEARCHING FOR JESUS
The gospel narrative tells us that the tomb was situated in a garden close by Calvary. Two thousand years after the event its exact location is a matter of some controversy. The Orthodox site is within the present walls of Jerusalem covered by the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, imposing but dark and encrusted with traditional art. But the site that appeals most to evangelical Christians is the "garden tomb", by the Damascus Gate, in a beautiful secluded garden. It’s described in the hymn as "the green hill … beside the city wall". To those of us who have seen the entrance hewn out of the rock-face, it captures the atmosphere of that far-off, first day of the week "when the women who had come with (Jesus) from Galilee" came with spices for the embalming of his body (Luke 23:55).
The tomb where the body of Jesus had been taken belonged to Joseph of Arimathea. He was a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jew’s ruling council, but also an admirer of Jesus. It’s been said that Joseph, a secret disciple, gave to Jesus a tomb after he was dead, but did not support him during his life. This may not be fair to him as the gospel of Luke tells us that "he had not consented to the (council’s) purpose and deed" (23:51). Whatever happened, even if he’d let Jesus down at a crucial time - to use a common phrase - "having blown it", he didn’t let the next opportunity for loving service to slip by. Joseph certainly displayed the greatest courage, coming out on the side of a crucified criminal, braving the possible resentment of Pilate and facing the certain hatred of the Jews. We too may feel like that, but God is gracious and will often give us a second chance. It’s up to us to take it when it comes.
It’s in moments of crisis that we really discover ourselves. We don’t know a lot about Mary except that Luke informs us that Jesus had cured her of demon possession. She was so thankful that she wanted to serve him even after his death. She was true to the principle stated by Jesus that it is those who have been forgiven much, love much and vice versa. Yes, Mary came searching - "she went to the tomb" (John 20:1). The person who searches for the truth of God will never be disappointed. It may not be easy, often not instantaneous, but never rejected. It’s here that we find the next step of the journey to faith was that of:
LEARNING WHAT HAD HAPPENED
Mary had the surprise of her life. Something amazing had happened to the tomb: "she saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance." She was to learn once more that nothing is impossible with God. But how did it happen? Did it really happen? These are questions that have been asked down the centuries. In the nineteen-twenties there was a journalist, Frank Morison, who believed that the Gospels were basically unreliable but nevertheless he was impressed with the character of Jesus. He set out to examine in detail the last weeks of the life of Jesus. As he did so, sifting the evidence for himself, it brought about what he called "a revolution in my thought". He became convinced of the integrity of the Gospel accounts and wrote a book entitled "Who Moved the Stone?" which argues powerfully for the truth of the resurrection story.
Mary was going through a steep learning curve. Her beloved Master had been cruelly put to death. We’ve seen from what the soldiers did that he was really dead. But that hasn’t stopped the invention of other ingenious theories seeking to discredit the truth of the literal resurrection. Accepting that Jesus died and was buried, could it be that the Roman authorities removed the body? They certainly had the opportunity because a squad of Roman soldiers guarded the tomb. But what possible motive could they have to do this? Pilate’s one concern was to get rid of the case; repossessing the body would hardly help.
Well, if the Roman authorities didn’t remove the corpse, perhaps it was the Jewish religious authorities? All they had to do to discredit Jesus was to hold his body for four days or more. They remembered had said that he would rise on the third day, No, this won’t do! The theory collapses because, when the disciples began preaching fearlessly that Jesus had risen from the dead, the Jewish hierarchy could have stopped them by producing the body. But of course they couldn’t do so!
Well, who moved the stone? The Gospel according to Matthew tells us, "There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone." There’s a wonderful certainty to the event - and what’s more, a finality - for having rolled back the stone, the angel "sat on it" (28:2). The angel couldn’t possibly be mistaken for one of the disciples coming to do a body-snatch and pretend that Jesus had in fact been raised up. The guards were no match for this celestial invasion! They were stunned, shook with fear and became like dead men. So much for the power of evil to thwart the purposes of God.
But it wasn’t the rolling back of the stone that was the means of the resurrection - that was only the evidence of what had taken place. It was the power of God himself who raised his beloved Son, Jesus, from the dead (Eph 1:19,20). Jesus had a bodily form of a human being, but now it was a changed, resurrection body, an altogether new form of existence. It was no longer subject to the laws of earthly physical values. Mary was learning quickly and this led to her:
SEEING FOR HERSELF
John’s resurrection story is full of action words. "Mary … went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed." She was so surprised at this turn of events that she didn’t know what to do, but seeing Peter and John coming towards the garden, she ran to them with her amazing story. The two disciples quickly inspected the inside of the tomb and found only the grave clothes lying as if the body of Jesus had been mysteriously withdrawn, risen through and out of them. No grave robber could have left the clothes undisturbed like that! Another interesting point is that the gospel record tells us that the head turban was "folded up by itself, separate from the linen." This evidence would seem to deny the claim made for the "Shroud of Turin" as the burial garment of Jesus. Something wonderful had happened. We see a faint picture of this miracle when a caterpillar changes into a chrysalis to emerge as a beautiful butterfly. But where was Jesus?
What did the men do? They went home! Some ladies might say, perhaps with some justification, "Typical!" But Mary couldn’t leave the scene. She stood there grief stricken, showing greater sensitivity than the male disciples. Many church people are like them - they just come to church to look and then go home, unchallenged, unsatisfied and unchanged. Doesn’t this tell us that coming to Christ demands the subjection of our whole personality - body, soul and spirit?
Mary’s persistence paid off. As "she stood outside the tomb … she looked into the tomb and saw two angels … seated where the body had been." It’s an eyewitness account. Without a shadow of doubt the tomb was empty - but where was the body? Mary said to the angel in desperation "They have taken my Lord away" and "I don’t know where they have put him." Mary had come a long way in her resurrection journey - searching, learning and seeing, but had yet to take the vital step of:
¬¬BELIEVING IN THE RISEN LORD
Mary knew full well that the stone had been rolled away, the body had gone and she had seen the angels. Despite these remarkable events she remained perplexed by what is not there and frightened by what is there. She wasn’t left long in this state. Luke tells us the tremendously important message given by the angels, "He is not here; he has risen!" She became aware of another presence behind her. A man is standing - it is Jesus, but unrecognised. This failure to recognise the risen Jesus immediately isn’t surprising. Jesus hadn’t been resuscitated but had passed through death and is now part of a new order of resurrection life with an imperishable body.
Mary was still in her state of grief and confusion. Jesus asked her, "Why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" She had already told the angel, "They have taken away my Lord." These words, "My Lord", show the intensity of her devotion - hadn’t he cast out from her seven devils? The problem was that she didn’t hold a large enough view of Jesus; she was searching for a corpse instead of a victorious Lord. She had forgotten that Jesus had predicted that he would rise again on the third day. It’s all very well for us, in glorious hindsight, to think, "How could she have possibly forgotten that amazing statement." But would we have acted differently?
Mary assumed that the man before her was the gardener and asked if he was responsible for the disappearance of the body of Jesus from the tomb. She would do anything to recover it. This expression of devotion was the signal for Jesus to reveal his identity. Jesus had told his disciples, "whoever comes to me I will never drive away" (John 6:37). It’s something we can be sure of. The method of recognition may vary with each of us, but the principle holds good. It required only one word, "Mary." One word which remade her world and transformed her life forever after, and the word was her own name! This is a memorable confirmation of the personal nature of our Lord’s dealings with his people. We aren’t merely numbers to God; we’re individually known and loved. Jesus had assured his disciples, "The Good Shepherd knows his own and they recognise his voice."
That moment of recognition was the moment when Mary believed on Jesus. She expressed it in one word, "Rabboni" - "My own dear teacher". Mary was overcome by the emotion of the moment and tried to clasp the feet of her Lord in her delirious happiness. But Jesus, gently, yet firmly, disengages himself, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father." This tells us of a subtle change of relationship. Jesus was now more than a dear friend was. He was her Saviour, his work of redemption completed, and soon to return to the right hand of his Father in heaven. From now on it was to be a spiritual relationship, the outward was to be exchanged for the inward. There would be resurrection appearances before his ascension but they were to be the exception rather than the rule. Soon, his limited physical presence would be exchanged for the universal presence of the Holy Spirit in all who believed on him.
Jesus commissioned Mary to take the good news of his rising to the other disciples. Someone made the comment that the tragedy of the Christian community over the centuries is that it has shown a far greater interest in sitting at Jesus’ feet. It’s easier to hold on to him in the security of a church building, than in going out into the world to share the good news of the risen Lord with broken, needy hearts.
The resurrection of Jesus has a personal implication for each of us. The apostle Paul wrote to the believers at Corinth that it was a message of "first importance" (1 Cor 15:3). It’s an event on which we can’t stand on the sidelines. A friend of mine put it like this: "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."
In the Russian Orthodox Church. the standard greeting is: "Christ is Risen!" to which someone would reply: "He is risen indeed!" Years ago, when the Communists began to take control of Russia, a Communist party official came to a village to try and convert its residents there to Communism. He challenged the Russian Orthodox priest to a debate. He figured he could easily crush this frail old priest in a debate. The whole town gathered for the debate. The official so eloquently argued the benefits of Communism that many of the people were nodding in approval. With great satisfaction, he smugly sat down, gesturing the priest to speak. The priest stood up at the podium and said simply: "Christ is risen!" The people then passionately exclaimed as with one voice: "He is risen indeed." The Communist official then briskly packed up his briefcase and left the meeting hall knowing he would never be able to persuade these villagers to accept a godless Communism over a belief in a risen Saviour. Our Lord truly has risen and he continues to walk among us today.
What does the empty tomb mean to you? The historical evidence is overwhelming but it calls for more than an intellectual agreement. Like Mary, we need to move through the process of searching, to learning, to seeing, and finally and most importantly, of believing.
