The Empty Tomb

Jesus Christ began teaching the message of God at an early age. The Bible tells of His journeys throughout the land. He shared kindness, compassion, and love. When Jesus was accused, tried, convicted, and crucified, the story did not end there. The empty tomb held the promise and hope of God.

After His torture and death on the cross, three days passed as His followers mourned and wails of grief were heard filling the air. Historians report that in Biblical times, people who were crucified were often thrown into a graveyard for criminals. Other times, the dead were left hanging on the cross.

Jesus was not abandoned on the cross nor thrown into a graveyard. He was buried in the tomb of a man named Joseph of Arimathea, who was a member of the Sanhedrin. After asking, Joseph of Arimathea and a man named Nicodemus were allowed to take the body of Jesus.

The man accompanying Joseph was the same man who had visited Jesus at night. Scripture tells that Nicodemus brought myrrh and aloes to use in the burial custom.

An interesting fact is that this particular tomb was in a garden and no one had ever laid inside the tomb.

Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone to the entrance had been removed. Her fear caused her to run to Simon Peter and the other disciple (known as the one Jesus loved). She was distraught and told the two that the Lord had been taken out of the tomb. She didn’t know where the body of Jesus had been taken.
All that was left in the tomb were strips of linen. Scripture tells us that the cloth that had been wrapped around the head of Jesus was lying in place.

Scripture had told that Jesus would rise from the dead, yet they still had doubts, even after seeing the empty tomb. As Mary cried, she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been. When they asked why she was crying, she replied that her Lord had been taken away. Mary didn’t know she was in the presence of Jesus.
When Jesus called her name, Mary realized Jesus stood before her. Think of her joy at seeing Jesus.

Consider the fear, trauma, and desperation of the followers of Jesus. Their Lord had been crucified and they weren’t sure how to proceed. Some believers may have known Scripture was being fulfilled with the empty tomb. Others may have questioned what had happened.

How would we respond to those events surrounding the death of Jesus? Would our first instinct be to run away or to wait expectantly for His return? Every time we read the Bible, we have the opportunity to learn something new. Scripture can speak to us in different ways depending on our life circumstances.

As I think of outside the empty tomb, I picture a ground of rocks and dirt. Dust floating through the air as people raced to inquire about what had happened to Jesus. Perhaps donkeys, horses, or sheep stood in the surrounding areas.
What was growing in the nearby garden? Was the scent of a flower filling the air?

From the tomb that had not been used until the body of Jesus was placed inside, to the large, heavy stone being moved away from the entrance, to the strips of linen left inside, the plan of God was being fulfilled with every moment.

What do you see when you think of the empty tomb? Do you feel sadness at what Jesus endured? Do you feel hope in the promises of God?

On Easter and every day, celebrate and give thanks for the empty tomb because “He is Risen. He is Risen Indeed.”

In His Name,
Melissa Henderson