THE TOMB OF JESUS AS A SILENT WITNESS TO THE …
THE TOMB OF JESUS AS A SILENT WITNESS TO THE
RESURRECTION.
John 19: 38 – 20: 10
An Easter Sermon by:
Rev. H.A. Bergsma
PUBLISHED BY
PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE
OF THE
FREE REFORMED CHURCHES OF NORTH AMERICA.
(March 2005)
LITURGY:
Votum
Psalter 170
Law of God
Scripture Reading: John 19: 38 – 20: 10
Text: John 19: 38 – 20: 10
Psalter 285
Congregational Prayer
Offrings
Psalter 297
Sermon
Psalter 37
Thanksgiving Prayer
Psalter 120
Doxology: Psalter 406: 1
Congregation of the Lord,
Easter announces the joyful tidings that the Lord is risen indeed!
And since this happened on the first day of the week – our Sunday – we worship the Lord’s resurrection every Sunday… (not Saturdays) but Sundays.
Every Sunday is therefore rightly called “The Lord’s Day”… because it commemorates the day on which the Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead.
It was on Sunday morning… very early one Sunday morning, … close to 1970 years ago, that Jesus rose from the dead and stepped out of His tomb.
It is remarkable that no one saw Him rise from the dead, and that no one saw Him step out of the tomb – but true it is – it did happen – as certainly as you and I are present here today.
Have you ever wondered what it must have been like… of Jesus rising from the dead … bursting lose from His grave clothes and stepping out of the tomb?
If only the walls of the tomb could speak!
No doubt, we would hear one marvelous, awesome story!
We sometimes say to each other, as you find yourself in the house where you may have lived in for many years, or in some other historic place … “If only these walls could speak!”
Well, walls do not speak. Even the walls of Jesus’ tomb do not speak.
But we have enough information about it to know it possible to rejoice in the fact that Jesus Christ did rise from the dead, and that He did step out of the tomb.
The tomb of Jesus is nevertheless therefore a silent witness to the resurrection.
Let us consider this as our theme for this Easter morning…
THE TOMB OF JESUS AS A SILENT WITNESS TO THE RESURRECTION
1. As it became occupied
2. As Jesus arose
3. As it was visited
Congregation,
Our text passage gives us some interesting information about the tomb.
It was owned by Joseph of Arimathaea, located in a garden, very close to where Jesus was crucified.
Joseph of Arimathaea was one of the Jewish council members.
He was a Jewish government official therefore, and a wealthy man, but at the same time, a secret follower of Jesus Christ.
And Joseph, being a wealthy man, owned a nice garden, just outside of Jerusalem, with a brand new tomb located in that garden. This is where we read in v.41…
“in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid”
Now, such sepulchres, or tombs, especially those of the rich, where carefully and skillfully carved out of large rocks and when finished off – resembled small caves.
Alfred Edersheim – a Jewish historian and author describes for us…
The tombs were either ‘rock-hewn’ or natural caves, or else large walled vaults, with riches along the sides. Such a cave, or vault, of 6 ft. width, 9 ft. length and 6 ft. height contained niches for 8 bodies. At the entrance to such vaults was a ‘court’ – 9 ft square, to hold the bier and its bearers… and where the body was prepared for burial.
Well, so it was that Joseph of Arimathaea owned such a tomb, and that, with the help of Nicodemus, his friend and fellow colleague in the Jewish government, he took the body of Jesus and prepared it for burial.
It was in the court of the tomb that the hasty embalmment took place, while outside, some distance away, several women observed the proceedings.
It was late Friday afternoon that Joseph and Nicodemus performed the ritual of embalming.
As Edersheim explains again…
It seems as if the ‘clean linen cloth’ in which the body (of Jesus) had been wrapped, was now torn into ‘cloths’ or swathes, into which the body, limb by limb, was bound, no doubt, between layers of myrrh and aloes; the head (of Jesus) being wrapped in a napkin. And so they laid Him to rest in the niche of the rock-hewn new tomb, and as they went out, they rolled, as was the custom, a great stone, to close the entrance to the tomb.
And so, this new tomb, in a garden close to Golgotha, received its Occupant – the body of Jesus.
As Isaiah the prophet spoke of this already many years before – as it is recorded in Isaiah 53:9…
“And He made His grave with the wicked and with the rich in His death.”
Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus – both secret followers of Jesus performed this funeral rite - I believe – out of love and respect for Jesus.
The body of Jesus was at rest in this new tomb – the remainder of that Friday – all day Saturday – and for some time on Sunday.
What happened in the darkness of that tomb?
No human eyes were there to observe it.
But we know from the Bible that the body of Jesus was dead, (His spirit being up in heaven with His Father), but that this dead body of Jesus was being miraculously preserved – as Psalm 16 testifies of it, that God would “not permit His Holy One to see corruption”.
The corruptive attacks of nature upon a dead body, a “corpse”, were not permitted to engage the dead body of Jesus.
If the walls of the tomb could speak they would say… “There is preserving power at work here in this tomb!”
Congregation, Jesus’ body laid in the tomb for a while.
Do you know why?
I realize that our Catechism teaches in LD.16… Thereby to prove that He was really dead.
And that’s true of course.
But I believe there’s more to it.
Jesus’ body spent some time in the grave, in order to sanctify the grave for His people!
Believers in Jesus Christ therefore do not need to be fearful about the grave anymore.
Their grave is sanctified by their Savior Jesus Christ.
His power will preserve them; their grave cannot do them ultimate harm.
Though their bodies will return to dust, God will preserve their dust.
They are ultimately well protected.
This is why the Apostle Paul could sing in 1 Corinthians 15 … “O death, Where is thy sting?
O grave, Where is thy victory? Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!”
The tomb of Jesus became occupied, but if its walls could speak they would say… ““There is preserving power at work here in this tomb, and it spells victory for those who believe in Jesus Christ!”
Already, while the tomb was still occupied, it became a silent witness to the preserving, sanctifying power of God.
But there was something greater yet which the tomb of Jesus could be witness to – and that was, in the 2nd place … As Jesus arose.
Congregation, on the 3rd day – thus on Sunday morning, Jesus arose from the dead.
It happened very early that Sunday morning.
No human being was physically witness to it.
But it must have happened very early in the morning – before the sun was up – while it was still dark.
Because we read that when Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw the stone taken away from the tomb, that it was still dark (ch. 20:1).
So Jesus must have arisen from the dead sometime before 4 or 5 in the morning.
His rising from the dead was likely accompanied by an earthquake, - because we read in Matthew 28:2 … “There was a great earthquake; for the Angle of the LORD descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.”
But no human being was physically witness to Jesus arising from the dead.
Perhaps and angel touched Him on the shoulder as if to awaken Him.
Perhaps at a certain moment the dead body of Jesus simply stirred, came to life and burst forth from the burial cloths, and having neatly folded the burial cloths, Jesus simple stepped out of the tomb!
The Bible gives credit to the power of the Father and to the power of the Holy Spirit and of Jesus Himself in respect to the resurrection.
At one and the same time the Bible speaks of Jesus rising from the dead by His own power – and of Jesus being raised from the dead.
But it must have been awesome congregation – for a dead body to lie there – wrapped up in grave-cloths, and the next moment to stir – break lose from the grave-cloths, and stand up and walk out of the tomb.
Only divine power – resurrection power, could accomplish such a feat.
If the walls of the tomb only speak of that moment, there would be no greater story ever told.
It was not merely a person being brought to life here, but Jesus Christ, the crucified Son of God – upon whose resurrection hinges the faith and the salvation of all believers!
The Apostle Paul makes clear in 1 Corinthians 15 how awesome, … how crucially important Jesus’ resurrection was, when he writes … “If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain and your faith also vain. And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
But now is Christ risen from the dead, and has become the first fruits of them that slept.”
Do you know what this means congregation?
The resurrection of Christ signals the promise and the certainty of the believer’s blessed resurrection.
Since Jesus was once raised from the dead, all believers will one day be raised from the dead.
Again – the Apostle Paul speaks of this so eloquently in 1 Corinthians 15, when he thinks of the resurrection of Christ … “So also is the resurrection of the dead; it is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory; It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body … In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”
All this and more, can be said, dear people, because of what happened there in that tomb in the garden early that first Easter morning.
No human being was witness to it, but this does not make it any less true, or any less awesome!
We know of course that the enemies of the gospel deny the resurrection.
They say that it has not been verified by human eyes, so that it can therefore not be true!
This is why the story has been spread by the Jewish people that the body of Jesus was not raised, but rather stolen by His disciples and hidden elsewhere.
And as the Bible says in Matthew 28:15 … “And this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.”
But congregation, Jesus did arise from the dead!
Though human eyes were not witness to it, the fact and truth of it is undeniable.
If the walls of the tomb could only speak, we would hear an awesome story…
– a story of the alive-making powers of God;
– a story of death one moment, and of life the next moment;
– a story so thrilling that we would all want to be part of it!
But the tomb of Jesus is a silent witness to this resurrection.
Well now lastly – the tomb of Jesus is a silent witness to the resurrection, as it is visited.
We read in our Bible that several people very early that first Easter Sunday visited the tomb.
There was Mary Magdalene, so we read in our text-chapter.
Elsewhere in the Bible we also read of several other women as well … Mary the mother of James, and Joanna and Salome.
All these women had gotten up very early that Sunday morning to visit the tomb.
They carried a varied assortment of spices with them, because it was their intention to embalm the dead body of Jesus more properly then was initially done last Friday evening.
However, … and this is what I must lay stress on today… everyone visiting the tomb of Jesus this Easter Sunday morning had this deficiency – this problem … they had no expectations to see Jesus alive!
All of them lacked the belief in His Word previously spoken… “On the third day I will rise again.”
Mary Magdalene was totally confused.
She saw the stone rolled away from the tomb and drew the hasty conclusion that the body had been displaced.
In other Bible passages we read of the women standing there by the open tomb, bewildered, crying, scared.
In our text-passage we read of at least 2 disciples running towards the tomb anxious to see what indeed had happened, after the rumor had spread that the body had been displaced!
But one thing is clear.
Not one of the persons visiting the tomb in the garden expected to find a living Jesus.
Not one of them was prepared to greet Him a happy morning.
Upon going to visit the tomb, not one was of the faith in the Resurrection.
It is said of only one disciple who went into the tomb – that when he saw – that the tomb was empty – that he then believed.
For the rest, those visiting the tomb could not believe that anything wonderful had happened, because, as we are so told in v.9 … “For as yet they knew not the scripture, that He must rise again from the dead”
Dear congregation, it is not only a problem we face today, namely, that it is hard to believe or that we cannot believe… it was a problem then already.
Lack of knowledge of the Scripture seems to be the culprit, and keeping many back from such faith.
On that first Easter morning, the tomb stood open for any to visit it, even to enter it.
All obstacles were removed.
Angels were there to bid the visitors welcome.
The empty tomb was a silent witness to the resurrection.
And if the walls could speak, they would excitedly claim the hearing of every visitor: “ He is risen – believe it – He is risen – rejoice; be glad; Jesus Christ is risen today!”
Dear people! The walls of the tomb cannot speak.
The empty tomb is a silent witness to the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
But we have the Scripture; all of the Scriptures …
– the prophesy and the fulfillment of it;
– the promise and the delivery and reality of that promise.
All obstacles have been taken away.
Everything is there to encourage us and to bid us welcome.
The Holy Spirit being the greatest Encouragement to all for us.
Jesus Christ is risen again!
We have a living Savior who wants us to know the Scriptures and believe them.
And by the way – faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Scriptures – the Word of God.
Therefore pray the Spirit of the Scriptures to work such faith in you.
This Easter morning we have visited – in the spirit, and by the Scriptures – the tomb of Jesus.
Is it empty now.
It was once occupied.
But Jesus arose.
Dear people, let the silent witness of the resurrection, by the tomb of Jesus, be the stimulation to look now to the Risen Jesus – the Risen Savior.
In Him is life and resurrection from the body of death – that is: the body of sin.
In Jesus Christ – and faith in Him – you and I may freely receive what we need for living the new life – the resurrected life.
Jesus Christ – the Risen Savior – provides forgiveness, joy, gladness, the assurance of salvation, and eternal life.
I do not think that I have to urge anyone here to believe that Jesus arose again – we believe that the resurrection occurred just as the Bible said it would.
But I may need to urge you to believe in Jesus – the Risen and Living Savior – to place your trust in Him; to set your hopes upon Him; and to have all your expectations of Him.
It is springtime in the realm of nature. And as we go about our gardens and see new life springing up around us, we take a scissors in hand to clip away the dead stuff. We grab a rake in hand, to rake away that which is unsightly.
Well, so it is in spiritual life – the resurrection of Jesus announces that it is spiritual springtime.
And if we have faith in Him, we’ll see new life springing in us and with us. Now it’s time to take a clipper and rake in hand, spiritually, and clip off and rake away what is unsightly through sin; we need to clip off and rake away that which is dead, so that the new life in Jesus can have ample room and space to spread
Jesus is risen – and as I look into my spiritual garden – I see the new life of Him around me and signs of new growth coming up – and I can point to it – look! It’s there! It’s everywhere!
May your spiritual garden – your life – show such evidences of new life and new growth through Jesus the Risen Savior.
In the Spirit and by the Word, we have visited the tomb of Jesus. It is a silent witness to His resurrection. But remember, this tomb of Jesus, now empty – is located in a garden.
And having visited the empty tomb … let us now visit the garden …
AMEN
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