EMPTY TOMBS OF JERUSALEM
His birth was the Promise,
His resurrection was the Performance...
Our resurrection is His Repeat Performance.
Jesus was viciously brutalized, then murdered in an horrific execution, and hurriedly buried in a borrowed tomb.
THREE DAYS LATER there were numerous empty tombs in Jerusalem. But why were they empty?
* Most of the empty tombs were empty, having never been used, and they awaited the inevitable interment of their owners.
* Some were empty because an earthquake had taken place, moving the stone doors from the caves, allowing their prisoners to be set free. Matthew concisely recorded several amazing events that took place on the day of Christ's crucifixion and three days later. Notice what happened after the resurrection of Christ (vs 53).
Matthew 27:51-53
(51) And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
(52) And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
(53) And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
* One tomb was empty because the Occupant wrestled death to the grave and arose in victory. It was this Victor over the dark domain that set the other captives free from death's cold, eternal and vindictive grip.
BUT WAIT, THERE IS MORE, MUCH MORE.
Jesus not only promised that He would engage death and defeat it through resurrection, He promised to include us in His victory. We have all sinned and the wages of sin is death, but Jesus came to deliver us from our sins.
Jesus saves us from the penalty of sin (death). We are made alive in Christ now, but we are raised to reign with Him in the resurrection of the righteous.
Jesus saves us from the pollution of sin (the carnal mind).
Jesus saves us from the power of sin (the law of sin and death).
Jesus said.
John 5:25-29
(25) Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
(26) For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;
(27) And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.
(28) Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
(29) And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
John 11:25
(25) Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
Notice that 11:25 and 5:29 address the same subject, but give two different perspectives.
(11:25) He will raise those who believe.
(5:29) He will raise those who have done good.
Daniel spoke of this.
Daniel 12:2-3
(2) And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
(3) And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.
Notice that Daniel added that those who are wise and shine brightly, will turn others to righteousness. To be turned to salvation is to be turned to righteousness.
Paul said it this way.
Romans 2:3-13
(3) And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?
(4) Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
(5) But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
(6) Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
(7) To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
(8) But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
(9) Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
(10) But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
(11) For there is no respect of persons with God.
(12) For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;
(13) (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
The resurrection of Christ not only provides life after death for those who trust Christ for their salvation, it provides life before death. The life of Christ in us delivers us from Satan, sin and self.
Ephesians 2:1-10
(1) And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
(2) Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
(3) Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
(4) But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
(5) Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
(6) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
(7) That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
(8) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
(9) Not of works, lest any man should boast.
(10) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS, AND YOU SHALL BE SAVED.
