He Is Not Here

He Is Not Here

A family was watching a movie of the life of Jesus on television. Their six-year-old daughter was deeply moved as the film realistically portrayed Jesus' crucifixion and death. Tears ran down the little girl's face as they took Him from the cross and laid Him in a borrowed tomb. She watched as a guard was set. Suddenly, a big smile broke on her face. She bounced up on the arm of the chair and said with great anticipation, 'Now comes the good part.' As I thought about the resurrection of Jesus, it made me think about the founders of different religions in the US and the World. Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science, died in December 1910 and is buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts and today, she is still dead. Confucius, founder of Confucianism, died in 479 BCE and is buried in his hometown in Shandong Province, China and today, he is still dead. Muhammad, the founder of Islam, died in June 632 AD and is buried in the ''Mosque of the Prophet'' in the city of Medina in Saudi Arabia and today, he is still dead. Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, died in June 1844 and is buried at the Smith Family Cemetery in Nauvoo, Illinois and today, he is still dead. Each and every one of these founders of various religions are still dead.

I have always thought it interesting that these religions never tried to convince their followers or the world that their founders were still alive. They just continue to spread their religion with the premise that their founder is dead. And the sad part of it all is that people will follow these “dead” religions to their destruction. But as Christ-followers the difference is that we serve a risen Savior. We could make a pilgrimage to the place where tradition says Jesus’ tomb is and we would still to this day find it empty. Luke 24:5b – 6a says, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!” Because Jesus is alive, Christianity is not merely a belief system we admire, but a relationship we live in. The question for us is not whether Jesus rose from the dead, we know that it’s true, but whether we live as though He is alive today, active in our decisions, our priorities and our obedience. That brings us to our big idea this morning that Jesus desires His followers to live like He is alive. This means that as Christ-followers we are calling on Him, trusting in Him and walking with Him in obedience.

Let’s pray: Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of this day and for the privilege to worship you in song and in word. As we study your Word, quiet the noise within us and around us, clear our minds of all distractions and soften our hearts where they are guarded. May Your Spirit move freely within us, speaking through Scripture and shaping us more fully into people of faith, hope, and love. Give us ears to hear what You want us to learn and share with those we come in contact with this week, month and year. Give us strength to live in obedience to your Word. We offer this time to You, trusting that You are already at work. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Our first point is, Trouble, found in Matthew 27:62-66. This is what God’s Word says, “The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.” “Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.”

On Friday, at 3:00 pm in the afternoon, Jesus died on the cross. At that moment the curtain of the temple, the veil between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies, is torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shakes, the rocks split and tombs are broken open. The centurion and those guarding Jesus saw all that had happened, were terrified and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God.” Later that evening, a rich man, Joseph of Arimathea, who had become a disciple of Jesus, asked Pilate if he could take Jesus’s body so he could bury it. Pilate gave him Jesus’ body and Joseph wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and placed it in his own new tomb. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance of the tomb and went away. When Joseph left, scripture says that Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb. Sometime Friday evening, after the body of Jesus had been placed in the tomb, the chief priests and the Pharisees met to discuss the matter of Jesus and his body. They were troubled because of what Jesus had said to them in Matthew 12:38-40. “Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

Jesus is telling the religious leaders, that when you reject me, and when you have me killed, and when I die, start counting. That’s the sign — day one, day two, day three — and the grave, like the fish, will spew forth Jesus into life. The chief priests and the Pharisees were concerned about this “sign of Jonah” that Jesus had given them. And so the next day, Saturday, probably early in the morning, they go to Pilate. They go to Pilate for a couple of reasons. One, he had the authority to do what they wanted. And two, they knew they could manipulate him because he feared an uprising of the people. They address Pilate as “Sir” giving him a title of honor and respect hoping it would placate him into giving them what they wanted. Despite their usual opposition, the Jewish religious leaders and Pilate found common ground in their desire to maintain order and suppress any potential unrest during the Passover.

They tell Pilate that they remember that Jesus, “the deceiver”, while he was still alive, said that he would rise from the dead after three days. Ironically, the enemies of Jesus remembered His promise of resurrection better than His own disciples did. There are a few things to notice here. One, in stating “while he was still alive” they admitted Jesus was dead. They could not now go back and try to say he was never really dead; that he was just sleeping. Two, it is humorous that they labeled Jesus a ''deceiver'' since he had never told a lie and had never deviated from the truth. In contrast, the chief priests and the Pharisees were the liars and deceivers. Three, they foresee a problem and believe they have the perfect solution to it. They of course did not believe that Jesus would rise from the dead, but did they really believe that Jesus’ disciples would try to steal his body from the tomb and claim he was alive? They knew the disciples were hiding somewhere after Jesus’ crucifixion afraid that they would be next. They probably weren’t going to go sneaking around Jerusalem looking to steal Jesus’ body. It was probably just a ploy to get Pilate to concede to their plan. The Pharisees didn’t know how, but they had seen enough of Jesus’ miracles to be afraid that He may have had some kind of “resurrection” power. And if that was so it would cause quite a stir among Jesus’ followers and if it spilled over into the city, it could cause problems for the Pharisees and for Pilate. ​​ 

The Pharisees’ plan was to have Pilate give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Since Jesus said he would rise on the third day, if his body were found to be missing any time after that, it would mean he was a liar. When the chief priests and Pharisees asked that ''...the tomb be made secure'' the Greek word used described a legal seal that was placed on documents, letters, possessions, or, in this case, a tomb. Its purpose was to authenticate that the sealed item had been properly inspected before sealing and that all the contents were in order. As long as the seal remained unbroken, it guaranteed that what was inside was safe and sound. They warn Pilate that this last deception, of Jesus’ missing body, would be worse than the first deception, which were the events that occurred on Palm Sunday when the crowd was proclaiming Jesus to be the Messiah. If Pilate thought that uprising was bad, if Jesus all of a sudden was “resurrected”, there would really be trouble. Pilate agrees telling them to “take a guard” and make the tomb as secure “as you know how.” He granted them a Roman guard, probably the temple guard, which consisted of 16 soldiers. These Roman soldiers were well known for their discipline. The penalty for negligence while on duty, falling asleep or abandoning their post, was execution. These men were not going to let any band of disciples take the body of Jesus.

The chief priests and the Pharisees thought it would be to their advantage to secure the tomb with a Roman guard and put a seal on the stone. Pilate gave them his blessing to make the tomb secure and impenetrable either from the inside or the outside and if they failed it would be their own fault. Pilate by using the phrase ''as secure as you know how'' is saying that they were to look at the situation, consider all of the possibilities and have a counter plan to make sure that they did not fail in keeping Jesus’ body inside the tomb. Pilate was absolving himself of anything that could go wrong. The chief priests and the Pharisees would be responsible for whatever happened next. It is interesting that if they did believe that Jesus had some kind of resurrection power, they thought that physically securing the tomb would keep Jesus inside. All this security makes the resurrection more valid, because they would have done everything possible to keep his body from being removed or somehow leaving the tomb. The chief priests and Pharisees went to the tomb with their government-issued soldiers and the special officers assigned to inspect the tomb. After guaranteeing that Jesus’ body was where it was supposed to be, they rolled the stone back in place and then sealed it with the official seal of the governor of Rome. This seal would have been a string that was stretched across the stone at the entrance of the tomb, which was then sealed on both sides by Pilate's legal authorities.

Some critics claim that only Jesus' own disciples inspected His body and that they could have lied about Him being dead. However, an officer from Pilate's court would also have examined the body of Jesus. We often try to secure our own lives the same way, don’t we? We lock down outcomes, control circumstances, and manage risk. Yet Jesus’ tomb reminds us that no human effort can stop what God has purposed. What we call secure, God can overturn in a moment. But that also means that what God secures, stays secure. Our hope of salvation rests entirely on the power of God, and so, our salvation is not fragile, it can’t be lost or misplaced, it is secure.

That brings us to our second point, Triumph, found in Matthew 28:1-10. This is what God’s Word says, “After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

Once Saturday, the Sabbath, was over, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary wasted no time going to the tomb. They knew exactly which one Jesus was in because they were there when Joseph of Arimathea rolled the stone in front of it. They could not be accused of going to the wrong tomb. These women went to take care of the body of Jesus. They were faithful to the Lord, and had an unshakable love for him, which was not diminished because he was now dead and being guarded by the Roman guards. We find out in Mark 16:1 that the other Mary is the mother of the disciple James, the Lesser. In Luke 24:1, we find out that they came bringing spices that they had prepared to anoint his body and that it was very early in the morning and John 20:1 says they came while it was still dark. These women did not arrive at the tomb to witness the resurrected Lord, but to anoint his body with more spices. They had already done this once, but out of one final act of love they wanted to go one step farther. We then see a second earthquake in three days. Earthquakes were nothing new with God as He used them to announce major events such as the giving of the Law, the death of Jesus, to announce that Jesus had been resurrected and there will be an earthquake when he arrives to plant his feet once again upon the Mount of Olives.

This earthquake did not happen because of Jesus’ resurrection but was due to the angel of the Lord coming down from heaven. The angel did not arrive to let Jesus out of the tomb. Jesus was not sitting in there hoping the angel would hurry up and let him out. At the moment of his resurrection, Jesus immediately left that tomb and the soldiers had no idea that anything had occurred. The angel went to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it symbolizing God’s conquest over all barriers to His will. The angel of the Lord’s appearance was like lightening and his clothes were white as snow demonstrating the glory of God and of heaven. This angel could not be misconstrued as a mere man or a monstrous demon. God also used angels to oversee major events such as Jesus’ miraculous conception, birth and infancy and now his resurrection. The earthquake was not what invoked fear in the guards, but seeing this majestic angel. They were shaken to their very core and they literally lost consciousness. They shook with fear and became like dead men. These tough disciplined Roman guards fainted from shock, and their intense fear caused them to be paralyzed with terror. Once they collected their wits and composure they probably fled as it didn’t seem like they were present when the women arrived. Donald Hagner points to the inescapable irony: “the ones assigned to guard the dead themselves appear dead while the dead one has been made alive.”

When the two women arrived at the tomb, they were also afraid of the angel. So the angel commanded them “do not be afraid.” The reason they were not to be afraid was because he knew that they were looking for Jesus, who was crucified, and that he was no longer there. The angel announced that Jesus “was risen, just as he said.” God the Father had raised Jesus from the dead. The angel invited them to go into the tomb and see for themselves. He had removed the stone so the women would be able to go inside and be the first witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This was to strengthen their faith and prepare them to serve as eyewitnesses. The angel then tasked them with the honor of going to tell the disciples of Jesus that he had risen from the dead and would soon meet them in Galilee. This would serve as a reminder to the disciples of Jesus’ instructions less than three days before.

The two women didn’t need to be told twice. They hurried away from the tomb, still afraid but also filled with joy, with the unbelievable news the angel had just given them. As they were on their way to tell the disciples, Jesus, suddenly met and greeted them. This greeting seems to have been similar to saying “Hello.” Can you imagine seeing Jesus after He was crucified and buried, and hearing that he is risen and then suddenly meeting Him and He says, “Hello” This had to have been one of the most exciting “hellos” one could ever experience. These women had come to Jesus’ tomb to anoint his dead body, but now He was standing in front of them alive. They came to Him, clasped his feet and worshipped their risen Lord. Matthew gives very tangible proof of Jesus’ physical resurrection, as they were able to clasp his feet. This is a picture of speechless wonder and overwhelming adoration. Jesus accepts their acknowledgment of his deity as He is the only one worthy to be worshipped. The women still seem to be afraid because Jesus reiterates what the angel commanded, “do not be afraid.” He then essentially gives the same instructions as the angel, “to go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee” and the same promise, “there they will see me.” ​​ 

God used these women and others to be the witnesses to Jesus’ death on the cross, His burial by Joseph, and His resurrection. They would be able to verify that He was truly dead, was sealed in the tomb, and then was physically resurrected. Using women as witnesses was not the norm of the day. One, it is unlikely that a Jew would have used women as eyewitnesses. Two, to picture the men scared and hiding while the women were preparing Jesus’ body for burial would have offended the sensibilities of Jewish readers. Neither would have been recorded unless the resurrection of Jesus was true. Three, listing the women’s names who were well-known in early Christian circles, also proved the veracity of the resurrection, as they would not have easily been associated with a false account. Every encounter with the risen Christ results in a calling. The resurrection is not just something to celebrate, it is something to proclaim. If Jesus has changed our lives, then we are too sent to tell others that He lives. Spurgeon wrote, ''Upon a life I did not live, upon a death I did not die, I risk my whole eternity, and the resurrection is the why.'' That brings us to our first next step which I will proclaim the Good News of Jesus’ resurrection with my words and with my life.

In conclusion I want to read two illustrations: In Gerd Theissen’s fictional account of the events surrounding the death and crucifixion of Jesus, called “The Shadow of the Galilean”, he includes an imagined letter written by Barabbas to the main character of the story, Andreas, after the death of Jesus. ​​ Barabbas has an intuition regarding the substitutionary nature of Jesus’ death for him and what it required of him in return. He says in his letter: “I barely escaped death. The price was high as another died in my place. Two of my friends were crucified with him. Since then, I've been asking myself: why the other? Why Jesus? Why not me? Now I am in this, so subtly bound up with him. I keep thinking about what that means for me. If he has died in my place, then I am obliged to live for him. Our response ought to be similar. A contemplation of the wondrous cross of Jesus should cause us to take serious pause and ask why? Why would Jesus do this for me? It should leave us with a sense of gratitude as we determine it is simply a result of his love for us. But it should also leave us with a sense of being permanently and inseparably bound up with him. If we accept his payment in place of our own, it should result in our obligation to live for him. We are bound up with him in such a way that when God sees us, he sees Jesus and the sacrifice made for us, allowing us to be justified in his sight; we no longer need to take the penalty for our own sins. As a result we are now free to live for him, to become who we were intended to be before sin had its devastating effect upon the world. In this sense, we should see the freedom that Christ bought for us such that we are now obligated to follow his calling on our lives. Jesus’ amazing, divine, sacrificial love for us, as the hymn says, “demands my soul, my life, my all.” That is the only proper response of a life that surveys the wondrous cross of Jesus. That brings us to our second next step which I will respond to Jesus’ amazing, divine, sacrificial love for me by giving Him my soul, my life and my all.

In 1887, twenty-two years after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, his coffin was dug up and opened because there were constant rumors that his body was not in the grave. But when they opened up his casket, the body was there. The rumors continued, so 14 years later they had to dig it up again. Both times witnesses were present who testified that Lincoln was still in the grave. Three days after the death of Jesus Christ, similar rumors began to spread throughout the land of Israel. Only this time there were no witnesses who could say that they had seen His body. In fact, to the contrary, many witnesses claimed to have seen him out of His grave and even talked with Him after his resurrection. As great a man as Lincoln was, there were witnesses to prove he was still in the grave. If one of our Presidents or another leader in our government were to cry out today to Lincoln for help, there would be no response. If a scientist were to cry out to Einstein for help today there would only be empty silence. If someone were to call out to Mohammed or Buddha or Gandhi today there would be no help. But if you and I call out to Jesus Christ there is instant power available to us... power to change lives ...why? Because He lives! The question this morning is not whether Jesus is alive. The question is whether you are living in the power of His resurrection (Big Idea). Are you calling on Him, trusting in Him and walking with Him today? Is He active in your decisions, your priorities and your obedience? If not, this next step is for you: I will by the power of Jesus’ resurrection call on Him, trust in Him and walk with Him in obedience.

As Gene and Roxey come to lead us in a final song and the ushers collect the tithes and offerings, let’s pray: Heavenly Father, we praise and glorify you this morning for raising Jesus from the grave and that He is alive and reigning at this very moment. Help us to not only believe in the resurrection, but to live like it is true every day. Give us courage to proclaim the good news of His resurrection with our words and with our lives. Shape our hearts to respond to His amazing, sacrificial love by offering you our soul, our life, and our all. By the power of the risen Christ, teach us to call on you, trust you fully, and walk with you in joyful obedience. We ask this in the name of our risen Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.