The Not So Empty Tomb John 20:1-10 The Events of Easter Morning Jewish Burial The Resurrection What John Believed The Resurrection Changes Everything

The Events of Easter Morning  The stone had been rolled away!  Who moved the stone?  Had the body been stolen?  Had Joseph of Arimathea moved the body?  What were they to do?  Finally, they sent Mary Magdalene to tell the disciples!  No one imagined that Jesus had been raised from the dead! The Not So Empty Tomb John 20:1-10

The Events of Easter Morning  As it grew lighter, the women looked into the tomb and saw the angels – Matthew 28:5-7. The Not So Empty Tomb John 20:1-10

Matthew 28:5-7 (ESV) 5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.”

The Events of Easter Morning  As it grew lighter, the women looked into the tomb and saw the angels – Matthew 28:5-7.  Peter and John ran for the tomb leaving Mary behind, and John got there first.  What did they see? The Not So Empty Tomb John 20:1-10

The Events of Easter Morning  John took an initial look (blepo) which meant nothing more than sight.  Peter arrived and plunged into the tomb.  Peter saw (theoreo) the grave clothes and scrutinized them.  John followed Peter in and saw what Peter saw. The word now is (orao), which means “with understanding,” and John believed in Jesus’ resurrection. The Not So Empty Tomb John 20:1-10

Jewish Burial  Egyptian bodies were embalmed.  Roman bodies were cremated.  Jewish bodies were wrapped in linen cloths in which spices were inserted and then placed in a tomb face up.  The face and neck would have been covered with another cloth. The Not So Empty Tomb John 20:1-10

The Resurrection  The grave clothes became very important.  This was not a resuscitation!  The position of the grave clothes indicated a supernatural event – resurrection!  It is significant that they were there at all!  The word for “lying” is in a position in the sentence to stress significance.  The clothes were undisturbed.  The face wrapping was intact and aside. The Not So Empty Tomb John 20:1-10

The Resurrection  What if this was not a resurrection?  If the body had been stolen, the grave clothes would have been gone.  If Jesus had revived in the tomb, there would have been wrappings and spices strewn all over the tomb, and it would have been notable.  How would the stone have been  How would the stone have been moved? The Not So Empty Tomb John 20:1-10

What John Believed  God has provided perfectly adequate evidence for the resurrection.  People saw Jesus between His burial and His ascension.  The empty tomb  The changed character of the disciples  The authenticity of the record  The undisturbed grave clothes  This was enough for John. The Not So Empty Tomb John 20:1-10

What John Believed  Peter and John at the tomb indicated that the body of the Lord was glorified. It was sown a natural body and raised a spiritual body.  The resurrected body of Jesus points us to a new mode of life for all believers. Jesus is the first fruit from the dead. The Not So Empty Tomb John 20:1-10

The Resurrection Changes Everything  The resurrection of Christ is inseparable from the Gospel of Christ.  The resurrection of Christ is the fuel that ignites our testifying to a lost world.  The resurrection of Christ saves.  The resurrection of Christ is the basis for future hope. The Not So Empty Tomb John 20:1-10

Application Have you put your faith in the resurrected Jesus? Do you have a hope in the future? If you do, is it because of the resurrection? How are you living out the fact of the resurrection? The Not So Empty Tomb John 20:1-10