AN EMPTY TOMB

David Pam McQuel

The history of the sufferings, death, burial and resurrection of Christ is one of the most documented events in the Bible and other historians. In the gospels, four different writers gave us the flavour of four different angles with different accounts of many people who were eye witnesses. 

These records are undisputable.

In Josephus and Jesus, By Paul L. Maier, Emeritus Russell H. Seibert Professor of Ancient History, Western Michigan University, he wrote,  "Flavius Josephus (A.D. 37 – c. 100) was a Jewish historian born in Jerusalem four years after the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth in the same city. 

Because of this proximity to Jesus in terms of time and place, his writings have a near-eyewitness quality as they relate to the entire cultural background of the New Testament era. But their scope is much wider than this, encompassing also the world of the Old Testament. 

His two greatest works are Jewish Antiquities, unveiling Hebrew history from the Creation to the start of the great war with Rome in A.D. 66, while his Jewish War, though written first, carries the record on to the destruction of Jerusalem and the fall of Masada in A.D. 73."

Maier continued, "Josephus is the most comprehensive primary source on Jewish history that has survived from antiquity, and done so virtually intact despite its voluminous nature (the equivalent of 12 volumes).

Because of imperial patronage by the Flavian emperors in Rome —Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian —Josephus was able to generate incredible detail in his records, a luxury denied the Gospel writers. They seem to have been limited to one scroll each since the earliest Christians were not wealthy. 

Accordingly, Josephus has always been deemed a crucial extrabiblical resource, since his writings not only correlate well with the Old and New Testaments, but often provide additional evidence on such personalities as Herod the Great and his dynasty, John the Baptist, Jesus' half-brother James, the high priests Annas and Caiaphas and their clan, Pontius Pilate, and others."

One of Josephus' profound record on Christ was record in Antiquities 18:63
'The standard text of Josephus reads as follows (Based on the translation of Louis H. Feldman, The Loeb Classical Library.):
"About this time lived Jesus, a wise man, if indeed one ought to call him a man. For he was the achiever of extraordinary deeds and was a teacher of those who accept the truth gladly. He won over many Jews and many of the Greeks. He was the Messiah. 

When he was indicted by the principal men among us and Pilate condemned him to be crucified, those who had come to love him originally did not cease to do so; for he appeared to them on the third day restored to life, as the prophets of the Deity had foretold these and countless other marvelous things about him, and the tribe of the Christians, so named after him, has not disappeared to this day."'

Josephus is considered one of the best historians on Bible day Israel. He testifies to this fact.

But there is a greater witness to the sufferings, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. It is the men who spent almost every of forty-six months with him. His disciples.

This events were so true and real that a few years later, they were willing and with much endure similar sufferings as He did.

In "The Empty Tomb" an Article contributed by www.walvoord.com for bible.org, these accounts are so beautifully summarized in the following manner.

"In the cold gray of the early morning three women wended their way through the darkened streets of Jerusalem. 

It was the dawn of the first day of the week, but their hearts were heavy. Their feet plodded slowly over the rough stones of the streets of Jerusalem. The day preceding the Sabbath they had seen their hope in Jesus of Nazareth crushed. They witnessed Him dying a cruel death by crucifixion. 

It had been their hope that He would redeem Israel and deliver them from their Roman oppressors; but now their dreams and hopes lay in the darkened tomb.

In their hands they carried spices. As their last measure of devotion they wanted to anoint the dead body of Jesus. Each of the women had her own peculiar regard for Christ.

Salome was the wife of Zebedee ( Matt. 27:56 ; Mark 15:40 ) and the mother of the apostles James and John. With her was Mary of Clopas, the mother of James the Less, another of the twelve disciples.

Then there was Mary Magdalene, who had been delivered from a horrible life of demon possession by the power of Jesus. In another part of Jerusalem were other women having the same purpose and the same mission, likewise finding their way to the tomb in the dim light of the early morning.

"But they all had a problem. The tomb was sealed by a large stone. Could they get the heavy stone away from the door of the tomb and gain access in order to use the spices they were bringing? They did not know the solution to their problem, but nevertheless they continued on their way.

Unknown to the women, the garden where the tomb of Jesus was situated was in great commotion.

The guards who had been watching the tomb of Jesus, as requested by the Jews to be sure that no one would steal the body, suddenly were startled in the darkness of the morning by a vision of angels descending to the tomb and rolling away the stone that had sealed the tomb. They fled in terror at this evidence of the supernatural power of God ( Matt. 28:2-4 ).

When the women arrived at the tomb, all may have been quiet again, but the stone had been rolled away, the seal had been broken ( Mark 16:4 ; Luke 24:2 ; John 20:1 ). What did this mean? For Mary Magdalene it could mean only one thing. Someone had stolen the body of Jesus.

"Without waiting for further evidence, she fled the scene back to the disciples to tell them the tragic news. The other women, however, approached the tomb. There they saw an angel sitting at the right side of the tomb, clothed in a long, white garment. 

"'Don't be alarmed,' he said. 'You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him'" (*Mark 16:6 ). Shortly afterward other women including Joanna, the wife of Chuza, the steward of Herod, also arrived at the tomb and were apparently told the same good news ( Luke 24:10 ).

But Mary had already reported to Peter and John that the tomb was empty and that the body was stolen. John and Peter hastened to the tomb. Upon arriving, Peter quickly entered the tomb and saw the evidence that the body was gone. 

The grave clothes were still in the form of a human body, and the napkin, which had been over the head, was neatly folded in a place by itself. The silent testimony that Jesus was risen from the dead did not seem to dawn upon him. He left believing that the body was gone, but not knowing that Jesus was risen from the grave.

A Second Look
By this time Mary Magdalene had come back to the tomb for the second time. She was
weeping. She was sure that someone had taken the body of her Lord. Then she, too, looked into the tomb and saw two angels sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where Jesus' body had been laid ( John 20:12 ). 

They asked why she was weeping, and she told them that someone had taken away her Lord and she knew not where the body had been placed ( John 20:13 ). She no sooner had said this than turning back she saw Jesus standing at the door of the tomb. But she did not recognize Him. Jesus addressed the same question to her. 

"'Woman,' he said, 'why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for? — ( John 20:15 ).
Mary through her tears still did not comprehend and thought she was talking to one of the gardeners. She pled with Him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him" ( John 20:15 ).

It's Jesus, and He's Alive!

Jesus said to her simply, "Mary." She turned immediately and said unto Him, Rabboni!' (which means Teacher)" ( John 20:16 ). Through her tears she had not recognized Christ in His resurrection body, but it was the same familiar voice, the same person. 

In her ecstasy she literally embraced Him. Jesus said to her, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them." He disappeared. Mary Magdalene lost no time in running back the second time to tell the good news to the disciples, confirming what the other women had also reported."

The tomb is empty. Yes it is!

It's not because his body was stolen. It is because he paid the full price of redemption. It is because he finish paying the punishment for our sins. It is because God raised him up from the dead as He promised.

He is alive as the truest evidence of our salvation. God has restored man to Himself. And all those who put their faith in Him will be saved.

Believe in the Lord Jesus today and receive the gift of everlasting life.

Pray this prayers if you truly want Jesus in your heart now.

"Dear heavenly Father, thank you for loving me so much. Although I have walked in my ways, in my sins and in rebellion to your ways, you still love me.

I invited you Jesus into my life today. I give you my heart to be my Lord and my Saviour. From this day forward, I'll live for you. Thank you for your redemptive work that paid for my sins.
In Jesus name."

If you prayed this prayer and you meant it, either get a Church that raises disciples near you or leave a comment for us at the end of this article. We will get back to you.

God bless you.