Infallible Proof of the Resurrection

The burial of Jesus is a story in itself that guarantees proof of the resurrection on Sunday. His disciples attended to the burial on Friday evening before sundown, but His enemies took care of the critical details on Saturday. They saw to it that there could be no deception. If the body was gone on Sunday morning, then Jesus had risen indeed!

With Jesus lying in the grave on Saturday it would seem that not much was happening that day. But nothing could be further from the truth. A lot was happening. Scripture tells us that while Jesus' body was dead He was very much alive in the spirit and He was quite busy. In 1 Peter 3:18-19 we read, "For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison."

In Ephesians, Paul quotes Psalm 68:18, "When He ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, and He gave gifts to men" (Eph. 3:8). He then continues, "Now this expression, 'He ascended,' what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things" (vs. 9-10).

Peter then sheds light onn the phrase, "He also descended into the lower parts of the earth" with the words, "He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison" (1 Pet. 3:19). During His three days in the tomb, Jesus did not preach the gospel, but He made a triumphant announcement to the demons being held in Sheol, the place of torment. These are the angels that sinned in Genesis 6:2-5 and were then cast into hell to await judgment (2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 6). To them Jesus proclaimed His victory over sin and death.

Jesus then opened the doors to another part of Sheol known as "Abraham's bosom" (Luke 16:22-23) or "Paradise" (Luke 23:43), releasing the godly captives and leading them to heaven where they are now with Jesus (Eph. 3:8). So Saturday was a busy time for Jesus and a time of great triumph. But it was also a busy time among men in Jerusalem.

"Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him. When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed." (Matt. 27:57-60)

Joseph of Arimathea, a follower of Jesus, saw to it that Jesus received a proper burial before sundown that Friday. It was imperative by Jewish religious law that He be buried before the Sabbath began at sundown. Some of the women were there observing where He was laid to rest so they knew where to come after the Sabbath, first thing Sunday morning: "And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb" (v. 61). Everything was done by the book on Friday evening, and that was a good thing.

On Saturday the chief priests and the Pharisees got busy. They understood that Jesus claimed He would rise from the dead the third day. They wanted to prevent any deception by His disciples and try to keep Him in the grave, so they went to work: "On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, saying, 'Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, "After three days I will rise." Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, "He has risen from the dead." So the last deception will be worse than the first.' Pilate said to them, 'You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how.' So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard." (Matt. 27:62-66)

By sealing the tomb with the Roman seal and by setting a Roman guard they provided infallible proof of the resurrection of Jesus on Sunday morning. Whether by special detachment of Roman sooldiers or by use of the guard already at their disposal, the guard that was set was made up of well trained, combat ready Roman soldiers making it impossible for the disciples to steal the body. The Roman seal also guaranteed that no one would steal the body because to break the seal was punishable by death. So the empty tomb on Sunday morning left no doubt that Jesus had indeed risen from the dead. Everyone knew it. It was not hidden. Let us rejoice in Jesus, our risen Savior! Amen.