The Borrowed Tomb

The last five weeks we have been on a journey.

The Upper Room- Jesus washed the disciple’s feet.

The Garden of Gethsemane- Jesus agonized over His coming suffering.

The arrest- Jesus displayed His power but willingly submitted to His enemies.

The crucifixion- Jesus was slaughtered like a Lamb on an altar.

Today we come to the end of our journey. We celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let me set your mind on the borrowed tomb. I’m going to answer the question “Why was Jesus placed in a borrowed tomb?”

1. To give Joseph the great privilege of serving Christ.

Who is this man?

Rich (Matthew 27:57).

A good and righteous man (Luke 23:50).

A respected member of the council- one of the 70 on the Sanhedrin.

Did not consent to the decision of the council to have Jesus put to death (Luke 23:51).

“Looking for the kingdom of God” He was sick of this world. He believed God had a kingdom. He believed God would send a Savior. He wondered if Christ might be Him.

But he was a coward. He was a secret follower of Christ (John 19:38).

When Jesus died there was no one there to claim the body. Jesus had family. He had friends. But no one would claim the body. Why?

Everything happened so fast, they were shocked.

Fear

What would they do with it? They were a long way from Galilee.

It was after 3 and the body had to be down by 6 because that’s when the Sabbath started.

Near Calvary there was a garden area with a new tomb in it that belonged to Joseph of Arimathea.

Joseph obviously knew this. By the grace of God, he was filled with courage.

Something brought him out of the shadows.

What was it?

I think it was the crucifixion.

Joseph had been playing with God. He had been riding the fence. One foot in, the other foot out.

When he saw the cross, everything changed.

Expound on this.

The cross showed Joseph he had to make a decision. He did. He risked a lot when he went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

Touching the body would render him unclean for Sabbath observance.

It would have him expelled from the Sanhedrin.

It would identify him with One just executed for treason.

He’s risking his position and his life!

But he does the right thing! You know why?

Because Jesus didn’t just risk His life for him, He gave his life for him.

Some of us may be playing games with God like Joseph was.

Let me ask you a question.

What if Christ did die for you? What if the gospels are true?

When you stand before God what will you say?

What will you say to the One who left His position in heaven for you?

What will you say to the One who suffered for you?

What will you say to the One who died for you?

We are playing games with God and don’t understand the privilege it is to live for Christ, suffer for Christ, and die for Christ.

Why the borrowed tomb? Because it gave Joseph the great privilege of coming out of the shadows and serving Christ.

2. It fulfilled Scripture.

Isaiah said He would be buried with the rich (Isa. 53:9).

The verse says:

And they made his grave with the wicked

and with a rich man in his death,

That’s a tough verse to understand. Let me help you:

It would be the intention to have Him buried as a criminal yet He would be buried like a rich man.

There were a lot of obstacles to this:

Jesus nor His family were rich.

Jesus was killed as a criminal.

It would not be wise for anyone to identify themselves with Jesus, especially a rich person who had a lot to lose.

Jesus was charged as an insurrectionist. Pilate allowing Him to be buried at all was extremely uncommon.

This isn’t an easily explained occurrence. Criminals aren’t given decent burials. In fact they often were not buried at all.

It never ceases to amaze me how liberals try and explain away prophecy.

Feeding of 5,000- when people saw the little boy give his lunch to Jesus they all felt bad and pulled their food out.

When the soldiers collapsed at the arrest of Jesus- Jesus startled them when He came out of the garden.

When the disciples caught the large load of fish- Jesus merely saw the fish.

Here’s the fact:

700 years before Jesus was buried in a rich man’s tomb a prophet said He would be.

He was.

He deserved to be buried with the rich.

There is none richer than Him!

Think of this for a moment: Born with the poor, buried with the rich.

Christ is willing to save us all!

Rich or poor!

Black or white!

Jew or Gentile!

Sometimes we think Jesus only loved the poor. He loves the rich too! He will come into a rich man’s life just as sure as He will come into a poor man’s life.

Why the borrowed tomb? Because it fulfilled Scripture.

3. He died.

That’s simple enough. Jesus needed a tomb because He was going to die.

He did die. There are those who say He didn’t. They say He appeared to be dead and revived in the tomb. Let’s look at the text and we will see He was dead.

Pilate made sure He was dead (44) “Surprised”. He didn’t take Joseph’s word for it. His own soldier made sure Jesus was dead. Notice Mark calls His body a corpse (45).

Let’s look at what Joseph did.

He took the body of Jesus off the cross (46). The Romans didn’t even do that.

He carried the body of Jesus. How far, I don’t know. He did carry it.

I spoke of Simon’s privilege of carrying Jesus cross beam. What about the privilege of Joseph. He is carrying the lifeless body of Jesus. Perhaps he laid Jesus over his shoulder. What a scene this would have been.

As the sun sets over Jerusalem, we see a man:

Climbing a cross

Carrying a body

This dignified man is doing one of the most undignified things.

This Jewish religious leader is making himself ceremonially unclean.

The blood of Jesus smeared on his own clothing and body.

Joseph gave Jesus a proper Jewish burial. Another secret disciple showed up to help him. His name was Nicodemus. He brought with him 75 pounds of myrrh and aloes (John 19:39).

They would have washed Jesus body.

They would rub the myrrh and aloe on it.

They would wrap the body in linen cloths.

Jesus’ death was confirmed by His executors.

Jesus’ death was confirmed by His followers.

Jesus died.

He was buried with the same ritualistic practices of any dead person.

As close as these men were to the body of Jesus they would have known if He were dead or not.

After the body was anointed and wrapped He was placed in the tomb and it was sealed by a stone. Noticed the stone was “rolled” (46). It would have been like a millstone, flat and fit into a type of track. They were built so they were easy to close but very difficult open (roll back). Again, showing this was an extravagant grave.

Let’s summarize this. The body of Jesus was:

Tortured

Bruised

Lifeless

Washed

Anointed

Wrapped

Sealed in a tomb

Why the borrowed tomb? Because Jesus died.

4. He wouldn’t need it for long.

This is why it’s a borrowed tomb.

When Jesus borrows something, He always returns it.

Luke tells us that no one had ever been laid in that tomb before. Why is that important?

It was not uncommon for a family to use the same tomb to bury generations of people. If another body, or other bones were in the tomb someone may retrieve them and say they found Jesus remains.

This is an important part. God goes the extra mile to assure us that Jesus rose from the dead.

There are some foolish [people that still believe Jesus did not rise from the dead. It is not because God has not plainly shown them the truth. Let’s consider some evidence.

1) The empty tomb.

If Jesus did not rise where is His body?

The Romans hated Christianity.

The Jewish religious leaders hated Christianity.

History shows us that did all they did to stop the spread of Christianity.

They threw people in prison

They robbed people of their livelihoods

They tortured people

They killed people

All they had to do to stop it was take the dead body of Jesus and put it on public display. That would have been cheap. That would have been simple. They couldn’t do it. Why? Because they did not have it. He arose!

We live in a world of doubters. There are mockers on every side. You know what I want to say to the unbelievers? “Where is His body?”

The Jews didn’t have it.

The Romans didn’t have it.

The disciples didn’t have it.

It is at the right hand of the Father.

2) The earthly witnesses.

Jesus was seen by many who testified He was alive.

This morning I want you to know something.

I believe Mary Magdalene.

I believe those two disciples on the Emmaus road.

I believe Peter and James and John.

I believe Andrew and Simon.

I believe Nathanael. I believe the Apostle Paul.

They all saw the Lord; it changed their lives and they told people about it. And those people told someone else, and they told another, and they told another and eventually somebody told you and me. I believe them.

In the first century there were no shortage of witnesses who so the resurrected Jesus.

3) The evangelistic work.

In the first century Jesus Christ was barely known. There were a handful of followers. Jesus promised a greater work after the coming of the Holy Spirit.

At the end of the first century there were 60 million people in the Roman Empire and less than 10,000 were Christians. That’s .00017%.

By 200 AD there were 200,000 Christians- .36 %

By AD 250 more than a million- 2%

By 300 AD more than 6 million. 10% of the population were Christians.

Christianity spread from continent to continent. It became and still is the world’s biggest religion with about 2.4 billion people.

The gospel spread because Jesus was working through His people.

To think that Jesus did His greatest work after He died is astounding. Why don’t you try that. Start you a little business after you die and let’s see how it goes.

If Christ is dead how is He accomplishing so much?

He is alive and He is building Hs church.

4) The incredible life changing salvation He gives.

Oh to be saved! When you are saved you know He is alive! If Jesus is not alive who is saving all these people?

Who saved me?

Who took the taste for alcohol out of my mouth?

Who took the pipe out of my hand?

Who tamed my tongue so that I haven’t said a cuss word since January 14 1996?

Who set me free from the vices of immorality?

Who gave me this desire to know the Word of God?

Who gets me up and gives me the desire to be in church with God’s people?

Who convicts me when I love too little?

Who is doing all this stuff folks?

It ain’t me!

I don’t have that kind of will power.

“If any man is in Christ….”

A dead Jesus can’t save anyone. A living Jesus can save anyone.

Why the borrowed tomb? Because He wouldn’t need it long. He would rise from the dead.

5. To give us all hope.

Jesus set the pattern. Because of Jesus every believer has a borrowed tomb.

We’re all going to die. But we’re not going to stay dead.

Jesus said I am the resurrection and the life, He that believes in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.”

The Bible says Jesus is the first fruits of the dead (1 Cor. 15:20). The first fruit was a portion that represented the full harvest. It was proof that a harvest was coming.

The resurrection of Jesus is proof that more resurrections are coming. Jesus’ resurrection guarantees ours.

In a world filled with death we need this hope.

This is more than our spirit going to heaven when we die. This means we will have a body in heaven. The Bible teaches in the end Jesus will resurrect all the saved and give them a glorified body. In that perfect body we will experience the joys of heaven and eternity.

I’m glad about that!

I want a body!

I’m not an angel.

I’m not a ghost.

God made me a human.

I like being human. All the people I know are humans.

You say “What if all that is left of me is askes or dust?”

What did God use to make Adam’s body? Was it not dust.

Don’t worry about how God will make you a glorified body, just know He will.

People ask will they know their loved ones in heaven. They don’t understand we will have bodies.

Yes, you will know your loved ones.

We will look better than we ever looked but we will still look like ourselves.

You’ll recognize Mama.

You’ll recognize your husband.

You’ll recognize your children.

Thank God for that. Jesus is our hope at a funeral. Everyone in this room will have a funeral.

Let me share this before we close. The resurrection of Christ is proof that His Words are true.

That means we must be born again.

We must be saved.

We mus see our sin.

We must turn from our sin.

We must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.

We must turn from our sin and call on Him in sincerity to save us.

I pray to God you will do that. When you do you will have the hope of eternal life that only comes through Christ.