The Empty Tomb

If you’ve ever looked closely at a calendar - maybe on the wall or on your phone - you will often notice that the calendar comes with some pre-scheduled events. Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Thanksgiving Day, Halloween. Most of the time these link up with your country’s national holidays, or important days. Traditionally, these days have also included Easter.

Now there’s usually 2-3 events in the easter weekend. My calendar lists Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday. Not sure exactly why mine includes Holy Saturday but there you go. Good Friday is considered “good” because it is the day that Jesus died upon the cross. This fits with the Biblical account which notes that he died on the day before Sabbath - which would be a Friday. Then there is Easter Sunday.

Why is Easter Sunday just as important as Good Friday? Because just like Good Friday, the events of Easter Sunday shape the foundation of our entire faith. Yes, on our calendars, Easter Sunday is just a date - just a few short words in a little box representing another 24-hour period. But it is the events that we remember that day that forever leave us changed. For without them, our entire faith would be meaningless.

Matthew 28:1–10 (ESV)

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.

His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said.

Come, see the place where he lay. 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.” So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.

And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

Jesus’ resurrection makes all the difference.

This entire section of Matthew is focused around the empty tomb. Why? Because the resurrection is so entirely fundamental to our faith in Jesus Christ! Without Christ’s resurrection, our faith would be meaningless. Jesus’ resurrection makes all the difference.

We’re going to look at three spheres that show us how Christ’s resurrection makes all the difference.

For Hope

Let’s start by reading again the first 6 verses of this passage.

Matthew 28:1–6 (ESV)

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.

His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.

Jesus died on the day before Sabbath. It became critical that the criminals and Jesus died before Sabbath, in order that they might not hang there during Sabbath and perhaps hang dead for many hours due to the Jewish restriction about working on the Sabbath. It was when the soldiers came to break Jesus’ legs that they found him already dead - His blood and water separated.

Just stop and think for a moment: What kind of a Sabbath must that have been? Jesus is dead. There is no hope. The band of disciples that just one week before had marched triumphantly into Jerusalem with Jesus was now a defeated gathering of seemingly disillusioned people. I wonder if, in those moments, they seemed just like the followers of an other false teacher or self-proclaimed messiah. We read at the end of Matthew 26:56 that all the disciples fled. Although John returns to the crucifixion, we see that many of the women chose to stay later in Matthew 27.

So, we find two of these women - Mary Magdalene and the other Mary going to the tomb on the first day of the week - Sunday - around dawn or just before it. There had not been time on that Friday night before Sabbath to properly anoint Jesus’ body. So, these women go to finish the job and properly lay Jesus to rest.

Think about these women for a minute: In Luke 8 2 we read:

Luke 8:2 ESV

and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,

Jesus had cleansed her of not 1 or 2, but the possession of 7 demons. What a testimony! This Mary knew the healing power of Jesus - His authority to command even Satan’s armies to obey. First-hand, she had experienced Jesus as Yahweh, the Almighty God.

The other Mary’s identity is not fully know. She could be the wife of Clopas in John 19:25, but that is unclear. Regardless, Matthew 27:55 tells us that these women had followed Jesus, ministering to Him. They loyally stayed by His side, even as He died, even as others ran. Part of this would have been cultural - women wouldn’t have been considered a threat. But in the face of such horror, these women stayed with their Lord.

So the two Marys go to the tomb early Sunday morning. As they are going, perhaps as they get there or a bit before, there is an earth quake. There has already been another earthquake in recent history - the one that shook the ground as Jesus hung on the cross. Now, another one occurs. How fitting for the work that has and is taking place. Most likely, this is the result of the angelic work that we read about in verse 2. The angel rolls back the stone, and sits on it.

Again, it’s not confirmed, but the stone most likely looked somewhat cork-shaped. Something like this:

There had been guards placed outside the tomb at the request of the Jewish leaders. An imperial seal had been placed on it as well. No one was getting in or out of that tomb, on penalty of death. But this is proof no imperial Roman seal, no guards, no human might, can stop the working of God! It is not the Angel who is in trouble, but rather the guard who faint like dead men.

The angel tells the women:

Matthew 28:5 ESV

But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.

If that wasn’t astonishing enough, what the angel says next stands to be one of the most hope-filled verses in the Bible:

Matthew 28:6 ESV

He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.

This is the hinge verse of this whole section. Hope is proclaimed. The Messiah who was killed is not dead at all, but instead is alive. The angel backs up his claim by saying, “come, see the place where He lay.” It is empty.

Jesus predicted His resurrection multiple times in the gospels. In Matthew alone, at six different points Jesus testifies to this fact that He would rise again. What would have happened if Jesus had not have risen?

If Jesus had not have risen, there would be no cause for hope. Jesus would not be worthy of our devotion, or obedience, or our faith. He would have been a fool to be pitied, just like any other lying, self-proclaimed messiah. But Jesus is not some liar, or imposter. He is God the Son, and sent from God to save the would, even as John 3:16 tells us.

So hope springs to life that moment in the tomb. The women become the first witnesses to this life-changing fact: Jesus Christ has risen. He did not stay dead. He was not somehow conquered by death! But instead, as Acts 10:40 tells us

Acts 10:40 ESV

but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear,

The Father raised the Son through the Holy Spirit to life again. These women expected to find nothing more than a corpse. What they found instead is an empty tomb, the first proof that Jesus truly had triumphed once for all, and was alive again - the risen Lord.

Without this resurrection, there would be no hope, no salvation. For Jesus’ mission would be left incomplete. How can a dead man save anyone? Yes, the price was paid, but no one would be there to collect on the other end. In fact, Paul specifically connects us being justified through Jesus to His resurrection.

Romans 4:25 ESV

who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

God raising Christ again showed the Father’s approval of Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf. And if God will raise us up again as well, as we are told in Eph 2 6, that means that God has approved us as well, through Christ. Had Jesus not risen, where would our justification come from? There would be no new life in Jesus, but only death - yet again - for sin. His great mission to save anyone who believed would come to a shame-filled end.

But in that moment, when the Father raised Christ to life again, sin and death were defeated, the victory won, and hope restored.

For Mission

As we read through Matthew’s account of the resurrection, we come to another sphere that is created by the resurrection: Mission

Matthew 28:7–8 ESV

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.” So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.

The great news that these women not only hear but experience first-hand is meant to be shared. In this case, they are charged to go tell the disciples.

Think about it: Had there not been a resurrection. Had Jesus stayed dead, what would there be to talk about? There would be no good news. There would be no “glad tidings of great joy” because there would be no Saviour - He’s dead. But when Jesus was raised, all that changed. Jesus’ mission was accomplished. Hope was alive. But this kind of news isn’t supposed to be kept to ourselves. We are supposed to go and share it with others.

If we continue reading in Matthew’s gospel, we reach the end fairly quickly after this. But what do we find there:

Matthew 28:16–20 ESV

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

This is the Great Commission. There are so many Christians out there that don’t know what these verses say! But these are our marching orders! We are commissioned to go out into all the world and preach the good news about Jesus. That He died for our sins, that He rose again and defeated death and now has all the power and authority. That through Jesus there is new life and life eternal. But all of that would be null and void had Jesus not risen.

The resurrection affects more than just our speech though. Without the resurrection, there would be no model for how we ought to live our lives, which in themselves must be testimony to the truth of the gospel! Jesus taught His followers that

Matthew 10:39 ESV

Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Those who want to live for Christ must crucify their old life - and be 100% sold out for Jesus. This is part of mission - that we do not just tell, we live it out! Our lives are changed from the inside out because of Jesus. But had Jesus not risen, what good would there be in us too “giving up” our lives, or living dead to self interest as one commentator puts it? There wouldn’t be! Because the One we follow would never have gained the crown, but only the cross!

Moreover, without the resurrection the foundation of the apostles, upon which Christ built His church, would crumble.

Think about this:

“It was the resurrection of Jesus that turned the deserters back into disciples.” Turner, Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, Matthew.

The good news that Jesus really was alive again drew these disciples - who had all forsaken Jesus - back in. It is upon these people that Christ built the church. But had there not been a resurrection, the mission of Jesus, carried out by His church, wouldn’t exist.

So we see, the resurrection is all-important for mission!

For the mission of our individual lives and testimonies, and for the mission of the church. What would there be to stand on, to live by, or to talk about had the resurrection not occurred?

This is why it is so important that we do not keep that message to ourselves. Jesus really did rise again - despite the Jewish leaders’ best efforts to cover that up. He really did rise again. This means that everything that Jesus said would happen did happen. It means that hope is alive, and that we can experience new life in Jesus.

If we look at what the angel told these two women, it was to go and see, and then tell others. This is the premise of how the gospel is supposed to work in the first place. The gospel should have a ripple effect. One person hears it, believes, and goes and tells another, they tell a few more, and pretty soon you have 10, or 20, or 100 people who have given their lives to Christ through hearing the gospel being preached. We are commanded to go and proclaim. Not just a few of us, but all of us. This is the appropriate response of any believer - that they cannot keep the message about Jesus to themselves. This is not supposed to be a secret. Instead, we need to go, and proclaim.

Jesus’ resurrection gives us a mission and a message: Jesus died for us, but He didn’t stay dead. He rose again. The mission of these women as they headed to the tomb was to embalm a dead man. Their mission when they left the tomb was to proclaim the triumph of the risen Saviour. The message of hope we find here is one that must be proclaimed, so the women run - the first ever evangelists of the risen Lord.

For Worship

As we draw to the end of this passage, notice how the story ends:

Matthew 28:9–10 ESV

And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

These women hurry away quickly from the tomb. The other gospel accounts, Mark 16, Luke 24, and John 20 all describe in various detail this event as well. Mark notes that the women are so afraid that they kept silent. This seems to be a temporary thing. Eventually, they do go and tell the disciples.

As the women make their way back, they meet Jesus on the road. Translated here as “greetings,” this was their version of a cheery “hello.” It would be like if I saw you in the store tomorrow and said, “Hey! How are you?” This is a amicable, cheerful greeting. Jesus employs something similar.

Can you imagine that?? You are going back to tell the disciples - who have been no doubt in deep mourning for the past 36 hours - that there’s no body in this tomb. But, there’s was an angel that said Jesus was alive. So they now have to get themselves together and get over to Galilee, because Jesus will meet them there. Then as you’re walking, your Lord that you watched die a day and half ago meets you on the road, right as rain, and greets you a standard, happy manner? It’s no wonder they hit the ground as fast as they could!

It is the reaction of these women that helps us to see that Jesus’ resurrection is true! They hit the ground in complete awe and worship.

Jesus’ resurrection radically impacts our worship. Yes, we worship Christ for his atoning sacrifice, and for His love. But to worship Him as conquering King, Lord and judge over all, Jesus had to rise again. Had he stayed dead, there would be no victory over death, no conquering King, no promise of eternity with Jesus. Christ would be the conquered, not the conquering One.

There’s not much note here about these women worshipping Jesus. Matthew focuses more heavily on mission and on the empty tomb. But we should not miss how important it is that we stop to worship Christ as our risen Lord. Jesus really did rise, and that means that we must come before Him in reverent awe as our conquering Lord and King.

Conclusion

So we see that

Jesus’ resurrection makes all the difference:

For hope, because now hope had indeed been restored. Christ did not stay dead, but was raised to life again. He conquered over the sin and grave. We have hope of new life - a new life that starts right now - in Jesus Christ

It also makes all the difference for mission. The mission of Jesus that the church carries out. What kind of testimony would there be if Jesus had not risen? What hope would there be to proclaim? But in rising again, the good news was completed. And this news is too good to keep to ourselves. It must be proclaimed, so that any and all might hear and believe.

For worship. We worship Jesus as Saviour, friend, and conquering King. The resurrection brings new hope, new life, and it is our amazing God that deserves all the praise and glory for accomplishing this.

Jesus’ resurrection makes all the difference. Many people over the course of history have tried to reason it away. The chief priests were just the first in a long line. It might seem far fetched, crazy, or a fairy tale. If the enemy can convince you that Jesus’ resurrection wasn’t a big deal, then truly He has won the battle for your soul.

Had Jesus not been raised again, where would we be today? What hope would we have? Our Lord, our hope, our eternity, would be done away with. Our mission would be pointless. Our worship half-hearted and resounding with despair. Our Lord remains dead - conquered.

But! Jesus rising again makes all the difference. He is alive, He has defeated sin and death. He has paid the price for our sins and now sits at the right hand of the Father! We have hope - of everlasting life with Him. He gives us the Holy Spirit so that we might live for Him and proclaim the gospel. Jesus’ resurrection is the difference between life and death for us. Thank God He rose again!

How do we respond to this?

I think we need to respond the way these women did in Matthew’s gospel. They received the message of hope. They accepted the command to go and tell this good news. And when they met the risen Christ face to face, they immediately worshipped Him, even before continuing on their mission to tell the disciples.

It’s Easter Sunday today, and we have a choice: Maybe you don’t know Jesus as your Lord and Saviour yet. If that is you, here’s the truth: Jesus died for your sins. He was raised to life again to God glory, and so that you might have hope and new life. You have a choice. Jesus Christ really is the Saviour, but you can choose: to accept Him and give your life to Him, or reject Him and deny the power of the resurrection. Christ longs for you - He loved you enough to die for you. Don’t resist Him and turn away. Come to Jesus, give your life to Him. You can live a totally changed life because of Jesus - one of hope and actual living.

For all of us, Easter Sunday can just be another blip on the calendar. It goes by so fast. We can choose to let it rush by, or we can choose to use this time to stop and praise God for the resurrection. God has won, He has conquered. We are saved. He is worthy of all our praise and worship.

But, if this message about hope has actually taken root in your heart, you can’t keep it to yourself. It’s telling that just a few short verses later we see Jesus in Matthew giving His disciples the Great Commission. That Commission is as much for you and I today as it was for them 2000+ years ago. Go into all the world, making disciples of Jesus, sharing the good news, and proclaiming that Jesus Christ did not stay dead, but He defeated both sin and death, and reigns, and He wants to save you from your sin too.