Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20100901.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Luke: Jesus, The Son Of Man For All Mankind
Part LXXXVIII: Christ's Identity As God's Savior Seen In His Resurrection
A. Christ's Identity As God's Savior Seen In His Empty Tomb
(Luke 23:54-24:3)
  1. Introduction
    1. The Apostle Paul claimed that Christ's resurrection is a cornerstone doctrine of the Christian faith: if Christ be not raised, our faith is in vain, and we of all men are to be pitied, 1 Corinthians 15:13-19 NIV.
    2. Accordingly, it is critically important that we view Luke's record of the resurrection in detail to discern evidences on its validity, and apply it to needs in our lives (as follows):
  2. Christ's Identity As God's Savior Seen In His Empty Tomb, Luke 23:54-24:3.
    1. The significance of the empty tomb on resurrection Sunday is based on the fact that there was no denying the fact that the dead body of Jesus was laid in the tomb the previous Friday (as follows), Luke 23:54-56:
      1. We know from Luke 23:54-55 that the women who had followed Jesus since His initial ministry back in Galilee witnessed not only His death (Luke 23:46-49), but His burial in the tomb.
      2. They viewed the tomb itself (Luke 23:55b) and how Jesus' body had been removed from the cross by Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus, how these men had washed the body, wrapped it with myrrh and aloes and laid it in the tomb with a large stone rolled in front of its doorway, Luke 23:50-53.
      3. Accordingly, out of love and devotion to Jesus, these women had gone back to their nearby dwellings to prepare spices and ointments to add to Jesus' body after resting on the Sabbath day according to the commandment of the Sabbath in the Mosaic Law, Luke 23:56.
    2. However, when these women returned on Sunday, the first day of the week after the Sabbath, they found the large stone rolled away from the tomb, and, upon entering the tomb itself, they discovered that the body of Jesus was now missing from the tomb, Luke 24:1-3.
    3. The mere absence of Jesus' body in view of the context gives great evidence of His resurrection:
      1. First, it is illogical to think any human at that time would have been motivated to remove Jesus' body:
        1. For fear of losing his own life, one of Jesus' key disciples had publicly denied Him, revealing His disciples then lacked the courage to risk their lives by stealing Jesus' body, Lk. 22:54-62; Jn. 20:19.
        2. Besides, the religious rulers sealed and guarded the tomb to keep Christ's disciples from removing the stone and stealing the body lest they promote the idea that He had risen (Matthew 27:62-66).
        3. No one who did not believe in Jesus would steal His body to get others to think that He had risen!
        4. Then, there would be no cause for anyone to rob Jesus' tomb for its riches: He was a crucifixion victim, and the soldiers confiscated such victims' possessions when they crucified them, Lk. 23:34!
      2. Some cause other than human then must have moved the stone from the tomb and removed the body:
        1. It was "(a) circular stone like a solid wheel rolled in front of the entrance to the tomb-cave to keep out intruders," Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978 ed., ftn. to Luke 24:2. The fact that such a large stone had been so far removed from the tomb that women could not only look, but actually enter into it (Luke 24:3) means a significant force had moved it.
        2. However, we have established that no human then would have been motivated to have removed it.
        3. Thus, some strong cause besides human(s) must have moved the stone and removed Jesus' body.
      3. With no human cause for this tomb's disturbance, there must have been a supernatural cause behind it.
      4. However, Satan would not want the body removed lest it promote belief in Christ's resurrection, a fact seen in Satan's people wanting to seal the tomb to keep the body there, John 8:44 with Matt. 27:62-66.
      5. Thus, as Matthew 28:2 reveals, we hold an angel from heaven came and rolled back the stone for the world to see that Jesus indeed had risen from the dead by the power of God! (Romans 1:4)
Lesson: The fact that witnesses who saw Jesus die and be buried later found the tomb's stone door rolled away and His body gone with no reason for any human to take it greatly evidences that He arose.

Application: (1) May we believe that Jesus arose from the dead as Messiah and God. (2) May we rely on God's power to make our faith credible to the lost as He began to do at Christ's resurrection: we are not left to our own strength to disciple others, but the power of the risen Lord is with us, Matt. 28:20!