John 20:1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the
tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away
from the tomb. 2 Then she ran and came to
Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them,
"They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where
they have laid Him." 3 Peter therefore went
out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. 4
So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the
tomb first. 5 And he, stooping down and looking
in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into
the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, 7
and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen
cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. 8
Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw
and believed. 9 For as yet they did not know the Scripture,
that He must rise again from the dead. 10 Then the
disciples went away again to their own homes. 11
But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down
and looked into the tomb. 12 And she saw two
angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the
body of Jesus had lain. 13 Then they said to her,
"Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they
have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him." 14 Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw
Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?
Whom are you seeking?" She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him,
"Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I
will take Him away." 16 Jesus said to her,
"Mary!" She turned and said to Him, "Rabboni!"
(which is to say, Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her,
"Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to
My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and
to My God and your God.' " 18 Mary Magdalene
came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that
He had spoken these things to her. 19 Then, the
same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut
where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus
came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you."
One of the great mysteries for the world to consider is
where the body of Jesus Christ may be found?
We know the location of the burial place of every great
figure of history. You name them, take your pick, right down the line. We know
the location of Alexander the Great’s remains, and George Washington’s, and
Muhammad’s, and Ghandi’s, and the Bhudda, and Abraham Lincoln, Vladmir Lenin, John
Lennon, and so on and so forth…
Those well-known historical figures who have died have
been buried or entombed, and we know the exact location because they were
well-known historical figures. People remember them, and revere them, and they
visit their grave sites to experience something of the history of their lives.
It is all that is left to us of their lives.
Except for Jesus. Oh, you’re right, we DO know the
location of Jesus’ tomb - but strangely His tomb is empty. We have no remains.
They do not exist. Why is that?
The only historically-viable explanation is also the
simplest one. Jesus has risen from the grave, and defeated death and dying.
Just as the first Adam brought death into the world, the
second Adam has taken it away, for all those who place their faith upon Him. In
this way, Jesus IS the way, He IS the truth, and He IS the life – to all those
and for all those who rejoice in His resurrection!
-Pastor Bill
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