The Case of the Empty Tomb

Well, the title of today's study is The Case of the Empty Tomb. The Case of the Empty Tomb.

And so, if you open your Bibles, we will begin our study today in John chapter 20. John chapter 20, in verse 1. Here in John 20, what we have is the record of the empty tomb. We have described for us here the empty tomb and the exact moment in which it was discovered to be empty. So, we're going to read about this incredible moment. And remember, as we're reading this, that this is just after the horrific crucifixion of Jesus Christ. And try to place yourself into what is, and imagine what was going through the minds of Jesus's family and friends and disciples at that time. So, in John chapter 20, let's read verses 1 through 19 to establish our taking off point here. John 20 verse 1.

Verse 3.

Verse 11.

Jesus said to her, Jesus said to her, Mary. Jesus said to her, Jesus said to her, Mary. Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples what she had seen, that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things to her. Verse 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 mist and said to them, Peace be with you. Let's stop there. Let's stop there. Well, quite a record here that's detailed for us, and we could first ask, what do we see here? What do we see?

Well, after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, we see the disciples, who by any standards were men, who were now in complete shambles. One of them, the betrayer, Judas Iscariot, was already dead. Suicide. In the official spokesman of the group, unofficial spokesman, Simon Peter, who had declared that while the others may betray and run and hide you, Jesus, I never will.

That same Peter now crumbled before the questioning of a little girl just hours before. So to look at them just before this moment that Jesus stands before them is to discover a dejected, paralyzed group. There was no heart in them at all at this moment. They were huddled together, verse 19, for fear that the enemies of Jesus Christ would now come to take them, which may be at this point highly unlikely, given the fact they were just so dispirited at this point, so devastated. Fear and disbelief had just overtaken them.

Whatever hopes and dreams they might have shared, well, that had been dashed by the events that have taken place. And when they finally had removed themselves from this crucifixion, no doubt they looked at one another and said, well, that was something while it lasted, but now it's over. Because in a Palestinian tomb, this great story of salvation had apparently come to a grinding conclusion.

You see, these men had no concept of a messiah who would die, nor had a concept, any concept of a messiah who would rise once again from the dead. Their Jewish background was such that the story which they understood was that of a messiah who, once he appeared, would have remained forever. And so, it's impossible then that Jesus was the messiah because he was so clearly not remaining forever. He was gone in their minds, gone for good. We had hopes that he was the one who would redeem us, but apparently not.

However, soon they would realize that this empty tomb now loudly proclaimed the very identity of Jesus of Nazareth. And if you allow the clock to tick, if you allow the pages to turn now at just a few weeks from this point, you find that everything had changed. Everything had changed. These same men, this paralyzed crew, this same dejected group, were now back out on the streets. And it would have been one thing if they had been back out on the streets at their previous occupations of tax collecting or fishing and such, but that wasn't the case. Again, soon after this discovery of the empty tomb, we find these same men who were huddled in fear now energized with a faith as never before. They were out on the Jerusalem streets now declaring to all who would listen that Jesus, whom they crucified, is both Lord and Christ. He is the one they would proclaim. So the question that is obvious to any considerate person is this. What was it that turned these men from such despair to such faith? What was it that transformed their paralysis to such an emboldened expression of faith in just a matter of a few weeks?

What was it that took this apparent catastrophe of death and defeat and turned it into an overwhelming victory?

Today, we want to examine this moment that changed everything, and we want to specifically examine the recordings that have been written regarding this empty tomb. What we want to accomplish today in the time that we have, hopefully, is to not necessarily work through text by a verse-by-verse method or expound a passage of Scripture regarding the resurrection of Jesus Christ, or even work topically concerning the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but rather we want to look at the resurrection of Jesus Christ apologetically.

Apologetically. That comes from the Greek word apolosia, A-P-O-L-O-G-I-A, and it simply means to give a defense. To give a defense. Because if this discovery of the empty tomb changed everything, if the empty tomb changed everything, then the event, this event, and the recording of this event requires a thorough investigation. I'm sure you agree. And so we want to do just that. Today, we want to conduct an investigation, if you will, into the risen Jesus Christ and take on this case of the empty tomb.

And we want to take this case on and operate in this respect. We don't want to operate any differently today than we would operate in any other investigative discipline. We want to apply to the empty tomb the same kind of inductive reasoning that you use in science, for example. We want to apply the same type of inductive reasoning that you would use in mathematics or how you would use in determining the nature of history. The same type of inductive reasoning we want to apply to the records surrounding this empty tomb.

Why do this? Well, what we very often find today is that there are those who have never given a serious consideration to the claims of Jesus Christ. And what we find very often is that the average thinking man or woman who says, I don't want to get involved with religion, I don't want to do that because the people who do don't seem to have any methodology to coming to that belief.

They will say very often when I speak to religious people, they always speak about their experience, their inner experience. But it doesn't seem to be built on any facts or any reason. It doesn't seem to have any foundations, they will say. There seems to be no reason at all as to why I would give any consideration to it.

Indeed, they will say, if I was to give consideration to the empty tomb, apparently what I have to do first is to have a full frontal lobotomy. I have to just take my brain out of the situation. I have to take my brain out and and put it right there under the pulpit. Apparently it's all about feeling, they will say. Once I put my brain to the side, then I could maybe get on to the matter of Christianity.

So let me get back to my biomedical research where I'm going to use proper inductive disciplines to arrive at the best conclusion. A discipline that apparently is missing from Christianity. Have you ever heard that perspective before? That you have to check your brain at the door if you want to come to any understanding or belief of Christianity?

I have. If we're honest, we can understand sometimes how someone can come to that opinion, especially if they say, now you're telling me about your feeling, well that's great, but I have other feelings. So give me more. What we want to go over today is the more. Because we know for the scientist, for the scientist, it is his theory. And when he tests, he does different tests performing different experiments, and what the scientist does is to take the inference from the best explanation. And he says, of all the options, this seems to be the best conclusion.

So that's my theory, and now let me test it. The historian does the same thing. The historian constructs history on the basis of what he sees, and then he takes that construct and sees how well it supports the evidence. But it seems these very disciplines may be missing from Christianity. Have we ever applied that same inductive reasoning to that of the empty tomb? That's important, because we as apologists must realize that you don't have to have a full frontal lobotomy, and you can actually use the same type of inductive reasoning that is used in the other disciplines, and apply it to the empty tomb. We, as Christian apologists, must learn to do the same.

Use the same type of inductive reasoning, take all the options, lay them out, sift through them, to explain that the evidence points to a resurrection and nothing else. That's what we need to do. And what we'll find is that Christianity invites it. Christianity is prepared to stand up to this type of rigorous investigation. The reason many people do not believe today is not because they did a rigorous investigation and found it wanting, but rather it's because they've never done a rigorous investigation.

But a rigorous investigation is needed. So let's get started. Let's start examining the case of the empty tomb here. Maybe the first place to start in looking at the material is to ask ourselves, is this story itself historically credible? Is there any credibility at all to this? Or, when I read this story, as we just did, does it give me the impression somehow or not that a group of individuals went into a room and they came up with this religious idea and they hung the whole idea on the cross of Jesus Christ, on the death of Him?

The answer to that, we can start right here with John in the very first verse. Look what we read in this recording of John 20 here, verse 1, and look at this recording as it tells us who first discovered the empty tomb here. Verse 1, it says, again, 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.

Let's stop there. So, the record shows that Mary discovers the empty tomb. Luke also records this very fact. Let's turn over there. Let's turn to Luke 24, if you will. Luke 24 in verse 1.

Let's read Luke's record of this discovery made by Mary. Luke's going to also add a few other details that it was discovered not only by Mary but a few others with her as well were there in the discovery. Luke 24 in verse 1 through 11, let's read his account of this discovery here.

Luke 24 verse 1.

Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, as certain other women and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. But they found the stone had been rolled away from the tomb. Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And it happened as they were greatly perplexed by this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. Then as they were afraid, they bowed their faces to the earth and they said to them, Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen. Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified on the third day and rise again. And they remembered His words. Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and all the rest. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles. And their words seemed to be like idle tales, and they did not believe them. So let's stop there. So what do we see? The record shows here in Luke and John that it was Mary, and these other women identified there at the discovery of the tomb, the empty tomb. It was customary at that time for the women to be embalmers, carriers of spies, as it says, and that's exactly what we read. So that makes sense. But you'll notice that this discovery is underpinned by the fact that the empty tomb was discovered by whom? Women. Women. Women of all things, we could say. Let's think about this. Think about this context in the history here. Women didn't have a vote. Women, they couldn't give testimony, even in the court of law. At this time, women were regarded as the lowest when it came to these kind of matters. And yet, you read the record here, and what does it say? Early in the morning, while it was still dark, verse 10, Mary Magdalene, and you have Joanna, and Mary, mother of Jesus, of James, excuse me, Mary, mother of James, and other women with them. So let's imagine this for a moment. Let's imagine that we're putting together a mythology here, and we're sitting in the room, and I decide that my contribution to this Jesus storyline, to this Jesus narrative, I say my contribution is going to be, I got it, we will have Mary Magdalene be the first there and these other women to discover the empty tomb. Any sensible person at the table is going to say, no, no, you don't have Mary Magdalene there at the tomb. You don't say that women went to the tomb. Say a man went to the tomb. No one is ever going to believe the testimony of a woman. I mean, if we're going to make a fiction here, let's make a believable one, at least. So, the fact that it is women who are involved in the discovery of the empty tomb, well, that is actually a substantiating factor of its validity. Otherwise, you have to believe that the formulators of this so-called nonsense determined that it was a good idea to have the leaders of the church huddled in fear, cowering. Oh, and I know, and we're going to have these women, these brave women, come and they'll be the ones who discover the empty tomb.

Who would write this?

And the picture of the disciples huddled in fear at the moment that these women found the empty tomb. That leads to another part of the evidence to examine today. And that evidence is to be found in the complete turnaround of these men, of these disciples. Let's think about this for a moment. As we ask, what brought about such a dramatic change in these men? Any serious investigator has to ask, how do these men, hidden for fear, suddenly arrived just weeks later, emboldened on the street, declaring that Jesus Christ is alive?

And so even the most skeptical critic who denies the historical event of the resurrection is still left with coming up with some mysterious X-factor as to what got the whole movement going. So the agnostic investigator says, I don't believe that in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, I don't believe that took place. So that can't possibly be the explanation of these change in these men. And so we, as Christian investigators, we say then, well, the onus is on you then. I call you to to to the stand, to explain why these disciples were so radically different in such a short period of time. The onus is on you as to the origin of the disciples' belief in the resurrection. What was the cause that brought them from such fear to such faith?

And you not only have the empty tomb, but you have the post-mortem appearances of Jesus Christ. You have the post-mortem appearances of Jesus Christ. The evidence shows that the disciples witnessed actual bodily appearances of Jesus after his death.

Of course, then the cross-examination of us is offered up that these appearances, they were just merely hallucinations. They were subjective visions in the disciples' minds. In other words, they might try to offer the explanation that these disciples found their visions emerged from as a result of the faith that Jesus would be resurrected. They were so confident that Jesus would rise. Therefore, from that deep faith, these visions appeared in their minds. In our cross-examination, they would put forth that these encounters weren't reality, in actual just products of a hallucinating mind. They were so full of faith. They wanted it so bad they wanted him to rise so bad. They had so much faith that these were just products of that deep desire.

Full of faith? They weren't full of faith. They thought it was over. They thought it was over. One of them had committed suicide. The other one completely crumbled. Ten of them, sitting around in the dark, huddled in fear, thinking they were going to be the next ones on the stake. So, what faith was it that produced these so-called hallucinations? What faith caused these subjective visions of a risen Jesus Christ?

Can't be. Again, think about this. As Jews, they would have never imagined a risen Messiah in this way. They would have never imagined a risen Christ who later made breakfast for them near the water, who invited them to touch his side and his hands, one who encountered them in different ways on the Jerusalem streets. This would have never been their thought. They would have never thought that this is what they would record later, these events.

And besides, I want you to notice something here about the record. When the opponents of Jesus discovered that the tomb was empty, what did they say? What did they say? Let's look at Matthew's record of this, Matthew 28, in verse 11 through 15. Matthew 28, in verse 11 through 15.

Again, we're going through the evidence here. What's the inductive reasoning here?

Matthew 28 verse 11. What we're going to see is they didn't respond. The opponents of Jesus didn't respond by saying, no, the tomb's not empty. No, rather they scrambled to make up a story that the body was stolen by the disciples. Look at this. What does this point is to? Matthew 28 verse 11 through 15.

Now while they were going, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all these things that had happened. Verse 12, when they assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large summy of money to the soldiers, saying, tell them his disciples came at night and stole them away while we slept. And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will appease him and make you secure. So they took the money and did as they were instructed. And this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day. Let's stop there. So by making this false narrative, they substantiate the fact that the tomb was empty, don't they?

They substantiate the fact that it wasn't in the disciples' minds.

If they would have been able to show that the tomb wasn't empty, that would have been a much easier way to go. They could have went and said, oh, the tomb's not empty. Look, there's his body. There's his body's laying right there. That would have been much easier.

It makes much more sense than concocting a story in this way.

I can clearly see he's in the tomb. Why would they have to come up with a story? Are you beginning to see that it's actually very, very difficult to object to the empty tomb on historical grounds? That's what we're building here. You got your money. Now go and say the reason the tomb was empty was not because he was risen from the dead, but because the disciples stole the body.

We would ask, was that something you really want to hang your hat on? Is that what you want to hang your hat on? That the disciples stole his body?

Why would they steal his body? Where would they put it?

Having stolen it and hiding it, why would they hit the streets with a lie? A lie that would eventually get them all killed for?

Think about that for a moment.

To say that there wasn't a literal resurrection of Jesus Christ is to say that these men went out and died on the strength of a lie.

Would you die for a concoction?

No.

For a conviction?

A man or woman would never die for a concoction. Ah, but for a conviction.

The fact is that the evidence of an actual resurrected Jesus Christ just goes on and on. We could suppose that if the stone was rolled away and if there was a body in there, then no doubt this would have been reverented as a shrine. You would have the record of this becoming a shrine for so many people. But no body, no shrine.

There's no record of a shrine. No, someone says, you know, I don't actually believe that. The women, it must have been the women were at the wrong tomb. That's it. They went to the wrong tomb. Okay.

So they didn't know where Jesus was buried?

No, someone else says, I really don't think Jesus was dead. When he went into the tomb, the coldness of the tomb, it revived him and he went back out on the streets. Okay.

Let me ask you, are not those kind of alternative explanations more incredible than the idea of the resurrection itself?

And I propose to you that any alternative explanation demand more from a woman or a man than that faith in a resurrected Jesus Christ. Demands more, actually.

Is this information reliable? This is the question we need to ask ourselves. Am I out here on a wing in a prayer?

Am I just representative of someone who disengaged my mind at some point in my life and I decided and determined that based upon a nonsense that I would give my life to this belief? Is that us?

Have we just completely disengaged our mind to become Christians? No. We know.

We know the tomb was empty and we know he was actually dead and we know he was actually risen from the dead.

And if you want to know the truth, all of mankind knows it. They all know, because what may be known of God is manifest to them. For God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes are clearly seen, understood by the things which are made, even as eternal power in Godhead, so that they are without excuse. Because although they knew God, they knew it. They did not glorify him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts. Foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools. That's Romans 1, if you want to look it up later.

As an apologist, be emboldened. I want to embolden you today. Be emboldened to ask them, the reason you do not believe, is it because you cannot believe this story? Or is it really because you will not believe?

If you've noticed, like myself, in recent years, when you have these kind of conversations, you find that the other party whom you're talking to is really not interested in the facts. I don't know if you've noticed that. Many of the theological arguments of the past, where they put forth the case of an empty tomb like this, they would say, well, have you considered this? Or have you considered that? But today, the person simply says, I'm not considering anything at all. Frankly, I don't care, they say today. The evidence of the resurrection, which was in the past, a matter of great debate, the risen Christ, fact or fiction, something that might have brought out the crowds, it's no longer the case. Why? Well, today, in the 21st century, people are saying not that it's unbelievable, but rather that it's irrelevant. I'll give you the resurrection. I don't care. I won't argue on that. That's fine. That's okay. Some people are prepared to admit that it's not ridiculous and that it is reasonable, but then they will follow that and say, but does it matter? Does it really matter? You see, the apologist today may have to be different than the apologist years ago. The apologist years ago would take this case of the empty tomb based on its validity. Have you considered this? Have you considered that?

But today, the apologist may come against the argument, does it really matter? Not that it happened, but does it really matter?

So, if that comes to you, all you have to do really is point them to the great apologist himself, the apostle Paul, the apostle Paul for the defense. Does the resurrection even matter? Let's turn to 1 Corinthians 15, if you will. 1 Corinthians 15 in verse 3. 1 Corinthians 15 in verse 3. Now, with Paul himself, he was a great apologist, and he actually addressed both those naysayers in a dramatic way. He was confronted by the resurrected Jesus Christ in a dramatic way, and so it's no surprise that this would be at the very heart of his proclamation. Look here at 1 Corinthians 15, and we're going to see Paul pour his heart out to the defense of this very thing, the risen Jesus Christ. Listen to his words here. 1 Corinthians 15 in verse 3.

He says, For I deliver to you, first of all, that which I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again on the third day according to Scriptures, and that he was seen by Cephas, and then by the twelve. After that, he was seen by over 500 brethren at once, of whom the greater part remained to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that, he was seen by James, then all the apostles, and then last of all, he was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by grace of God I am what I am, and his grace towards me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than them all, yet not I but the grace of God which was in me. Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach, so you believed. Verse 12. Now, he says, here's the great apologist. If Christ is preached that he has been raised from the dead, how do some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty, and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we've testified of God that he raised up Christ, whom he did not raise up, if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile. You are still in your sins. Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, then we are all men most pitiable. In other words, most miserable. Let's not there. So what a great apologist Paul was. What a great defense. What a great declaration here. In this short account, and it goes on through this chapter in his account, having declared Jesus Christ as risen, Paul goes on then to ask if it matters. He says, but if he hasn't risen, then you've all perished with no hope. If he hasn't risen, then all you're doing is wandering around in the dark, lost here. Does it matter? Paul says, you bet it matters. It matters beyond all matters.

So I asked them, follow Paul's example and ask them. Say, can I ask you a question? Might it be possible that you're unwilling to believe not so much in the unbelievable of the story, but because if you acknowledge the existence of a risen Christ, you're then going to have to do something with him. Suddenly, his claims have to be dealt with. Suddenly, his death at the cross have to be considered. Suddenly, the prospect of his return and being brought to the bar of his judgment is something that you have to face. And since you've decided that you'd rather deny and you'd rather eat, drink, and be merry, and you don't want to bow to his lordship, and you don't want to admit your sins before the sacrifice, since you don't want to do those things, then you've determined that you'll simply dispense of the notion of an empty tomb. After all, it's ridiculous.

You're far too sophisticated, I'm sure, to believe in the resurrection.

Really?

Well, say to them, isn't it interesting what sophisticated people are prepared to believe in today? People are prepared to believe today that millions of years ago, life spontaneously was created by a boom or a bang without intelligence, unless we find ourselves here today.

I couldn't possibly believe in that revelation of God. However, on some basis, I do believe in the revelation of Charles Darwin.

Yeah, I believe him, an English geologist and biologist who turned his theory somehow into a worldwide phenomenon.

I have faith in him.

We have to get this. The individuals with this belief, they're clearly not asking Darwin, is this true? And what they're actually asking, is this something I like? Is this something I want? And the truthfulness of it, it's subservient. It's irrelevant.

Well, Paul says, I'm here to tell you, he has arisen and he is alive. And just as it fundamentally changed those men and women then, it can fundamentally change you today.

Paul, the great apologist here, look at, let's finish this chapter verses 20 through 28. Here, verse 20. But, Paul continues, And afterwards, those who are at Christ, who are Christ, at his coming. Then comes the end. And when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when he puts an end to all rule and authority and power, for he must reign till he's put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy shall be destroyed is death. For he has put all things under his feet. And when he says all things are under his feet, it's evident that he put all things under him, is accepted. Now, when all things are made subject to him, then the Son himself will also be made subject to him, and put all things under him, that God may be all in awe. What a defense! You might read that, too, to those. Say, what order are you? What order are you choosing to be in today? If God has revealed this to you, what order are you choosing?

What a defense here of the risen Jesus Christ and all that it brings. You know, here is the future. Here is the hope. It's all wrapped up in the fact that the stone was rolled away and the tomb was empty. The tomb was empty!

Tell them, be a good apologist, and tell them that their guilt, all of their guilt, all of their wanderings of their rebellion, all that stuff that had been part of the the previous chapters of their life that they've tried in vain to deal with, can be dealt with with the risen Jesus Christ. Tell them that the satisfaction that they've been looking for, their deepest longings, the forgiveness of their sin, the freedom from the tyranny of death, a giving of a whole new family, a whole new future, awaits them with the risen Jesus Christ. Tell them.

Say, come on, what are you waiting for?

Are you waiting for someone to rise from the dead to convince you? Well, let me tell you, that's occurred. You need a Savior, and Christ is your Savior that you need.

We all need to pray that we become better apologists of Jesus Christ and God the Father. And I hope we're inspired by these words that we've read of Paul in his example. I hope we're inspired, inspired by the disciples that gave their life to the proclamation of this empty tomb.

Because, as verse 11 says, we are included in this defense. Verse 11, whether it was I Paul says or they, so we preach, and so you believed. So, we are to follow in the steps of these great apologists, our spiritual brothers and sisters, and defend this empty tomb to our last breath. And while Christianity in our calling, it is an internal experience of the heart. There is no doubt about that. I hope we can feel empowered that it's not just an experience. You can hit them with the mind. You can hit them with reason as well. Christianity can stand up to it. It can stand up to it and it invites it. All the fierce cross-examinations.

So, whether it is Paul or they or you or I, we preach. We preach, so they believed.