The Tomb was Open

Lesson #323

With this lesson we begin chapter 20 of the Gospel of John. We ended chapter 19 with Jesus being placed in a tomb, but there is hope because of an event that took place at the tomb. Let us find out what that event was. “Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb” (John 20:1 ESV). The first day of the week is what we call Sunday; Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, which means we can’t count Sunday as a day that Jesus was in the tomb. Tradition has been established that Jesus died Friday afternoon. If that is true then Friday and Saturday are the only two days that Jesus was in the tomb, but Jesus himself said that he would be buried for three days. That means he would have died on Thursday, because he had risen before daylight on Sunday.

John speaks of only Mary Magdalene coming to the tomb, but Mark gives more details: “When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him” (Mark 16:1 ESV). These three woman brought spices with the intension of embalming Jesus again and in a more complete manner than Joseph and Nicodemus had done because of their shortness of time. But when they arrive at the tomb they found that someone had apparently rolled the stone back. It is important that we stop here and consider what took place.

According to Matthew 27:62 – 66, The chief priests and Pharisees requested that the tomb be sealed and a guard posted to ensure that no one would come and remove the body, claiming that he had risen. Pilate granted permission, so they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard. It would have taken several men with tools to break the seal and roll the stone away from the entrance. To do that at night with a guard standing watch would have been impossible.

Matthew continues by saying: “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” (Matthew 28:1 – 4 ESV). That is how the tomb was opened.

Matthew continues by saying: “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” (Matthew 28:5 – 6 ESV). This explains how Jesus left the tomb.

 In the next lesson we will learn what the women did.

Prayer

Father, I think I have said enough about the possibility of the crucifixion of Jesus being on Thursday instead of Friday as tradition holds. Like the Pharisees, who held to tradition and rejected truth from Jesus, we at times are enslaved to our tradition and are not willing to look into it further. I don’t think it is really important on what day Jesus died, but it is absolutely important that he rose from the dead and on that the Scriptures are very clear. Father, thank you that the women experienced the tomb being opened by an angel, and the angel declaring that Jesus had risen.