the empty grave

v. 1 Mary Magdalene - body was not there

v. 2 Tells Peter and John

v.3-8 Race to the Grave What they saw

Mary - tomb was emptyJohn - The linen clothesPeter - The linen clothes and Napkin

The burial clothes had been abandoned

v. 9 “For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.”

Ps. 16:9-11 “not leave my soul in hell” = sheol

John 2:19-22 “destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

Luke 24:5-8 “The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.”

v. 10 “Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.”

Mary, Mother of Jesus, was at the home of John

John 19:26 Woman, behold thy son !

John 19:27 “Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.”

Mary Magdalene thought it was possible

John 20:15 “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”

Soldiers testified to this - Matt. 28:11-15When they were asleepBribed to tell thisDeath penalty for a guard asleep

Jews accepted this theoryImpossible

Matt. 27:62-66

NoThey wanted it to remain in the TombMatt. 27:62-66

They would later have produced it when the apostles were preaching about His resurrection

NoThey pierced His side - John 19:34Centurion signed death certificate - Mk. 15:44,45

John 2:19-2 “in three days I will raise it up”

John 20 Open tombEmpty graveDiscarded grave clothes

His appearances were conclusive proof

Mary Magdalene Weeping v. 11Angels v. 12,13Jesus v. 14-17Disciples v. 18

Why think His resurrection strange ?

John 1:1-3 - He made the worldsCol. 1:16-17 “all things were created by him”

Gen. 1:6 - He made manGen. 2:7 - “formed man of the dust”

Our resurrection depends upon it1 Cor. 15:20 “firstfruits of them that slept.”

Gospel depends upon it1 Cor. 15:17 ‘if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.”1 Cor. 15:3-4

Proof of the deity of Jesus

Rom. 1:4 “And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.”

John 10:17 “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.”

God’s forgiving our sins

Rom. 4:25 “Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.”

Basis of Christian Hope

The apostles lost hope at His death – Lk.24:19-21

Regained it at His Resurrection – 1 Pet. 1:3,4 “unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

By which we are saved

“The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ” 1 Pet.3:21

On the first day of the weekJohn 20:1

We remember his death every 1st day of the week 1 Cor. 11:24-25 “this do in remembrance of me.” Acts 20:7 “And upon the first day of the week, when

the disciples came together to break bread.”

No human eye saw the rising of Jesus from the dead.

His disciples and friends saw the empty grave and they saw the resurrected Jesus.

He was the firstfruits of the resurrection – 1 Cor. 15:20The beginningAs he is risen so certainly shall we rise

Romans 6:3-6

“our oldman wascrucified”(6:6)

united togetherin the likeness

of Hisdeath(6:5)

“buried with Him through baptism” (6:4)

“we also shall be in

the likeness of His

resurrection”(6:5)

“raised with Him through

faith” (Col. 2:12)

Sermon by Arthur Pigman

Evans Church of Christ

515 Gibbs Road

Evans, Ga. 30809

706-855-1249

evanscoc@bellsouth.netevanscoc@bellsouth.net

www.evansgachurchofchrist.orgwww.evansgachurchofchrist.org

Sunday Morning April 8, 2012