Bible Study Week 7
Part 5
Jesus Lives
God's plan called for the Messiah to come forth out of the grave; death could not hold Him! God would not allow Him to see corruption. Jesus had predicted how long He would be in the tomb.
"Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign, and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: for as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth" (Mathew 12:38-40).
Soldiers Guarded His Grave
After Jesus' burial, the chief priests and Pharisees came together to Pilate and said, "Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.
Command therefore that the sepulcher be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first." Pilate responded, "Ye have a watch: go your way, make it sure as ye can" (Mathew 27:63-65). The Jews left Pilate, went to the sepulcher, sealed it, and set a watch, or guard, over it.
Jesus Came Forth
Their efforts to keep Christ in the tomb were to no avail. The angel of the Lord descended from Heaven, clothing white as snow. The Keepers of the tomb shook and became like dead men.
Mary Magdalene, Mary, the wife of Cleophas and the mother of James, and Salome, along with others, made their way to the tomb. They wanted to anoint the body of Jesus with spices they had prepared. As they came the wondered, "Who will roll the stone away for us?" But when they arrived, they saw that the stone was rolled away from the door. Christ was risen! The tomb was empty!
Mary Saw Him
Later, in recording the facts of the Resurrection, Paul stated that "he was buried, and that he rose again, the third day according to scriptures: and that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve, after that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain un this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James, then of all the apostles. And at last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time" (I Corinthians 15:4-8).
Jesus appeared several times to His disciples during the forty days after His resurrection. He ate with them and gave them His last, important commands (Mathew 28:16-20; Mark 16:9-20; Luke 24:13-53; John 20:19-31; Acts 1:3).