Text: Mark 16:1–8; Luke 24:1–12
This morning’s lesson isn’t going to have nice little anecdotes or metaphorical stories to go along with it. The facts of the lesson are so compelling they don’t need additional stories to get the points across.
There are moments in history that change everything.
A declaration of war can change nations.
A signed treaty can change borders.
A diagnosis can change a family.
A phone call can change a life.
But there has never been a moment in all of human history more important than the moment when a group of grieving women came to a tomb just outside Jerusalem… and found it empty.
That tomb had been occupied by the body of Jesus of Nazareth and as we all know, he had died very publicly.
• He had been crucified on a hill outside the city walls.
• His body had been taken down after life had left it.
• He had been wrapped in linen.
• He had been buried in a brand new tomb and a great stone rolled into place with a Roman seal had been secured to it with Roman soldiers to stand guard.
And yet on the third day…
The stone was rolled away.
The seal was broken.
The guards were gone.
And the tomb was empty.
The question is simple, but it is the most important question in the world:
Why was the tomb empty?
Everything hinges on the answer.
If Jesus did not rise, then Christianity collapses. If Jesus did rise, then He is exactly who He claimed to be—the Christ, the Son of the living God, prophesied about since the beginning of creation.
Paul said Jesus was
“4 …declared to be the Son of God with power… by the resurrection from the dead”
Romans 1:4
Think about three simple truths as we go through this lesson:
1. Jesus the man was truly dead and buried
2. The tomb was truly fully secured
3. The tomb was truly emptied by the power of God
I. Jesus Was Truly Buried
So before we can talk about an empty tomb, there is something we must first establish which is very important:
There was a real body in a real tomb.
No one in the first century seriously disputed that Jesus had in fact died on that cross there on Golgotha on that day. Not the Romans, not the Pharisees, not the disciples, and not Jesus’ earthly family.
His death was public.
It was not done in secret.
It was not rumor.
It was not a legend.
He was crucified before the eyes of His disciples, His enemies, the Jewish leaders, the Roman soldiers and the crowds of Jerusalem.
John records that the Roman soldiers made certain He was dead, and one of them pierced His side with a spear (John 19:31–37).
This spear in the side matters because some people have tried to suggest:
- Maybe Jesus only fainted
- Maybe He merely swooned or lost consciousness
- Maybe He revived later in the tomb
But Roman executioners were not amateurs. They knew death. They’re business was death.
Their own lives could depend on their ability to inflict death on their enemies.
Pilate himself was surprised that Jesus was already dead, so he verified it with the centurion before releasing the body to Joseph of Arimathea (Mark 15:44–45).
Joseph and Nicodemus
So lets talk about Joseph of Arimathea for a moment. Joseph was an honorable man, a prominent member of the Sanhedrin council (Mark 15:43), and a disciple of Jesus—and he was the one to ask for the Lord’s body.
Nicodemus came too. Together they:
- Took Jesus down from the cross
- Wrapped His body in linen
- Prepared Him for burial
- Brought Him to a new tomb
- A tomb hewn out of rock
- A tomb that had never held another body
That’s important.
It was not a common grave. It was not a borrowed shelf among many corpses. It was a new, identifiable tomb. This means there was no mistaken identity and no confusion about which body was there. AND, there was no possibility of saying, “Maybe they went to the wrong place.”
John says they brought with them a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about 70 pounds as was the burial custom at the time.
So how is that important in our study of the empty tomb? Well, it’s important because it means Jesus was not casually wrapped.
He was:
• Bound in grave clothes. This was not just a big sheet. It would have been many strips of cloth and the body would have been bound tightly with the hands and arms placed against the body first and then the legs would have been bound together. This is important because it means the person in the tomb, if they were still alive would not have had the freedom of their hands and arms to remove the wrappings themself. And this fact helps to nullify the argument that Jesus was only wounded when placed in the tomb. The scriptures tell us that Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus prepared his body.
• The body was surrounded by spices. The spices and oils were infused into the wrappings as well as placed around the body. This of course was principally to help diffuse the odor of decay. With that little bit of knowledge we can ascertain that neither Joseph or Nicodemus expected Jesus to be brought back to life.
• Jesus’ body was prepared carefully. Even though they were pressed for time to complete the bodies preparation before the Sabbath began, they still did so with care and respect.
• Also, when Jesus’ body was placed in the tomb, it was very likely a shelf carved out of the rock and laid there deliberately. This is important because it tells us the grave could not have been easily penetrated in order to remove the body as the Jewish leaders wanted people to believe.
When the tomb was later found empty, the grave clothes were still there—left behind in an orderly way.
That raises a powerful question:
If thieves stole the body, why leave the wrappings?
And if they were in a hurry, why leave them neatly?
No, Jesus was not misplaced.
He was truly buried.
II. The Tomb Was Truly Secured
Now if the Lord had simply been laid in a shallow grave somewhere, skeptics might say:
“Well, maybe someone moved the body.”
“Maybe grave robbers came.”
“Maybe the disciples took Him.”
But Scripture goes out of its way to show us that this tomb was not left vulnerable.
Matthew says a great stone was rolled to the door of the tomb (Matthew 27:60). And Mark tells us the women later worried among themselves:
“3 Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?”
Mark 16:3
Why were they worried?
Because they knew the mighty stone would be in place and they could not move it.
This was not a pebble.
This was not a decorative marker.
This was a massive barrier.
And that wasn’t all.
The enemies of Jesus remembered something even when the disciples had not yet grasped it fully: Jesus had said He would rise on the third day.
So the chief priests and Pharisees went to Pilate and said, in essence:
“Make that tomb secure, lest His disciples steal the body and claim He rose.”
So Pilate gave them soldiers to guard the tomb. They secured the tomb, they set a seal on the stone and they posted soldiers as guards. (Matthew 27:62–66)
That Roman seal mattered. It represented official Roman authority—possibly a cord or fastening affixed with wax impressions bearing the authority of Rome. To break that seal was not just vandalism. It was defiance of imperial authority, so to break it would be a death sentence for the one who broke it.
A Roman Guard
And then there was the Roman Guards. These weren’t simple guards, they were battle tested soldiers. Men trained by the Roman empire to overtake and rule the world. They weren’t nervous temple guards and not simple watchmen prone to fall asleep while on watch – which if they did, they would suffer the penalty of death.
They were disciplined.
They were armed.
They were accustomed to violence.
And failure on watch would mean death.
So let me ask:
Does it make sense that frightened disciples—who had fled when Jesus was arrested—would suddenly regroup, overpower deadly Roman soldiers, move a massive stone, and break a Roman seal, then enter the tomb, unwrap the body, fold the burial clothes and carry Jesus away… all without being stopped?
That theory just does not hold water.
Peter had denied the Lord.
The apostles were hiding behind closed doors for fear of the Jews (John 20:19).
These were not men organizing a midnight raid on a tomb which would have, in the eyes of the Romans, amounted to an attack against Rome.
The enemies of Jesus unintentionally gave us some of the strongest evidence for the resurrection.
By securing the tomb, they made the miracle harder to deny.
The more secure the tomb… the stronger the evidence when it is found empty.
III. The Tomb Was Truly Emptied
Now we come to the heart of the matter.
When the women came early on the first day of the week they found that
• The stone had been rolled away
• The seal had been broken
• The guards were gone
• And the body of Jesus was not there
(Mark 16:1–8; Luke 24:1–12)
The tomb was empty.
And here is something important:
Even the enemies of Jesus never denied the tomb was empty.
They did not say, “The body is still there.”
They did not say, “You are mistaken.”
They did not produce a corpse.
Instead, they admitted the tomb was empty and tried to explain it away by saying the disciples stole the body while the guards slept (Matthew 28:11–15).
But that explanation collapses under its own weight.
The Jews’ Explanation Fails
Think about it carefully:
If the guards were asleep…
- How did they know who took the body?
- How did all of them sleep through a stone being moved?
- How did armed Roman soldiers fail to wake?
- How did frightened disciples become fearless commandos?
- Why would thieves unwrap the body then fold and leave the grave clothes?
And if the soldiers truly slept on duty, why were they not executed?
Because the story was bribed into existence.
It was a cover story.
Matthew tells us the guards were paid to say it.
What Really Happened?
Matthew gives the answer plainly:
(Read Matthew 28:1-4)
There was a great earthquake.
An angel of the Lord descended.
He rolled back the stone.
The guards shook with fear and became like dead men.
And in the morning when the women came to take care of Jesus the angel said:
“6 He is not here; for He is risen, as He said.”
(Matthew 28:6)
Brethren, the stone was not rolled away so Jesus could get out.
The stone was rolled away so the witnesses could look in.
The empty tomb was not for His benefit.
It was for ours.
IV. The Disciples Were Not Gullible Men
Sometimes people talk as if the disciples were naïve, superstitious men who were ready to believe anything. But the gospel accounts say the opposite. The women were shocked and frightened. Mary Magdalene initially thought someone had taken the body. The apostles thought the women’s report sounded like “idle tales” (Luke 24:11).
Peter and John ran to the tomb.
They saw.
They wondered.
They did not instantly become triumphant resurrection preachers.
Thomas outright refused to believe until he saw the risen Lord.
That matters.
Because Christianity was not built on wishful thinking.
It was built on:
- An empty tomb
- Repeated appearances of the resurrected Christ
- Eyewitness testimony
- A transformed group of disciples
Paul says Jesus appeared to more than 500 brethren at once (1 Corinthians 15:6).
That is not a private hallucination as some would have you believe.
That is not a mystical impression.
That is not “they felt His presence.”
That is testimony.
And look what happened to those disciples.
Before the resurrection:
- They were afraid
- They were scattered
- They were behind locked doors
But after the resurrection:
- They preached publicly in Jerusalem
- They accused the very men who killed Jesus
- They endured threats, beatings, imprisonment, and death
Why?
Because they knew something.
Not because they invented a story.
Not because they wanted influence.
Not because they were trying to start a movement.
Because they had seen the risen Christ.
Men may die for a lie they think is true. But they do not willingly suffer and die for a lie they know they invented.
V. The Empty Tomb Fulfilled Prophecy
You see, the resurrection was not an afterthought. It was not Plan B. It was foretold.
Peter, preaching in Acts 2, quotes David from Psalm 16:
“For You will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.”
Peter says David was not speaking of himself, because David died and was buried, and his tomb remained.
But Jesus…
Jesus’ tomb was empty.
David’s body saw corruption or decay. Jesus’ body did not.
Peter says:
“32 This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses.”
Acts 2:32
That’s the point.
The resurrection:
• Fulfilled prophecy
• validated Jesus’ claims
• vindicated His identity
• confirmed the gospel message
The empty tomb is heaven’s declaration that Jesus is Lord.
VI. Why the Empty Tomb Matters to You
Now let’s bring this home.
This is not merely about proving a doctrine, no is merely about winning an argument.
The empty tomb is personal.
This is a powerful truth:
“Jesus’ tomb was emptied for YOU.”
1. The Emptied Tomb means Jesus is the Son of God
If He rose, then He is who He said He is.
He is not merely: a moral teacher, a prophet among prophets, a misunderstood revolutionary, or a tragic martyr
He is:
- the Christ
- the Son of God
- the risen Lord
2. The emptied tomb means death is not the end
Peter wrote that God
“3 has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”
(1 Peter 1:3).
Not a dead hope. Not a vague hope. But a living hope.
Because the grave could not hold Him, the grave will not have the final word for those who belong to Him. Paul called Christ “the firstfruits” of those who sleep. That means His resurrection is not an isolated event. It is the beginning of something.
Because He rose…
- the faithful will rise
- death will be defeated
- the cemetery is not the final destination
3. The emptied tomb means the gospel demands a response
The resurrection is not merely something to admire. It is something to obey.
Romans 6 says we are buried with Him through baptism into death, and just as Christ was raised from the dead, we also should walk in newness of life.
That means the gospel has a pattern:
- Jesus died
- Jesus was buried
- Jesus rose again
And when we obey the gospel:
- We die to sin in repentance
- We are buried with Him in baptism
- We rise to walk in newness of life
If Christ rose, then every sinner must answer Him.
Acts 2 is the perfect example. When Peter preached the risen Christ, the people were cut to the heart and asked:
“Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
Peter did not say, “Just accept the fact intellectually.”
He said:
“38 Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…”
Acts 2:38
And about 3,000 souls obeyed that day.
The empty tomb still calls men and women today. It says:
- Believe in the risen Christ
- Repent of your sins
- Confess His name as the son of Jehovah God
- Be baptized into Him
- Live faithfully in the hope of resurrection
Conclusion
What does that mean for us?
Let’s come back to the original question:
Why was the tomb empty?
Not because the disciples stole the body.
Not because the women went to the wrong tomb.
Not because Jesus merely revived.
Not because of legend or confusion.
The tomb was empty because:
God raised Jesus from the dead.
The stone was moved.
The seal was broken.
The guards were helpless.
Death was defeated.
The grave was conquered.
And Jesus Christ walked out alive.
And because He lives:
- Your faith can stand on solid ground.
- Your sins can be forgiven.
- Your life can be made new.
- Your death does not have to end in despair.
- Your future can be filled with hope.
Invitation
If you have never obeyed the gospel, why wait?
An empty tomb calls out to you. The risen Christ calls you.
Come in faith.
Turn from sin in repentance.
Confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
Be buried with Him in baptism for the remission of your sins.
Rise to walk in newness of life.
And if you are a Christian who has grown cold, discouraged, or burdened…
Come back to the One who conquered the tomb.
Because the message of the empty tomb is still this:
He is not here. He is risen.
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