The Greatest news the world has ever heard: The TOMB is EMPTY!
Dear Friends, wishing you all a Happy Easter! Easter is not a mere festival; it is an event that shook the entire human history. Jesus the incarnation of God rose from the grave as He promised and He is the only one since. The Bible is also one of the best historical narratives which states His resurrection. Paul, a former atheist, after encountering Jesus followed Him and preached Jesus. He is the author of the book to the Corinthians and states in 1 Corinthians 15:3-6, “For I delivered 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 the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep.”
The resurrection of Jesus is recorded in the New Testament Gospels in the Bible - Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20-21 and in the Book of Acts. However, the earliest written record of the resurrection is the creed in 1 Corinthians 15:3–8, written by Paul around AD 50–55, which scholars believe dates to within months of the event. You can do more in depth reading to understand the resurrection also through non-Christian sources as mentioned IN THIS LINK
There is an interesting fact about the tomb in which Jesus was buried. According to the Bible, Jesus was buried in a borrowed, new tomb owned by Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy disciple who requested the body from Pilate. Key verses confirming this are Matthew 27:57-60, Luke 23:50-56, and John 19:38-42, note that the tomb was nearby, hewn from rock, and previously unused. The tomb, which was new and carved into rock, was used only temporarily—for a few days—because Jesus did not remain there, fulfilling the prophecy that He would be with the rich in His death.
Joseph of Arimathea was a respected, wealthy council member (Sanhedrin) who secretly followed Jesus. He asked Pontius Pilate (Pontius Pilate was the Roman prefect (governor) of Judaea from 26–36 CE, best known for presiding over the trial of Jesus and sentencing Him to crucifixion), for Jesus’ body, ensuring a proper, honorable burial rather than leaving it for a mass grave.
Significance of "Borrowed": The tomb was not Jesus’ own, and it was used for a very brief period before the resurrection. Tradition holds that the tomb is within the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
Prophetic Fulfillment: It fulfilled Isaiah 53:9, which predicted that despite being crucified with criminals, the Messiah would be buried in a rich man's grave. The Book of Isaiah is a prophetic book which was written approximately 700 to 500 years before Jesus. While the prophet Isaiah lived and wrote in the 8th century BCE (c. 700s BC), modern scholars indicate the book was compiled in stages, with major sections written during the Babylonian exile (6th century BCE).
The Gospel in the Bible is not advice for religious improvement. It is the announcement that God saves sinners through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We can have eternal life. Jesus came and died to pay for our sins, making it possible to live eternally. His resurrection proved it and paved the way for all who believe. Acknowledge the fact you are a sinner, believe that He died and rose again for your sins, and you will be saved. You may like to check my previous blog on Resurrection Revolution .
Click to read the previous blog HERE
