Conclusion of Buried Friday-An Empty Tomb Sunday

Joseph takes the body and wraps it in clean fine linen in preparation for burial. He is assisted by Nicodemus, another member of the Sanhedrin. Nicodemus also has failed to confess his faith in Jesus because of fear of losing his position. But now he brings a roll containing about a hundred Roman pounds of myrrh and expensive aloes. Jesus' body is wrapped in bandages containing these spices, just the way the Jews have the custom of preparing bodies for burial

The body is then laid in Joseph's new memorial tomb that is carved in the rock in the garden nearby. Finally, a large stone is rolled in from of the tomb. To accomplish the burial before the Sabbath, preparation of the body is hasty. Therefore, Mary Magdalene and mar the mother of James the Less, who have perhaps been helping with the preparation, hurry home to prepare more spices and perfumed oils. After the Sabbath, they plan to treat Jesus' body further in order to preserve it for a longer period of time.

The next day, which is Saturday (the Sabbath), the chief priests and the Pharisees go to Pilate and say: Sir, we have called to mind that that impostor said while yet alive, 'After three days I am to be raised up.' Therefore command the grave to be made secure until the third day, that his disciples may never come and steal him and say to the people, 'He was raised up from the dead!' And this last imposture will be worse than the first.

"You have a guard," Pilate answers. "Go make it as secure as you know how." So they go and make the grave secure by sealing the stone and posting Roman soldiers as guards. Early Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James, along with Salome, Joanna and other women, bring spices to the tomb to treat Jesus' body. En route they say to one another: "Who will roll the stone away from the door of the memorial tomb for us? But on arriving, they find that an earthquake has occurred and Jehovah's angel has rolled away the stone away. The guards are gone, and the tomb is empty! Matthew 27:57-28:2; Mark 15:42-16:4; Luke 23:50-24:3, 10; John 19:14, 31-20:1; 12:42; Leviticus 23:5-7; Deuteronomy 21:22, 23; Psalm 34:20; Zechariah 12:10.

Next time: Jesus is Alive!

The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived, 1991