Jesus was buried. Dead and gone.
At least, his body was.
We read in Matthew 27:57-60 about Jospeh from Arimathea who asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Jesus was wrapped in linen in a tomb and a great stone was rolled across the entrance.
“As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. 58 Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. 59 Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.”
Yet, Jesus wasn’t in that tomb.
He had a job to do. He visited the spirit world and preached to those who had suffered from disbelief in the days of Noah (1 Peter 3:18-20). He visited Paradise and, while there, he took the righteous dead with him to be in heaven (Luke 23:43).
Jesus’ descent into the spirit world and his eventual resurrection from the dead symbolize his victory over death and sin. His example of preaching to the spirits from the distant past illustrates the application of the gospel message to provide salvation to all who believe.
Just to be certain that Jesus’ body didn’t “disappear” by unscrupulous means, once Joseph of Arimathea placed the body in the tomb, Matthew 27:62-66 tells of Pilate assigning a guard of Roman soldiers to ensure that the dead remained “dead.” Little did they understand that they weren’t simply guarding a dead body. This was Jesus we’re talking about!
The urgency by Joseph to ensure that Jesus was buried promptly was motivated by the timing of the Jewish Sabbath. At sundown on the day of Jesus’ crucifixion, the Sabbath started, and the next day was a day of rest and worship. Only after the Sabbath was completed could anyone visit the tomb and tend to the body of Jesus (Mark 15:42-47).
But then, jump for joy! On the morning of the third day, which the modern church celebrates as Easter Sunday, the stone rolled away, and Jesus came walking forth!
Easter Sunday is here! Amen and amen, our Lord still walks among us today!
When our faith is in him, we too will live once more.
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