The Empty Tomb Of The Cross 14
Mark 16:2-6

A. The resurrection of Jesus is the most challenging fact in the history of the world. It’s a
miracle of such tremendous magnitude it makes all other phenomenon fade into insignificance.
We live in an age of phenomenon. Man’s accomplishments, successes are astounding.
a. Of all the scientists that have lived on earth, 85% are alive today. In one day man
undertakes enough research to fill 8 sets of the Encyclopedia Britannica. . In the field of
medicine alone we successfully perform organ transplants, bionic implants, gene splicing,
genetic engineering. You name it and we’ve done it. No wonder nothing surprises us
as we hear of new discoveries and read of new inventions.
We take phenomenal feats for granted. We live in what has been termed as the age of miracles. It seams that man can accomplish anything he wants. But, there is one thing man cannot do. Man cannot raise himself from the dead. Jesus Christ the Son of God is the only One to ever accomplish that astounding feat.
(1) And the resurrection makes the most daring demands on our lives and our
faith. The resurrection claims to be our only hope of eternal salvation. The
resurrection and the hope of eternal life is the promise, the assured promise
given by Jesus.
(a) If we accept Jesus as Savior we cannot deny, doubt the resurrection. It is
the one thing that makes Christianity unique. The resurrection is one of the
things that sets Christianity apart from all other religions.
At best the only thing other religions can offer is that you will be recycled like an old used tire. You can be reincarnated over and over to a life of pain, torment, hardship, poverty and failure. Pain and sorrow for a thousand life times. I certainly do not find that possibility exciting in any way.
Jesus not only promised the resurrection, but He demonstrated it by His own resurrection from the dead and gave us the Holy Spirit as the seal, guarantee that we would be resurrected also.
He gave us the Bible, the Word of God to tell us about the love of God that sent His Son to purchase that salvation with His own blood. That same Bible has been miraculously preserved as our guide book to show us how to make this salvation our own personal road map to eternal life through Jesus.
Jesus put His approval and seal of Authenticity on the Bible, all the Bible.
Jno. 10:35, He said, “The Scriptures cannot be broken.” They cannot be changed, altered, ignored without consequence, Matt. 24:35, “Heaven and earth may pass away but My Word shall not pass away.” Then in Jno. 12:48, Jesus said, “My Word will judge you in the last day.”
Yet , men of intelligence in the age of seemingly impossible accomplishments deny His resurrection. Try to discredit the eye witness testimony of the Resurrection and reject the Bible’s claim that Jesus rose both Physically and Spiritually.
The Scriptures tell us that every effort possible was made to insure against fraud and deception. The Jewish leaders made sure no hoax was perpetrated by the followers of Jesus.

(1) I’m thankful for their thorough, elaborate precautions against a hoax occurring Those who succeeded in putting Jesus to death, also made sure His body would remain in the tomb. They had the sepulcher sealed by the Roman government and the tomb guarded by Roman soldiers, read with me the account as recorded in Matt. 27:62-65.
(2) Notice what happens on Sunday morning, Mk. 16:1-8.
(3) Where are the soldiers? Where is the body of Jesus? We get the answer in Matt. 28:2-4, 11-15.
(4) What broke the seal, Who moved the stone? The hand of God did. The soldiers say so, the women at the tomb say so, the apostles all say so.
John’s record reads thus, Jno. 20:1-20, 24-31.
(5) Until the resurrection the apostles thought the Lord had been defeated. They were hiding from the Jews. Feared for their lives. Then something happened that changed their lives and drove out that fear.
(6) What caused them to commit their lives to live and die for the preaching of the gospel. There is only one answer. Their knowledge that the resurrection is real. It is a fact and they were eye witnesses of it.
2. The resurrection is proof, positive Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God with power.
(1) That resurrection is the key that opens the door to new life lived in the Holy Spirit.
(1) Obedient believers are transformed by the power of God into new beings. Just as Christ promised, In Rom. 6:3-6, Paul says, “We were buried with Him in baptism as dead to sin so we could be resurrected with Him to walk in newness of life, (Vs. 5, says why) So we can be in the likeness of His resurrection.”
(2) We believe, and that causes us to obey God’s Word, and that obedient faith enables God to transform us into the likeness of His Son.
(2) Rom. 8:9-11.
(1) Paul reminds us in Col. 1:27?28, “Christ in you, is your hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.”
(2) Acts 20:32.

Spur - 02/24/2002 am