Encore Post:
In the silence of a cold, dark tomb, the world changed forever.
Just as He promised, Jesus rose from His rest in the grave, breaking the seal forever.
And no one noticed.
The Romans were really good at torturing people to death. Crucifixion was a slow death, designed to kill with the maximum amount of pain and humiliation possible. If the Romans killed you, you were dead. Jesus, in fact, was already dead when the soldiers moved to hurry the process to get the bodies into a grave before sunset and the beginning of the Sabbath. There could be no doubt that He had truly died.
Once they laid Jesus in the tomb, no one expected Him to go anywhere. Pilate ordered the tomb sealed by Rome’s authority, setting its seal on the stone that shut it off from the world. Had He not risen from death, the women would have completed His embalming, and they would have mourned Him for seven days. After a year, they would have gathered His bones into a stone box. In fact, this is what Caiaphas’ family did. Archaeologists have found the high priest’s box. Had He not risen, likely no one today would even know the name of Jesus.
But Jesus did rise from the dead. The seal of His tomb was broken, and with it the seal of our graves. Death no longer has the final word. Because He lives, those who trust in Him will live also. When we die now, our spirits live with Him until the Last Day, when Jesus returns. On that day, He will call our bodies from the grave, and a new creation will occur. We will finally be whole. Our bodies, like His resurrected body, will be fit for eternal life.
Death no longer has a sting. The grave will have no victory. (1 Corinthians 15:55-57)
That is why Easter strikes such a chord with Christians. It is why we greet each other with joy:
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Hallelujah!
Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog
The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack
Rev. Robert E. Smith
Pastor Emeritus
Fort Wayne, Indiana
©2018-2026 Robert E. Smith. All rights reserved. Permission granted to copy, share, and display freely for non-commercial purposes. Direct all other rights and permission inquiries to cosmithb@msn.com.
