The Real Purpose of EasterNäide

Day 4: Witnesses of His Death

Many critics of the Bible have tried to argue that Jesus was never really dead, that His burial was a trick to give the illusion of resurrection. However, it is central to our faith to understand that Jesus was dead. He wasn’t asleep or waiting for the right moment to walk away. His soul had left His body and there was nothing left but a corpse, and there were many witnesses to this fact.

As a member of the Sanhedrin, Joseph of Arimathea was well aware of the exultation the supreme council members felt over Jesus’ death. But in an act of bravery, he went to Pilate to request the body from the cross, and after a centurion informed Pilate that Jesus was indeed dead, Pilate gave Joseph permission. Together, Joseph and Nicodemus, another Pharisee and secret follower of Jesus, provided the most expensive oils, spices, and cloth to dress Jesus’ body. This is an amazing story of two men who dearly loved Jesus and wanted to give His body the highest honor they could provide.

Luke and Mark tell us that after Jesus’ body was placed in the tomb, the women who came with Him from Galilee “beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid” (Luke 23:55). The word “beheld” in Greek means to gaze upon, to fully see, or to look at intently. This is very important, for it proves the women inspected the tomb, gazing upon the dead body of Jesus to see that it had been honorably laid in place. If Jesus had still been alive, those who buried Him would have known it, for they spent hours preparing His body for burial. Then they lingered in the tomb, checking once again to see that the body was treated with the greatest love, care, and attention.

Some critics have claimed that only Jesus’ own disciples inspected His body and that they could have lied about His being dead. However, the chief priests and Pharisees remembered His claim that He would rise again. Fearing that Jesus’ disciples would come to steal the body and claim by its absence that Jesus had been resurrected, the Jewish leaders went to Pilate and requested that a “watch” be put on the tomb. This is the word for a group of four Roman soldiers whose shift changed every three hours. The changing shifts ensured that the tomb would be guarded 24 hours a day by soldiers who were awake, attentive, and fully alert.

Wasting no time, the chief priests and elders hastened to the tomb with their government-assigned soldiers and the special officers to put Pilate’s seal upon it. The purpose of the seal was to authenticate that Jesus was dead. Before sealing the tomb, therefore, these authorities were required to thoroughly inspect the inside of the tomb to see that the body of Jesus was in its place. We can also be fairly certain that the chief priests and elders who accompanied the soldiers demanded the right to view His dead body as well so they could verify that He was truly dead. After guaranteeing that the corpse was where it was supposed to be, they rolled a massive stone in place and then sealed it with the official seal of the governor of Rome. There is no doubt that Jesus was dead, for He was examined again and again, even as He lay in the tomb.

Regardless of all these efforts to secure the site and to keep Jesus inside the grave, however, it was impossible for death to hold Him.

Questions to Discuss:

1. The purpose of the seal on Jesus’ tomb was to authenticate that He was indeed dead and His body was securely sealed there. Are there any areas of your life that you have kept sealed in an attempt to prevent God from stirring or affecting change in you?

2. What promise to you from God seems incapable of coming to pass? What hope or dream in your life have you buried? Spend some time remembering that the power of the One who raised Jesus from the dead can raise up His promise to you too.