Road to Redemption - A Tentative trip - 3/9/08
Date: 3/9/08
Sermon Series: Road To Redemption
Sermon Title: A Tentative Trip
Text: John 19:38-20:10
Theme: Empty grave clothes and a rolled away stone are memorials left for mankind to mark the triumph of God over the power of sin and death. These reminders are important milestones for us to have as we remember the eternal victory that is available to us through relationship in Christ.
Introduction: Acts of a play.
Transition: Last week I mentioned the fact that an empty cross is an important theological symbol for the New Covenant Christian perhaps a more important symbol is the empty grave. Jesus was not the first nor was He the last person to die for a cause He believed in, a cause which was just. But He is the only person who has given up his life in selfless sacrifice and then refused to stay dead.
Our faith is not built on the fact that Jesus died but on the fact that he rose and lived and continues to live. A living, eternal High Priest and Intercessor are the roles which are being filled by Christ today because the grave is empty.
1. A Final Act of Love – 38-40
a. (Setting and actors)
b. Joseph, Nicodemus and Pilate
i. Asking permission
1. A bad day that never gets any better. This peasant from Galilee has caused Pilate all kinds of trouble. Just when he thinks he should be done with it finally, then people continue to show up and ask him for things concerning him.
a. The Jews ask to have the people on the cross put to death so that they won’t hang there during the Passover Sabbath. Then two more Jews come to ask for permission to take Jesus’ body down. Finally the religious leaders come back and ask for soldiers to guard the grave. He can’t get rid of this problem.
ii. Bringing bindings
1. It is interesting to note the kindness which Joseph and Nicodemus treat this body.
a. Parallel accounts of this narrative let us know that Joseph was a prominent member of the Sanhedrin. That he spoke up on Jesus’ behalf and that he was a secret disciple.
b. He is accompanied by Nicodemus, the guy who had snuck in at night in order to ask Jesus some questions. Although we know from other texts that while Nicodemus was a bit (Jn. 7) ambiguous about his statements he did tell the council that they should listen to Jesus before they condemned Him.
iii. Witness of the women.
1. Through out the narrative of the Passion of Jesus we see women that are the ones who are offering the most loyalty to Him. At the cross everyone but John fled and the women stayed. Now at the burial it is the women who follow the men who are taking the body so that they know where it is. Even though they are aware that Joseph and Nicodemus have brought material to see to the body, they are sure that they can’t do a good enough job and make plans to come back and do the job right.
2. A Futile Act of Burial – 41-42
a. (The Setting) The Grave
i. This was a Tomb which belonged to Joseph. Matt. 27:60
1. Ancient Middle Eastern Burial Practices. A lot of this part of the narrative seems strange to us. When people that we care for pass away we contact a funeral home and all of the details are taken care of and we are simply left with a funeral or memorial service and a marker showing where they are buried. This was not the case in the ancient Middle East. Custom prescribed that each family would purchase a cave or a carved out tomb which would serve as the burial place for the whole family. The usual practice which occurred when someone died was they were placed in the tomb usually on a shelf that was carved out of wall. They were left there for a year in order to decay and then the family went back into the tomb and gathered their bones up and placed them in a stone box called an ossuary. This was necessary to continue to make room for other members of the family as they died. The reason that large quantities of aromatic materials were wrapped up around the body was so that if they had to enter the tomb during the year the odor would not be too overwhelming.
ii. A tomb that was nearby
1. We know that this tomb was close to the sight of the crucifixion, was owned by Joseph and that it was new, in other words no other bodies or bones have been placed in it.
a. The importance of a new tomb. – Empty
b. The amazing providence of God as Joseph was confronted by the death of Jesus an realized that he had a tomb close by, he must have been sure of his place in God’s story.
c. Do you know your place in God’s story? Have you noticed the hand of God working providentially in your life?
iii. (The Actors) A guard of soldier
1. There has been some question here as who provided the guards to watch over the tomb.(recorded in Matt. 27)
a. The Greek text is a bit ambiguous over this point. The NIV follows the thought of most scholars and makes it sound like Pilate gave a Roman guard to the religious leadership. It could also mean that Pilate told them they already guards, use them and make it secure. I think the chances are the NIV has it right here. Pilate allowed them to have a Roman guard, in Matt. 28:14, they are afraid to report back to Pilate. I don’t think a temple guard would report to Pilate but to the Sadducees. Secondly Pilate attaches his seal to the grave stone to make sure no one disturbs it. I don’t see him allowing these Jews to guard a place where he affixed his seal.
2. For all of their concern the Chief priests and Pharisees are guarding this tomb from the wrong side. If they had really known the mental state of the disciples they would not have despaired that the disciples had the wherewithal to accomplish what they were afraid of. They put all of their efforts into making sure that no one on the outside of the tomb would roll the stone away instead they should have been concerned about the power that resided on the inside of the tomb.
3. A Frantic Act of Despair – 1-5
a. (The Setting is again at the grave, the actors include the women, mainly Mary Magdalene and Peter and John.)
b. The women’s act of fealty
i. One of the things this narrative really points out to me is the general differences between the way in which men and women approach most situations.
1. Theological Concerns vs. Emotional Concerns
a. While the men are crushed because all of their theological and political aspirations are dissolving, the women are simply concered about what they can do to give last loving rites.
2. Personal vs. Filial concerns
a. While the disciples seem to be concerned about their fate and consumed by the failure they are experiencing, the women are frantic about the need to lovingly care for the body.
b. I see that dark Sabbath as a time where people are very much separated by their concerns, while the men are hiding in fear and uncertainty, the women minds are filled with a desire to show their final care for the fallen teacher.
c. The despair of a disappeared body
i. Have you noticed that each person who is confronted by the empty tomb does not shout with joy that the grave is empty instead you see confusion and panic, until they come face to face with Jesus.
ii. A lot of us spend a lot of time running around in sheer panic as we consider the things that can can overwhelm us. Yet it is usually in those quiet times when we are confronted by the presence of Jesus as a living Lord and personal savior that we find peace and purpose.
4. A Future Act of Hope – 6-8
a. The Women on that Morning –
b. The scene of that early morning before anyone came face to face with the risen savior was filled with anxiety. You see people running from place to place without any kind of sense about what they should be doing.
i. This sensation is familiar to anyone who works in emergency services. I remember when I was on the fire dept., when you came on the scene of a large fire the first thing that you did was try to get a sense of exactly where the problem was. Generally when you show up on the scene people are running around like crazy and you have to just calm them down and make sense out of the situation so that you an act intelligently.
ii. The empty tomb, which should have filled them with extravagant hope instead filled them with incredible anxiety.
1. She ran!!!
2. She was desperate to understand why the tomb was empty.
c. John and Peter
i. It is interesting to note that while the text here tells us that John, writing this account retrospectively says he saw and believed. He is also however careful to relate that he is not sure what he believed in. They were not at this period looking for a resurrection at all.
Conclusion: As we stand at the empty tomb this morning and peer in and see neatly folded burial clothes, what do we face up to? Is there an emptiness that is threatening to swallow you up or are you confident in the promises which your savior has given you?
