The Burial of Jesus

by Greg Win

INTRODUCTION:

Please remember that the purpose of our series of studies is to instill in each of us a stronger faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. We need to be able to say with the apostle Paul; "I know who I have believed" (2 Tim. 1:12). Our method of achieving this stronger faith remains the same. We are studying one central event – the resurrection of Jesus. If it never happened, then Christianity is a cruel hoax (1 Cor. 15:14,15). But if it is true, then it serves as the climax to the most remarkable life ever lived on this planet – and it demands a reaction from you.

This lesson will deal with events which followed the death of Jesus on the cross. There are some very important points here which are essential to proving the resurrection.

  1. THE BURIAL – Luke 23:50-56
    1. The burial place:
      1. The crucifixion occurred at "Golgotha" – meaning "the place of the skull." (John 19:17)
        1. Some say that the hill itself resembled a skull when viewed from a distance.
        2. But others say that it was called this because the place was littered with the skulls and skeletons of men who had been crucified there.
      2. The later case being true, if Joseph had not begged for the body, it might have been left for the dogs and wild beasts to devour.
      3. The burial place was very near to the crucifixion site – just outside the city of Jerusalem – John 19:41.
        1. This fact effectively removes the possibility of foul-play on the part of Jesus’ disciples.
        2. If the body had been carried to some distant place for burial, critics would have been able to claim that some mischief took place.
      4. The tomb was "hewn in stone". (Luke 23:53)
        1. It was not a typical cave-tomb, as was frequently used in that region.
        2. This tomb was man-made, actually carved out of a solid rock wall.
        3. Therefore, there could have been no second "secret" entrance by which someone could have entered to tamper with the body.
      5. It was a new tomb.
        1. "Wherein never man before was laid". (Luke 23:53)
        2. Thus an empty tomb meant that Jesus was resurrected – it could be no one else.
    2. The burial methods:
      1. John 19:38-40
      2. With the help of Nicodemus, Joseph prepared the body of Jesus for burial using 100 pounds of spices which Nicodemus supplied.
        1. Myrrh: "a fragrant substance derived from the liquids of various plants and trees… an odorous resin which exudes from the branches of the Cistus Creticus."
          The New Smith’s Bible Dictionary, Garden City, New York, Doubleday and Co., Inc., 1966, pp.250,251
        2. Aloes: "a costly and sweet-smelling substance used for perfume, evidently extracted from a tree."
          (ibid, pp. 16,17)
      3. The normal procedure would have required binding the body in strips of linen, the spices enclosed in the layers of cloth. The body was wrapped up to the arm pits, then the arms were lowered and the body wrapped again.
      4. The head was generally wrapped in a separate cloth. (John 20:6,7)
      5. This resulted in an encasement so tight that it could hardly be removed. In fact, it was nearly airtight.
    3. The huge stone:
      1. Mark 15:46
      2. The stone was so large that the women who returned to anoint the body on the first day of the week were concerned about finding someone to remove the stone for them.
      3. How big was the stone?
        1. The entrance to the tomb was obviously big enough for a man to enter through it, but it required stooping down to look inside. (John 20:3-5)
        2. Say then that stone was 4 ½ feet in diameter.
        3. Engineers from Georgia Tech have studied the type of stone native to that region, and based upon a 4 ½ foot diameter, have stated that the stone could not have weighed less than 1 ½ to 2 tons.
          Josh McDowell, The Resurrection Factor, San Bernardino, Cal., Here’s Life Publishers, Inc., 1981, p.54
        4. Such a stone would have been prepared ahead of time, placed in a trough, and wedged in place. It would have rolled by gravity to its resting place in front of the tomb once the wedge was removed.
  2. SECURITY PRECAUTIONS
    1. Roman Guards
      1. Matthew 27:62-65
      2. A Roman guard force generally consisted of 16 heavily armed men trained to protect and hold 36 square yards of ground against the attack of an entire battalion (ibid, p. 56).
      3. The discipline of these soldiers was so strict that failure to securely hold an assigned post brought the death sentence.
    2. The Roman Seal
      1. Matthew 27:66
      2. The Romans thus testify to us that the body was there, in the tomb, and under heavy guard.

CONCLUSION:
These burial procedures and security precautions provide invaluable proof concerning the resurrection. Specifically, as we shall see, the steps taken by the Romans to prevent any foul-play actually serve to confirm that the resurrection occurred.

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