See Where His Body Lay

Jesus tomb, as was common practice, with kings, was sealed with a large circular stone, sealed with a Roman seal 27:66. A guard of soldiers was also set (Matt 27:66). Early on the first day of the week an earthquake occurred as an angel of the Lord descended. Despite the earthquake the stone was not moved - the angel did that (Matt 28:2). Earthquakes produce chaos and disorder but on this day there is peace and orderliness. The women on the way to the tomb mused as to who should roll away the stone (Mark 16:3).

A single angel is more powerful than a watch of soldiers, has more authority than Imperial Rome itself. Having opened the tomb the angel sat upon the overturned stone with its broken seal. The stone represents the limit of man’s power. The seal represents the limit of Rome's authority.

From this angelic being, his first task complete, now a word of comfort to the women. 'Do not (you) be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified'. The disciples had scattered but the women, devotedly, were back at the tomb. Some would censure the women for their lack of faith in not expecting the Lord to rise as He said He would. The angel does not upbraid them for their lack of faith but sees their devotion, and rewards them.

Following that word of comfort, an invitation 'Come see the place where the Lord lay'. That is the invitation we hear again each Easter morning. It is an invitation to strengthen our faith - at an empty tomb. However we must come not as an Historian or Archaeologist would come, we come as the women came - ready to minister to the Lord. Those who minister to others, themselves receive great blessing. The women certainly were greatly blessed that day.

Luke 24:3 tells us they were 'greatly perplexed' because they found no body. Having embalmed His body they had every reason to be perplexed. Indeed the lack of a body caused no small stir then - and still does today. Not only were the women perplexed, so were the chief priests who offered bribes to the soldiers to say the body had been stolen by His disciples (28:12-13). Just think, the responsible authorities had lost His body!!!

Then there was His disciples LUKE 24:23,24 Cleopas on the Emmaus road, tells how they had not believed the women and how they went to the tomb but did not see a Him either alive as the women said, nor His body: 'And when they found not His body, they came saying that they had seen a vision of angels which said that He was alive. And certain of them which were with us went to the tomb and found it even as the women had said, but Him they found not'.

The lack of a body causes many problems even today. The life and death of Jesus is so well documented both in religious and secular history that few would be foolish enough to deny Jesus had once lived on earth. But His body - disappeared - no body, no proof! The world wants a body - to believe. The Christian, does not need a body to believe, for a body in His tomb would destroy our faith, and hope of resurrection. An empty tomb, and a risen Lord is the guarantee that we shall rise again to be with Him.

The women looked for a body, but did not find one. What did they find? An angel with a glorious message of hope - 'He is not here He is risen'. A commission - 'Go and tell My disciples, and Peter'. Peter, who later visited the tomb only saw a pile of linen burial clothes. Now I wonder why? As Peter had been mentioned specifically by the angel. Clearly Peter had doubted the testimony of Mary Magdalene: 'And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe' (Mark 16:11), and 'Their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they did not believe them' (Luke 24:11)

What will you see at the tomb on Easter morning? Will your doubting heart cause you to see just emptiness - a pile of burial clothes? Or will you like Mary receive confirmation in your heart that He is who He said He was, and that He is alive forever more. Your faith strengthened.

You may have to struggle through the darkness and coldness of doubt and unbelief - BUT DO COME. The women pressed through the darkness of the night, through the pre-dawn chill, through their natural fears of a graveyard - and found not so much an empty tomb, but a Risen Lord. The promise in the Word is that if we draw near to God, he will draw near to us. This is brilliantly fulfilled with the women at the tomb.

The Outcome of That Morning: 'They departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy and ran to bring His disciples word' (Matt 28:8).

First we note the sense of urgency - departed quickly - ran. Next we note their - fear and great joy. Fear - because of the majestic, holy angel, and the message Jesus is alive. Great joy - because their friend, their Lord was alive – alive - alive. So they ran to proclaim the good news.

Hardly had they been entrusted to spread the word - they're off, at speed. It is at this point that something happens beyond their wildest dreams. 'As they went to tell His disciples, Jesus met them, saying "Rejoice" and they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him'

The Lord who honoured their devotion to Him by sending His angel to them, now in the face of such utter devotion - REVEALS HIMSELF TO THEM. The doubting disciples must wait to see the Lord. The devoted heart will meet Him at the empty tomb.

So how will you approach the empty tomb this Easter morning? Do you have doubts in your heart concerning the Lord, who He is etc.? Then all you will find is a pile of burial clothes, like Peter did. But do you come to His tomb, ready to minister to Him, from a heart totally dedicated and devoted to Him. If so, then you will find your Lord waiting to reveal Himself to you in all His risen glory, so strengthening your faith and trust in Him. JESUS IS ALIVE!

Two Hundred Years Ago, in Anglesey

The Principality of Wales has a long history of being blessed by God with spiritual revivals, some of which have affected the whole of the country and beyond, whilst others have been more localised in their affect. Two hundred years ago this summer, such a spiritual outpouring took place on the Island of Anglesey, where Christmas Evans had been preaching since 1791. Christmas Evans is regarded as perhaps the greatest preacher Wales has seen, and alongside CH Spurgeon, the greatest Baptist preacher Britain has ever heard. The revival centred around Ebenezer Church, Llangefni, in the middle of the island, where eighty members were added in just a few months. In the churches across the island, however, it seems that over 600 people were converted in just over a year, and an island that had been known for its violence, superstition and immorality was transformed by God’s grace. 

 Like so many of the revivals in the history of Wales, it followed the prayers of God’s people. One of the evidences that God is about to work in a place always seems to be that He gets people to see the need and pray to Him, and that was certainly true in Anglesey. There is a wonderful story of a man called Hugh Jones, from Feillionen, who was wrestling in prayer with God for Him to bless the church when the revival came. He had been a deacon in the church there for almost its whole history, and was known as a wise and discrete man with a peaceful, tender disposition. 

The Baptist Magazine of February 1817 records of him that “At the beginning of the revival in July, 1814, on a Saturday evening, he was in a private meeting of the church, and was observed to pray and wrestle with God with much more than his usual importunity, ardour, and holy fervour; entreating the great Head of the church, in the language of his own promises, to pour out his Holy Spirit on the pastor and members of the church, and to carry on the work newly begun, like a spreading flame of fire throughout India and the whole world. He prayed especially for the young converts, until all hearts were melting, and streams flowing from all our eyes; and a cordial Amen attended his requests, like hammers beating nails into a sure place.” 

History records that that night Hugh Jones retired to bed at an early hour, and rose again before daybreak that he might seek God for the Sunday worship services to be blessed. When his family rose soon after, to their great astonishment, they found him upon his knees in a praying position; but, as the Baptist Magazine so delightfully describes it; ‘his soul, like the bird of Paradise, had escaped from its cage of clay, and sped its flight far above the sun, into the presence of his dear Jesus. It is presumed he commenced prayer, by entreating the blessing of God upon the work of the day; and ended it by bidding farewell to the world, and sin and sorrow.’ 

Though Christmas Evans was undoubtedly the mightiest preacher in Anglesey, it was while he was away touring South Wales that the revival really came to Llangefni. Evans would travel south every year to preach and to raise funds for the churches he had planted and established in Anglesey where people were very poor and most fellowships were in debt. 

Christmas Evans asked one of the ‘lesser’ preachers to take his place in Ebenezer, Llangefni while he was away. Robert Williams had been the preacher in Brynsiencyn for some years, and though it was difficult to leave his own chapel, it was even more difficult to refuse a man like Christmas Evans! As Brynsiencyn wasn’t far from Llangefni, Williams knew he would still be able to visit the flock at home and so reluctantly he agreed. 

Robert Williams found the church at Ebenezer to be at a low ebb. Many of the members had lost their zeal, and seemed careless about spiritual things, despite the work of Christmas Evans, who was greatly saddened by the situation. Very few came to hear Evans at the midweek meetings, and so Williams wondered whether there would be any point in continuing with them. 
“How can I expect them to come to hear me?” Williams asked, but Christmas Evans was a man of great faith, and with the ability to encourage the faint-hearted; “O no!” he said, “you keep to the preaching, and I’ll keep to praying for you.” This brave and believing statement of Christmas Evans was a special means of encouraging Mr Williams, and he threw himself into his work with an unexpected degree of confidence and bravery. He continued to preach in the midweek evenings as well as on the Lord’s Day. One such midweek evening, a revival so powerful broke out that before the end of the meeting at Ebenezer, many had fallen on their knees, praying. There was a great cry from many of the people for mercy for their souls, and real evidence that the Spirit of the living God was applying the ministry to the hearts of the hearers for their salvation. By the time Christmas Evans returned from his journey to the south, the congregation had increased greatly, and many were asking to be baptised, having become disciples of Jesus Christ. 

In heavenly rapture Evans cried out, “Where have these come from to me?” The two godly brethren rejoiced together in the success of the Church of Christ, and the salvation of souls. In the body of that year about 40 to 50 were added to the church. 

We leave the last word to Christmas Evans himself; ‘Despise not the day of small things, but confidently preach the word earnestly, in season and out of season, waiting for the breath of God to blow and quicken the dead who lie in trespasses and sins: remembering that He is able to bless a midweek meeting, and He has done this many times before, to the conversion of many sinners.’ How we need the God of Christmas Evans to come in power on New Inn, where the same violence, superstition and immorality is found as was in Anglesey two centuries ago!

Looking to Jesus

At the family service last month we thought of the way the Lord Jesus ministered to a man who was profoundly deaf. From the story recorded in Mark chapter 7:31-37 we saw how He used his own version of sign language to show the man what he was going to do … and then wonderfully did it. We were reminded that if we have ears we need to hear (Mark 7:16)! 
One of the things that always fascinate me when I see it is someone signing for those who are deaf and hard of hearing. Occasionally when there is a news bulletin on the television you see someone signing in the bottom corner of the screen and I can’t take my eyes off it, so much so that I often forget to listen to the news report at the same time. Though I have ears to hear, I don’t hear because I’m too busy focusing on the little person in the corner. I read this week of the sign language used to ‘say’ Jesus. Do you know what it is? To make the sign, apparently, you simply put the tip of your index finger of one hand into the palm of the other, and then the index finger of the second hand in to the palm of the first. With Easter coming up, I’m sure you can work out why. To think of Jesus you must think of the nail prints in his hands. 
On Good Friday we will remember the death of Christ. After the mockery, the scourging, the spitting, the stripping, the striking and the humiliation, those hands that had ministered to, and healed, so many were taken and nailed to a cruel cross. He died, not just because he was taken by cruel hands, but because God’s perfect plan for our salvation could only be executed if He was (Acts 2:23). Without the shedding of his blood our sins could never be forgiven (Heb 9:22). On Good Friday we will remember his death afresh. But on Easter Day we will celebrate the resurrection of the Jesus put to death on Good Friday. He is the Son of God! He is the Resurrection and the Life! He has conquered death and the grave, as well as sin and Satan, and gives eternal life to all who will trust in Him. That truth is so wonderful it cannot be anything but true! The early disciples struggled to believe it and even to recognize the risen Lord when they saw him. But the nail prints were still there. John 20:20 tells us that the fears and doubts of those disciples hiding away at the end of that first Easter Day were gloriously removed when they saw His hands. Then they were glad because they knew they had seen the Lord! 
Whoever had the idea of making the sign for Jesus revolve around the nail prints was very perceptive. As important as the life of Jesus was, with its perfect obedience to the law of God, and its endless outpouring of compassion to those who were in need, it is the death and resurrection of Christ that is key to our understanding of him. He came to give his life as a ransom for our salvation. It is his death and resurrection that gives us hope. It is trusting in the Christ of Easter that will bring us salvation. Have you done that?