A Temporary Tomb

Dead Things Come Alive!

“He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again” (Mark 8:31 NIV).

Throughout the community of Bethany, Lazarus’ death and the grief of his sisters, Mary and Martha, was widely felt and many came to join in the grief and offer condolences. The absence of Jesus was noticed, especially when it took so long for His arrival. They would not be able to understand God’s purpose if He had been there earlier, so Jesus delayed His arrival at the family’s home. 

Lazarus was in the tomb four days before Jesus stepped on the scene and uttered three words that changed everything, “Lazarus, come forth!” That was, without doubt, the most noteworthy miracle up to that moment in the ministry of Jesus. An empty tomb remained as a testimony of His love for a friend and His power over death. 

As a result of this miracle many came to believe in Jesus and embraced His ministry. Others, especially among the religious leaders, increased their determination to stop this movement and stomp out any suggestion that Jesus might be the Messiah. It was too late for that. Increased crowds clamored to see Him, heard His message, and pledged to follow Him.
Jesus forecasted His own rejection by the scholars, His suffering through their wrath, and ultimate humiliation of a sinner’s execution. In spite of these predictions He made no preparation for interment. “Let the dead bury the death,” He once quipped, and now it seems there would be no burial place for His body. 

It was intentional that Jesus did not secure a burial plot. He didn’t plan to stay there long. Jesus said, “… that he must be killed and after three days rise again” (Mark 8:31 NIV). Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would be given, “a grave among criminals, but he ended up instead in a rich man’s tomb” (Isaiah 53:9 TPT). Joseph of Arimathea, a secret disciple, obtained permission from Pilate to take the body of Jesus and bury Him in his own tomb. It was a temporary occupancy, a short term rental. Only a three day stay, and the empty tomb became evidence to the resurrection of Jesus Christ! He lives! Dead things come alive!



Theme passage:
“For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives” (Romans 6:4 NLT).