Shock At The Tomb

Imagine the scene at the tomb…the Chief Priests think they have won this round. Jesus is dead and buried and they have permission to secure another man’s tomb with the royal seal and post guards on round the clock duty so the disciples can’t steal his body and say he is risen.

I imagine they retire to gloat and laugh about the events of the day and this mad man who claimed to be great and a miracle worker who couldn’t save himself and died like a thief. In fact for all accounts he died too fast. The guards are laughing about how His disciples scattered in Gethsemane and how they cried at the cross. It’s likely no one is talking about the curtain that ripped and what it could mean.

Ha! They’ve got all bases covered… Or do they?

The soldiers are chilling, shooting breeze, comparing stories of the past three days and the seven before that. How the shouting got this guy crucified. How a murderer was set free. How lucky the guy who got the clothes was. Wondering what their next assignment would be and how boring it was to guard the cave…oopps grave of a dead lunatic. They chill there sitting in groups watching the four corners lest those crazy Jew’s spring a trap and ambush them to steal the body.

All systems go, all men alert….or were they?

I think of Joseph of Arimathea wondering what happened to this great man that His power was snapped out when He needed it the most.

They are all totally unaware that heaven is galvanising, planning, putting things in place for a showdown. Oh a big throw down is coming as

Then it happens…..

A tremor, they look at each other. Another one… It can’t be. They look around for the approaching but the forces are unseen, under their feet and all around them, shifting the atmosphere, moving things around underground. What is this there was no earthquake warning

Then it hits, an earthquake…bigger than they have ever known. The whole hill shakes, the ground shifts so those who are standing fall and some injure themselves with their weapons aimed at the would be thieves called disciples. Yet the disciples aren’t coming because of fear.

They can feel it, hear it and see it. The rumbling, the shaking. The seal pops off and hits one on the head and the restraints on the door snap like young twigs on a tree and they all turn to the grave. The stone that many worked together to install begins to roll away on it own as if spun by an invisible hand inch by inch till it is open.

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Then they see it…jaws drop, screams are heard and some fall to the ground. There’s no body! Oh No! The grave is empty. What where did he go? Is there a secret passage to the grave?

BOOM! A flash of light! Then a creature bathed in light, beautiful and brilliant sitting on the stone looking at them fiercely.

The terror sets in, fear grips their hearts, their minds shut down for a moment then they take off like they have seen a ghost leaving their weapons and outer clothing in a bid to get as far away from the madness. Auto pilot kicks in taking them back to their garrison and into their corners, shaking, still seeing the light of the creature, hearing the volume of the stone rolling away, terrified beyond their wits end.

The terror of the happenings overrides the fear of losing their jobs because they abandoned them post. Who would stay there with all these antics. Not believing what they heard, did and just saw and they resorted to lies and foolishness but their denials didn’t change the facts. The disciples didn’t steal the body. The angel actually appeared. Christ is indeed risen.

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Truly the Son of God that saves the sins of the world was intent on saving and did everything he had determined to do.

He sends out an invitation to walk with God. A demand and a call that you come closer. Choose closer: you will never regret it.

#NoExcuses #NoLimitations #Easter

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