1. Grace Bible Church Glorifying God by Making Disciples of Jesus Christ

2. The Empty Tomb John 20:1-18
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the pivotal point of all human history
1 Corinthians 15:17-19
Without the resurrection, there is no hope
Our hope is not a wish, it is a confident assurance because Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead

3. Mary at the Tomb John 20:1-2
Mary arrives at the tomb while it is still dark.
The other women arrive at sunrise
They come with spices to finish the burial preparations

4. Mary at the Tomb John 20:1-2
There was a severe earthquake when the angel rolled the stone away from the tomb
The earthquake
ensured everyone was awake
It broke the Roman seal on the tomb

5. Mary at the Tomb John 20:1-2
The stone was rolled away -
not to let Jesus out,
but to let people in
The guards were so afraid they “became as dead men”

6. Mary at the Tomb John 20:1-2
Mary believed someone had taken Jesus body and ran until she came to Peter and John
The other women saw the angel and were told that Jesus had risen from the dead

7. Peter and John at the Tomb John 20:3-10
John gets to the tomb before Peter, but does not go in until after Peter arrives and goes in
They had not understood Jesus’ previous teachings that He would rise from the dead - Mark 9:31-32

8. Peter and John at the Tomb John 20:3-10
The rolled up linens in the tomb showed there was no hurry - opposite of what a thief would have done

9. Jesus Reveals Himself To Mary John 20:11-18
Mary returned to the tomb and talked to two angels
Mary then talked to Jesus, but thought He was the gardener
Mary recognized Jesus when He called her by name, then she clung to Him

10. Jesus Reveals Himself To Mary John 20:11-18
Jesus did not object to being touched –
The other women did (Matt. 28:9)
He invited it (Luke 24:38-39)
Jesus told Mary to stop clinging for He had to ascend to the Father first

11. Jesus Reveals Himself To Mary John 20:11-18
Jesus now refers to His followers as members of the same family - “My Father and your Father”
We are joint heirs with Jesus (Rom. 8:17), but we are sons by adoption (Gal. 4:5 cf John 1:12; etc)

12. Jesus Reveals Himself To The Eleven John 20:19-29; Luke 24:36f
The women went and told the disciples, but they would not believe (Mark 16:13- 14; Luke 24:10-11)
They did not believe until they saw Jesus risen from the dead for themselves

13. Jesus’ Enemies Matthew 28:11-15
The guards returned to Jerusalem and reported to the chief priests
The chief priests showed no concern for the things of God or truth,
The guards were bribed to say that they fell asleep and the disciples stole Jesus’ body

14. The False Story of Jesus’ Enemies Matthew 28:11-15
Falling asleep on post was punishable by death. The priests had to protect the guards
How could the guards stay asleep through the earthquake and the stone being moved away?

15. The False Story of Jesus’ Enemies Matthew 28:11-15
If the guards were asleep, how would they know what happened to Jesus’ body?
If the guards had woken up and seen the thieves, why didn’t they stop them?

16. Conclusions
Jesus’ tomb was found empty - what effect does that fact have on your life?
Do you believe fabricated stories and reject Jesus’ resurrection from the dead?
Do you remain skeptical demanding God meet your standards of evidence?

17. Conclusions
Do you remain weighed down by the circumstances that surround you?
Do you live in the transcendent hope for the future in God’s love & promises proven by the resurrection?

18. Grace Bible Church Glorifying God by Making Disciples of Jesus Christ