1. “What Became of His Body?!”
Matthew 27:62 – 28:15

2. …A group of Boy Scouts out camping and guess what they found
…A group of Boy Scouts out camping and guess what they found? It took fifty years, but the account of David Steeves has finally been subtantiated!
Lt. David Steeves

3. to give proof that Jesus rose bodily from the dead
Purpose:
to give proof that Jesus rose bodily from the dead

4. Christ lived, died, and was buried in a tomb sealed for safekeeping
Christ lived, died, and was buried in a tomb sealed for safekeeping. On the morning of the third day, His body was missing. What became of the body of Christ? There are three possibilities…

5. I Did Christ’s Enemies Remove His Body?
A. Five Death Penalties Connected

6. The enemies of Christ were well aware of the five death penalties associated with anyone who would steal His body…

7. I Did Christ’s Enemies Remove His Body?
A. Five Death Penalties Connected
B. No Motive for Removing the Body

8. The enemies of Jesus did their best to prevent the theft and the resurrection… Because of this they provided added proof that Jesus did in fact raise bodily from the dead!

9. I Did Christ’s Enemies Remove His Body?
A. Five Death Penalties Connected
B. No Motive for Removing the Body
C. No Body Was Ever Produced

10. The enemies of Christ did not produce His body then, later, they haven’t produced it today and they aren’t going to produce it tomorrow! In response to this possibility…

11. II Did Christ’s Friends Remove His Body?
A. Testimony of the Guard Was False

12. The guards were bribed by the Sanhedrin (chief priests and elders) to say the disciples took the body of Jesus…

13. II Did Christ’s Friends Remove His Body?
A. Testimony of the Guard Was False
B. No Motive for Stealing the Body

14. There was no motive in taking the body of Christ – it would have accomplished nothing!

15. III Did Christ’s Father Remove His Body?
A. Eyewitnesses Testify to this Fact

16. …hundreds testify as eyewitnesses…

17. III Did Christ’s Father Remove His Body?
A. Eyewitnesses Testify to this Fact
B. Resurrection Faith Testify to this Fact

18. Charles Colson was the Whitehouse Counsel during the Nixon administration…

19. “With the most powerful office in the world at stake, a small band of hand-picked loyalists, no more than ten of us, could not hold a conspiracy together for more than two weeks… Take it from one who was inside the Watergate web looking out, who saw firsthand how vulnerable a cover-up is. Nothing less than a witness as awesome as the resurrected Christ could have caused those men to maintain to their dying whispers that Jesus is alive and Lord.”

20. III Did Christ’s Father Remove His Body?
A. Eyewitnesses Testify to this Fact
B. Resurrection Faith Testify to this Fact
C. Many testify to this Fact

21. Today, you and I are witnesses to those who have been and are being changed by the risen Christ = resurrection faith!

22. “There are but two essential requirements: 1) has anyone cheated death and proven it? 2) is it available to me? Here then is the complete record: Confucius’ tomb – occupied; Buddha’s tomb – occupied; Mohammed’s tomb – occupied; Jesus tomb – EMPTY. Argue as you will, there is no point in following a loser.”

23. Conclusion/Summary:
The resurrection of Christ is real. Countless lives testify that it is a fact and not a fable. What kind of testimony is your life giving to the resurrected Christ?... Today is the day to begin if not!