232 Jesus' Tomb

Matthew 27:5928:8; Mark 15:46; Mark 16:18; Luke 23:53; Luke 24:112; John 19:3942; John 20:110
Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. Luke 24:13

After Jesus died, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, another disciple of Jesus, took the body down from the cross and prepared it for burial according to Jewish burial custom. They laid Jesus' body in Joseph's new sepulchre (tomb), which was in a garden near where Jesus was crucified. They then rolled a stone against the tomb doorway. (See Matthew 27:5960; Mark 15:46; Luke 23:53; John 19:3942.)

The Pharisees and chief priests, afraid that the followers of Jesus would try to steal His body and then claim that He had been resurrected, asked Pilate to place guards around the tomb. When Pilate agreed, "they ... made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch" (Matthew 27:66; see also Matthew 27:6265).

On the third day after Jesus' death (on the first day of the week), Mary Magdalene and several other women went to the tomb to put spices and ointments on the body of Jesus. When they arrived, they saw that the stone had been rolled away from the sepulchre and that Jesus' body was gone. (See Matthew 28:12; Mark 16:14; Luke 24:13, Luke 24:10; John 20:1.) As they entered the tomb, they saw a "young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment. ... And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here" (Mark 16:56; see also Matthew 28:27; Luke 24:47).

When Mary Magdalene saw that the tomb was empty, "she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him" (John 20:2). Peter and John followed Mary back to the tomb and saw for themselves that the burial clothes were there but the body of Jesus was gone (see John 20:39).

Summary

After Jesus was crucified, His disciples laid His body in a new tomb. A large stone was rolled in front of the opening. The Pharisees and chief priests were afraid Jesus' followers would take away the body and claim He had risen from the dead, so they posted guards at the tomb. On the third day after Jesus died, Mary Magdalene and several other women went to the tomb. The stone had been rolled away, and Jesus' body was gone. A young man clothed in white told them that Jesus was risen. Mary Magdalene ran to tell Peter and John that Jesus' body had been taken away. They went back to the tomb with her and found it empty except for Jesus' burial clothes.

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