Daily Bible Nugget #737, Matthew 28:7

The Nugget:

Matthew 28:7  And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.

Some Related Verses:

Matthew 28:6  He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

Mark 16:6  And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.

More Context:

Mat 27:62  Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,
Mat 27:63  Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.
Mat 27:64  Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.
Mat 27:65  Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.
Mat 27:66  So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.

The Predicament:

Mat 28:11  Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done.
Mat 28:12  And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers,
Mat 28:13  Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept.
Mat 28:14  And if this come to the governor’s ears, we will persuade him, and secure you.
Mat 28:15  So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.

The Lie Exposed:

Joh 20:3  Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre.
Joh 20:4  So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.
Joh 20:5  And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.
Joh 20:6  Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,
Joh 20:7  And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.
Joh 20:8  Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed.

What so impressed John that he responded with belief?

Peter’s immediate reaction is given by Luke:

Luk 24:12  Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.

Contrast the response of John:

Joh 20:8  Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed.

My Comment:

Peter saw the same evidence John saw, but without the insight John possessed immediately upon viewing the scene carefully. The clothes remained “laid by themselves,” virtually undisturbed, but without the securely wrapped body that they had once contained!

What this proves:

The disciples could not have stolen the body–how could they do that, if they in fact stole the body, leaving the clothes behind, still wrapped like a mummy? If they stole the body, how did they get it out of the grave wrappings–leaving the wrappings behind and undisturbed? If they were intent on removing the body from the tomb, taking care to do so quickly, in a manner not to disturb the sleeping Temple Guards, why not carry off the dead body in its wrapping?

The combined Gospel accounts prove that the tomb was indeed empty, but with evidence that Jesus had been there–for the grave wrappings remained behind undisturbed but without Him in them, a testimony to the bodily resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. John saw and believed. So should we.