Death Has Been Defeated

They did everything they could. They left nothing up to chance, making sure to take every precaution they could. Yes, they had killed the man. Yes, they had heard when he cried that he gave up his spirit; they had seen the water and the blood flow out of his side. For anyone else, that would’ve been enough. But, they had to continue to oppose him in death. So, they went to Pilate. They recounted how Jesus told them that he would rise again after three days. So, to make sure that his disciples couldn’t come and steal his body and falsify a resurrection, Pilate allowed them to make his tomb as secure as they knew how. Three things they used to secure him in death. 1. Guards; 2. The stone; 3. And the seal.

You all are too familiar with your own symbols of death like this: the ground, the casket, the graveyard, the tombstone. I’m sure that as you look at this picture of a cemetery, many emotions and memories play in your mind. You remember the fear and sadness of receiving that flower from the casket. Or of how sad Grandma looked as she left Grandpa there, but had to move on herself. You remember how badly you miss those people, even though it’s been years since you saw them last. Death is always a somber occasion.

I looked online and even found lists that detailed the rules of etiquette while in a cemetery. You are to keep children in check; make effort to not walk over the graves; be respectful by not speaking too loudly; don’t be too overly talkative with others you may meet there. Most of us know these rules and we try our best to follow them. Because of what death has done to us as a race, we must be respectful of its power.

That is why it is all too interesting to see the angel here throwing caution to the wind. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. None of us would ever dream of letting our children play on and around a tombstone at the cemetery, let alone using it to take a breather. What in the world then is this angel doing? He’s an angel for goodness sake, as a spiritual being he doesn’t get tired. So why pull out the stone and take a seat? Has he no respect for what has happened?

The angel knew exactly what had happened. That Jesus had died three days earlier. But, because of what Jesus had done just now, he knew that it had all changed. Jesus was no longer in that tomb, he had left already. And all three of those things that were meant to keep him locked in had failed. So, the angel came down and moved the stone out of its place, breaking the seal in the process. After doing so, he took a seat on the stone, because it no longer was a marker of death. It was just a regular old stone. A big stone, but nothing else was special about it anymore. And those guards? The ones meant to keep people from stealing Jesus’ body? They cowered in fear and fainted at the sight of the angel.

Death had been defeated by Christ. And God’s angel came to display the lack of fear that God had of it. He came to show us all that death is no longer some great, undefeated adversary, that robs and crushes without regard for others. Instead, death had simply become another foe that was vanquished by the Savior. The disregard that death had for so long shown to his people, God now showed to death with the actions of the angel. All the fear, the shame, the humility that the tyrant of death required of his slaves now is passed.

To assure the women who came to the tomb that morning, and us as well, that this was not some dream, but was actually reality, God had the angel explain what had happened with his words on top of his actions: The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.

Have you ever been in one of those situations that is so surreal, that you’re not sure exactly what is happening? I’m sure that this would have been something the women would have been experiencing when they got to the grave. They, for sure, had been on a roller coaster of emotions. First, they saw their Lord beaten and bloodied. Then they saw him killed on the cross. Now, as they were going to the tomb to finish preparation of the body, they experienced an earthquake, just like they had on the day Jesus died. And finally, when they get to the tomb, what do they see but two guards who have passed out, two angels, and the stone removed.