A grandfather asked his four-year-old granddaughter Julie about the Easter story, testing her knowledge.
She was playing with her friends, and he approached them and asked, “Who can tell me what Easter’s all about?”
One little girl spoke up, “That’s when we go to the mall and see the Easter bunny and tell him what we want in our Easter basket.”
Another friend said, “No, it’s when you get a tree and hang eggs on it and then wake up Easter morning and see what presents are underneath.”
The granddad gently said, “Those are good guesses, but Julie, can you tell me what’s so important about Easter?”
Julie nailed it … almost. “It’s when Jesus was crucified. He died and the disciples put his body in the grave. They rolled a big stone in front of the opening and the guards fell asleep. On the third day, there was a big earthquake and the stone rolled away.”
The granddad was pretty encouraged until she said, “Then the whole town came out to the grave. And if Jesus saw His shadow, then they knew there’d be six more weeks of winter.”
Sometimes we know part of the story, but not all of it. I was visiting with a man recently and inviting him to join us for our Palm Sunday musical, and he asked, “What’s Palm Sunday?”
I explained the triumphal entry, the crowds cheering and laying palm branches across the road as Jesus rode the donkey into Jerusalem.
That began what we call Holy Week. Jesus was marching towards the cross. Monday was the day of triumph (Mark 11:1-11); Tuesday was the day of cleansing (Mark 11:15-19); Tuesday was a day of preaching (Mark 11:27); Wednesday was a day of preparation (Mark 14:1-11); Thursday was a day of communion (Mark 14:12-26); Friday was a day of suffering (Mark 15); Saturday was a day of silence (nothing is recorded about Saturday); and Sunday is a day of resurrection (Mark 16:1-10).
Holy Week peaks with Easter Sunday. On that first Easter morning when the women went to the graveyard to anoint the body of Jesus, they wondered who would roll away the stone. They expected a dead Savior in a sealed grave. Instead, they found the stone rolled away and an empty tomb.
The angels met them there and said, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, He is risen!” They could not contain themselves.
They returned from the tomb, rejoicing and proclaiming news that “He is not dead. He is alive! He lives!”
I’ve had the privilege of visiting Israel twice. The first time I visited the Garden Tomb, I was amazed. I was touched each time, but especially the first. This is the place that many people believe to be where Jesus was buried.
About 100 yards away is a rugged, rocky cliff, on top of which is a cemetery. If you look closely at the front of the rocks, you can make out a skull. This rise in Jerusalem now sits behind a bus station with people coming and going. A falafel stand was busy with the lunch crowd. Taxis were pulling in and out. Jesus would have been crucified in a busy place like that where people would watch. You can picture three crosses on that hill.
At the entrance to the tomb, you notice a trench in front that could have been where the massive stone was rolled into place, sealing the grave. When you step inside, once your eyes adjust, you see two places carved out of the rock where two bodies could be placed.
Though it’s noisy and busy outside the tomb, visitors are in awe and silent as they step in and out of the tomb. This is where Jesus lay.
Then it strikes you. There is no body here. He arose. He defeated death. He was victorious over the grave.
You go to Buddha’s grave … he’s still there!
You visit Muhammed’s grave … he’s still there!
You travel to Confucious’ grave … he’s still there!
Not Jesus! Up from the grave He arose! And He still lives today!
That means that we can have eternal life in heaven with Jesus if we will receive Him as our Savior.
Dr. David L. Chancey is pastor, McDonough Road Baptist Church, 352 McDonough Road, Fayetteville, GA. The church family invites you to join them this Sunday for Bible study at 9:45 a.m. and worship at 10:55 a.m. Visit them online at www.mcdonoughroad.org.
