Who Moved the Stone?

• Who Moved the Stone ?
• Luke 24:1-10
• Easter in KJV ..
• Acts 12:4 And when he had appre-hended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.
– “Pascha” = passover

• First day of the week ..
• Luke 24:1-3 Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning,… they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. 3 Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
• Acts 20:7 Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.

• Foundation of our faith ..
• 1 Cor 15:13-17 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. 14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty... 17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!
• Evidence that Jesus rose ..
• Thomas Arnold: “I know of no one fact in the history of mankind, which is proved by better and fuller evidence of every sort. To the understanding of a fair inquirer than the great sign which God hath given us that Christ died and rose again from the dead.”

• Evidence that Jesus rose ..
• “If all the evidence is weighed carefully and fairly, it is indeed justifiable according to the canons of historical research to conclude that the tomb in which Jesus was buried was actually empty on the third day.”

• Historical background ...
• Matthew 16:21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.
• Historical background ...
• Matthew 26:59-61 Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, 60 but found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at last two false witnesses came forward 61 and said, "This fellow said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.'"
• Historical background ...
• 2 Peter 1:16 For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.
• Evidence for Pontius Pilate ...
• Inscription found in Caesarea 1961 … “Pontius Pilot prefect of Judea has presented the Tiberian to the Cesareans.”

• Evidence for crucifixion ...

• 1968, building contractors in a suburb north of Jerusalem accidentally uncovered a Jewish tomb dated to the first center after the death of Christ. They found an ossuary (box containing the bones of the deceased) the inscription "Yehohanan ben Hagakol"

• Evidence of death ...
• John 19:32-36 Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs... 36 For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, "Not one of His bones shall be broken."

• Wrapping the body ...
• John 19:38-40 After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; ... 39 And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds. 40 Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury.
• Large stone ...
• Matt 26:59 When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed. 61 And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb.
• The stone was rolled away ...
• Mark 16:2-4 Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. 3 And they said among themselves, "Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?" 4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away — for it was very large.
• The empty tomb ...
• Luke 24:2-6 But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. 3 Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. 5 Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen! guard.
• The empty tomb ...
• John 20:3-8 Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. 4 So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. 5 And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed.
• The guards bribed ...
• Matthew 28:12-15 When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, 13 saying, "Tell them, 'His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.' 14 And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will appease him and make you secure." 15 So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.
• Where Christianity began ..
• , “Where did Christianity first begin – only one spot on earth, the city of Jerusalem. But this is the very last place it would have started if Jesus? tomb had remained occupied, since anyone producing a dead Jesus would have driven a wooden stake through the heart of an incipient, or beginning, Christianity inflamed by a supposed resurrection.”
• Preaching the resurrection...
• Acts 5:34-42 Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people, and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little while. 35 And he said to them: "Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men. 38 And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; 39 but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it — lest you even be found to fight against God."

• Eyewitness appearances ...
• 1 Corinthians 15:4-8 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.

• Eyewitness appearances ...
• 1 Corinthians 15:4-8 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.

• Circumstantial evidence ..
• Will Durant: “A few simple men, the apostles, should in one generation having been a so powerful and appealing personality, so lofty and ethic, and so inspiring a vision of human brotherhood, would be a miracle far more incredible than any recorded in the gospel.”
• Circumstantial evidence ..
• Worship on first day of week Acts 20:7
• Baptism and resurrection.. Rom 6:3-5
• Communion .. 1 Cor 11:23-26
• Proof of Jesus the Son of God Rom 1:4
• Proof we will be raised .. 1 Cor. 15:20ff


• Who Moved the Stone ?
• Luke 24:1-10