1. The veil was a long, heavy curtain in the temple that separated the holy place from the holy of holies. Only the high priest was allowed to enter the holy of holies once a year (see Heb. 9:1-10).

2. The miraculous tearing of the veil represented the removal of the barrier, for now all men can have bold access to God through Jesus (see Heb. 10:19-22).

1. This quaking was reminiscent of the fearsome events at Mount Sinai (Ex. 19:16-17; 20:18).

2. This event signified the changing of covenants from the old of Moses to the new of Christ.

a. In Haggai 2:4-9, God promised that He would shake the earth again and make peace.

b. These things are explained in Hebrews 12:18-29 in a comparison between Sinai and Zion.

1. The Jews requested that Pilate have the legs of the crucified persons broken so that they would not remain on the crosses on the Sabbath day. This action would cause them to die quickly.

2. The soldiers broke the legs of the two thieves crucified with Jesus, but the Lord was already dead.

3. To assure His death, one of the soldiers pierced Christ's side with a spear. From the wound came blood and water, which John described as witnesses of Christ (1John 5:6-13).

1. Joseph is described as: "a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one, for fear of the Jews;” "a prominent member of the Council, who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God;” and "a good and righteous man.”

2. Nicodemus was a Pharisee and ruler of the Jews who had come to Jesus by night (John 3:1-21).

3. Joseph "gathered up courage” and requested that Pilate would give him the body of Jesus. After ascertaining that Jesus was indeed dead, Pilate granted the request.

4. Joseph and Nicodemus removed the Lord's body from the cross, anointed Him with myrrh and aloes, wrapped Him in linens, and buried Him.

5. The Lord's grave was Joseph's own tomb (see Isa. 53:9) hewn from stone where no one had been buried before. It was located in a garden adjacent to the place of the Lord's crucifixion. The tomb was closed with a very large stone.

6. Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and other women witnessed the burial.

1. They asked Pilate to make the grave secure to prevent the Lord's disciples from stealing His body and claiming that He was raised.

2. Pilate directed them to use their own guard, which they did. They also set a seal on the stone (probably wax) that would indicate whether anyone tampered with it.

1. His death was witnessed by a host of bystanders, including the apostle John, Mary Magdalene and the other women who followed Him from Galilee, the soldiers who did not break His legs but pierced His side, and others.

2. Pilate acknowledged His death by granting His body to Joseph for burial.

3. Joseph and Nicodemus knew He was dead, for they prepared His body for burial and buried Him.

4. The Jews who requested a guard for His grave recognized that He was dead and buried.

5. The Lord's disciples knew He was dead, for they saw what happened and mourned over Him.

1. Mary Magdalene, the other Mary, and Salome were the first to find the empty grave.

a. At dawn, they came to the grave to anoint the body of Jesus with spices and perfumes.

b. An earthquake had occurred, and an angel rolled the rock away from the tomb's opening.

c. Upon entering the tomb, the women found no body, but instead there was an angel who announced Christ's resurrection (Luke mentions two angels).

i. The guards of the grave saw the angel and "shook for fear of him, and became like dead men” (Matt. 28:4). The implication is that they fainted in fear. Later, these same guards were bribed by the chief priests and elders to say that Christ's disciples had stolen His body while they slept (Matt. 28:11-15).

ii. Inside the tomb, an angel told the women to tell the disciples about His resurrection and to give them instructions to go to Galilee to wait for Him.

iii. The women ran back to the apostles with the news, but the apostles did not believe their. Peter and John ran to the Lord's tomb, found only the linen wrappings from His body, and went home.

2. Mary Magdalene was also the first to see the risen Lord.

a. She returned to the grave and was weeping when she saw two angels in the tomb.

b. She then turned and saw a man whom she assumed was the gardener, but it was Jesus. He spoke of His ascension and told her to tell the apostles to go to Galilee.

c. She went to the disciples to tell what she saw, but they still did not believe her.

1. Two disciples left Jerusalem and were on the road to Emmaus when they saw Jesus.

a. They did not recognize Him, and they discussed with Him all that had happened.

b. When they came to Emmaus, they persuaded Jesus to come in with them, for it was evening. As they sat to eat, they recognized Him, and He disappeared.

c. Immediately, they returned to Jerusalem and reported what had happened. Once again, the apostles did not believe the report.

2. As the two disciples reported the news to the apostles, Jesus appeared to them.

a. Jesus rebuked the apostles for their disbelief and showed them His hands, feet, and side.

b. He spoke to them regarding their ministry and the Holy Spirit.

c. Thomas was not present, and he later refused to believe unless he could see for himself.

1. Eight days after His resurrection, Jesus came to the apostles again, and Thomas believed (John 20:26-29).

2. The apostles went to Galilee as ordered, and there they saw Jesus again (Matt. 28:16-17; John 21).

3. Jesus presented Himself to the apostles "by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3).

4. During this time, Jesus gave the apostles the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-18).

5. Paul wrote that Jesus "appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time,” and He appeared to James (presumably His brother in the flesh – 1Cor. 15:1-8).

6. At last, Jesus appeared to the apostles one last time at Jerusalem. From there, He led them to Mt. Olivet near Bethany, and He ascended into the clouds (Mark 16:19; Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:4-12).

1. Jesus often referred to the sign of His resurrection when He was asked to provided a sign (Matt. 12:38-45; 16:1-4; Luke 11:29-32; John 2:18-22).

2. Now, Jesus has been "declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead” (Rom. 1:4). The importance of His resurrection is emphasized in 1Corinthians 15:12-28.

1. This was the apex of history, for everything that came before looked ahead to it, and everything that has come after has looked back to it.

2. Because of all that the Lord did in that last week, we can look to the end of history with hope. Belief in these true events is the basis for our salvation (1Cor. 15:1-4).

1. Death is the consequence of sin that affects everyone.

a. Physical death spread to all people as the result of Adam's sin (Rom. 5:12-14).

b. Spiritual death comes to every soul who sins, for "the soul who sins will die” (Ezek. 18:4, 20) and "the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23; see also Eph. 2:1-3).

2. Mankind does not have the power to escape death's power.

a. No technology or medicine will ever be able to prevent death. Even with all the modern advances, the words of Psalm 90:10 are still true – "As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, or if due to strength, eighty years, yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; for soon it is gone and we fly away.”

b. The certainty of death and the brevity of life are stated in James 4:14 – "You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away” (see also Job 7:7; Ps. 39:5).

1. Ending the power of death is the very reason that Christ came in the form of a man and died.

a. Notice Hebrews 2:14-15 – "Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.”

b. By giving Himself as a sinless sacrifice, Jesus atoned (paid the debt) for our sins so that we would no longer be enslaved to death in any way. Through faith in Christ, we may escape Satan's power of death forever.

2. By His resurrection, Jesus led the way out of death and into eternal life.

a. See 1Corinthians 15:20-22 – "But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.”

b. In Romans 6:23, we noticed before that "the wages of sin is death,” but the rest of that verse states that "the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

1. Those who are faithful in Christ have overcome the world and its bondage of death.

a. Notice 1John 5:4-8 – "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.”

b. Such faithful victors are members of the Lord's church (see Acts 2:41, 47; 1Cor. 12:27), which shall not be overcome by death.

i. In Matthew 18:16, Peter made the great confession of Jesus, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” This is the confession that all must make in order to be saved (Rom. 10:8-10).

ii. In reply to Peter's confession, Jesus said, "I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it” (Matt. 16:18). Hades, which is the dwelling place of the dead, has no power over Christ (see Acts 2:24-32) or the members of His church.

2. The ultimate manifestation of our victory in Jesus will occur and the end of time when the faithful saints of Christ are raised from death to immortality.

a. Notice 1Corinthians 15:54-57 – "But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?' The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

b. Because we believe in the resurrection of the dead and the victory in Jesus, let us heed 1Corinthians 15:58 – "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”