Mark 16:1-8
And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. 2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. 3 And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? 4 And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great. 5 And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. 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. 7 But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you. 8 And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid.
The greatest words ever uttered or recorded came from an angel that day at a tomb in Israel. “He is risen.” Everything was forever changed. The world was about to be turned upside down. Jesus Christ, alone, has conquered death. He did so as the sinless Son of God who came and laid down His life for the sin of the world. He is God’s perfect Lamb who died on a cross so that people might be saved from their sin.
The resurrection is the proof of the transaction that took place on the cross. It demonstrates that sin and death had no hold on the Son of God and that He was entirely successful in carrying out the saving work that He came to accomplish. He took the wrath of God for our sin so that He might save us from the power and penalty of sin.
The Apostle Paul stressed the essential importance of the resurrection to the Christian faith and salvation writing, “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17). In his book Miracles, C.S. Lewis wrote, “To preach Christianity meant (to the Apostles) primarily to preach the Resurrection. … The Resurrection is the central theme in every Christian sermon reported in the Acts. The Resurrection, and its consequences, were the ‘gospel’ or good news which the Christians brought.”
What proof is there that Jesus rose from the dead? The four gospel accounts in Scripture provide more than sufficient evidence to prove that Jesus rose from the dead. History has proven unsuccessful at disproving any of the events recorded in these gospels. Actually, to the contrary, it has supported those facts. The gospel of Mark provides a very similar account of the first witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus Christ to the gospels of Matthew, Luke, and John. Each account records slightly different details that, when put together, provide a more complete picture of what took place. The gospel gives to us three undeniable proofs that Jesus rose from the dead.
First, there is the witness of the empty tomb. The fact that the women came to the tomb, followed by Peter and John (John 20:1-10), and found it empty is proof that He is risen. How? The stone that was rolled in front of the tomb had guards protecting it and it was also sealed. The women, nor the disciples, would have been successful at removing the stone to get the body out. Something supernatural, such as the earthquake from an angel, happened (Matthew 28:2). The stone wasn’t removed so that Jesus could get out, for He had the ability to appear in a room with locked doors (John 20:19). The stone was removed so that the disciples (and us) could see in and know He is risen. All His enemies had to do was produce a body to disprove the resurrection. They could not produce one because the body of Jesus was not to be found by them. He is risen.
Second, there is the witness of the angel, the heavenly authority. Angels are God’s messengers and the angels involved in the resurrection of Jesus Christ deliver the news of what the empty tomb meant to these women. One of them speaks perhaps the greatest three words ever uttered, “He is risen.” Luke’s gospel records that the angels reminded the women of what Jesus had already told them about rising from the dead, “He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again (Luke 24:6-7). God has spoken on the matter. He is risen.
Third, there is the witness of the women and disciples, the eyewitnesses. The women are sent to tell the disciples and then the disciples were able to see and touch Jesus after He had risen from the dead (John 20:19-28). Paul records that Jesus was seen of the eleven apostles, Peter, James, and over 500 people at once (1 Corinthians 15:1-11). John records that the disciples saw Him at least three times after He had risen (John 21:14). The 500 plus eyewitnesses confirm, with no renunciation, that He is risen.
What are we to make of this evidence? There is only one conclusion. “He is risen.” What does that mean for us? It means that God has provided salvation exclusively through His Son. It means that Jesus is the only way to God (John 14:6). It means that Jesus has ascended to the right hand of God, He is Lord over all things, and He is coming again to judge the living and the dead (Hebrews 1:1-3; Philippians 2:9-11; Colossians 1:15-19; 2 Timothy 4:1). What are we to do with this truth? We have no choice but to surrender to Him and follow Him as Lord and Savior. We are left declaring as Thomas did after doubting so many years ago, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28).