“So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.”
Matthew 27:66 (NIV)
The Pharisees feared rumors of resurrection and asked Pilate to help secure Jesus’ tomb, so Pilate granted their request to seal the tomb and appoint an armed guard at the entrance. After studying to learn what this seal on the tomb actually entailed, I learned the following:
They stretched a cord across the large stone which blocked the entrance to the tomb. They packed clay over each end of the cord, and then pressed a wax seal over the clay, which was the seal of Roman government authority. Finally, they posted an armed guard in front of the tomb.
All these measures to keep the tomb untouched, appeared to work until the third day, just as Jesus predicted. On that Jerusalem spring morning, the earth quaked, the stone was rolled away, the cord was broken and the wax seals crumbled. That armed guard was helpless, since he was put into a deep anesthetized sleep.
Inside the open tomb lay nothing but the grave clothes. A separate cloth that covered the head, (sudarium) that held the jaw closed, was lying apart from the 14 foot cloth (shroud) that covered both head and body. (John 20:7)
There is no power known to man like the blast of resurrection power that raised Jesus from the dead. No government seals of authority, armed guard or massive stone could prevent Almighty God from finishing His plan of salvation for us. A split second surge of power resurrected the body of His son, leaving only the grave clothes lying behind in the tomb.
The analysis of the shroud of Turin by forensic scientists, gives us a hint of that powerful surge, that we Christians call, resurrection power. Other bodies wrapped in grave clothes never left an image on the burial cloth from the inside out, as the shroud of Turin has.
It’s been determined that the image was not a painted one, since there is no pigment on the shroud. Original carbon dating done in the 70’s has been proven wrong, since that first sample was taken from a frequently handled patch, instead of from original sections of the cloth. Recent testing proved it to be from the exact time of Jesus.
There is AB positive blood on the cloth but the image was not made from the blood. The bloodstains all match the type of death and scourging that Jesus suffered.
In the documentary, scientists found that the mysterious image was made after the blood stained the linen cloth.
The image is from an ultraviolet light of a single wavelength, similar but not equal to a an Xray, photographic negative and a hologram, all combined. The technology to cause an image of this type from a single wavelength of ultraviolet light, cannot even be duplicated today.
The more recent documentary about the shroud is fascinating. We don’t have to agree on the credibility of the shroud, but we can agree that His resurrection came from the same power Source who said, “Let there be light” and there was light.
This weekend we will celebrate the resurrection that changed the world. As the news of Jesus spread throughout the world, forgiveness and new life became available to every person, race, and nation. Lives are still being changed as a result of that empty tomb, 2,000 years ago.
Every breakthrough in our personal journey of faith comes from that same source of resurrection power.
The cord of fear that held us back is broken. The clay seals of doubt crumble into dust. No previous powers or principalities have any control over us. The healing power of Jesus’ cross and resurrection is upon all who believe in Him, and there is more power in His blood, than any power or authority in the world.
His resurrection power is for all who believe in Him, and His mercy is endless. Only through Him, we have a total cleansing forgiveness, and a chance for new beginnings. His Spirit helps us to become all we were meant to be. We can rise up to become new in Christ, and like Him, never look back again at our grave clothes. That is resurrection power.
Heavenly Father, we thank you for the promise of your resurrection power that raised Jesus from the dead. Help us to rise up and become all that you called us to be, as we give all the glory to Jesus, our risen Savior. Amen
(If interested, the following link is the most up to date video on the Shroud of Turin, with findings by seven forensic scientists. 48 minutes long)