Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1948-11-13
The Empty Tomb

The so-called spiritual resurrec-
ton" theory must account for the
empty tomb before it can be SER
iously considered. The testimony of
credible witnesses as well as the
circumstantial evidence in this case
establish the fact that the new tomb
of Joseph of Arimathea in which
the dead body of Jesus had been
laid was found open and empty.
What became of the body? Any
court of justice before which this
case might be brought for adjudi-
cation would seek to learn what be-
came of that body.
to explain the empty tomb. l. That
Five theories have been advanced
This is the explanation that was Of
fered by the Jews of that day. The
motive for stealing the body, as
signed to the disciples, was that
they might claim that their Leader
had risen from the dead. But this is
the disciples of Jesus stole the body
an impossible motive, for they did
not expect him to arise. Then it is
inconceiceable that these timid men,
who forsook their leaders and fled
when he was arrested, would have
defied the guard and broken the
seal in order to remove a dead
body. Furthermore, had the disciples
stolen the body while the guard
slept they would not have tarried
in the tomb long enough to remove
the graveclothes, nor would there
be any reason for leaving these
clothes in. the tomb where they were
found the morning of the resurrec-
ton.
2. That the tomb is unhistorical.
A. Meyer says, "An-empty grave
was never seen by any disciples of
Jesus" 1t was only necessary to re-
mark on this statement that it is
simply an opinion unsupported by
proof and an opinion given by a
man who lived eighteen centuries
after the event in question took
place.
8. That the disciples imagined
that they saw Jesus alive in Galilee
and hence inferred that the tomb
was empty. The fatal objection to
this theory is that the unopposed
evidence in the case proves that the
disciples saw and identified the
crucified body of their Master alive.
4. That the women mistook some
other empty tomb for that in which
the body Of Jesus had been placed,
But the evidence is that they watch
ed the burial and noted the place
where the body was laid. Also that
an angel identified the spot and de-
clared that the body had been rails
ed to life
5. That the body had been Sc
cretly removed by PLATE, or the
Sanhedrin, or Joseph, the owner of
the tomb. To this it may be replied,
first, that Plate could have no mo-
tive for removing the body. He had
publicly washed his hands of the
whole unpleasant business. The San
hedrin had taken every precaution
for the undisturbed keeping of the
body until the third day after the
burial and would have no reason for
removing it. Joseph would not dare
pass the guard and break the seal
that closed the door to the tomb.
That tomb was, for the time being,
government-controlled property.
Furthermore, had the body been
removed by any of these persons
its location would have been certi-
fled and proof of its whereabouts
presented when the city was in an
uproar and the authorities nom
plussed by the persistent affirma-
ton of the disciples that Jesus had
arisen from the dead and was alive.
As to all of these theories of the
empty tomb" it may be remark
ed that not one of them is supported
by proof nor will they bear logi-
cal analysis. = The EVANGELICAL
Faith.