An Empty Tomb Or a Tomb with Bones?
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GORDON FRANZ An Empty Tomb or a Tomb with Bones? n the Book of Acts, the two main apologetics used by the to pieces of itself and collapsed.”3 Thus, it no longer exists for IEarly Church are the bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus pilgrims and tourists to visit. Christ and the fulfillment of Bible prophecy. Psalm 16 is quot- Peter goes on in his sermon, “Therefore, [David] being a ed on two occasions in the Book of Acts in order to demon- prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him strate that the resurrection of the Lord Jesus was the fulfill- that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would ment of this psalm.The first time is in Acts 2, Peter’s sermon on raise up the Christ to sit on his throne,4 he, foreseeing this, the day of Pentecost.The second occurrence is in Acts 13 when spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul the Apostle Paul preached in the synagogue of Pisidia Antioch was not left in Hades,nor did His flesh see corruption.This Jesus on his first missionary journey. God has raised up,of which we are all witnesses.”(Acts 2:30–32) Peter’s Pentecost Sermon What Peter is saying is this: “David was not writing about Peter, on the day of Pentecost, gave a bold address and himself. Go down to the lower part of the City of David and see turned his audience’s attention to Jesus of Nazareth. Quoting the lavish entrance Herod constructed for David’s tomb. If you Psalm 16:8–11, he proclaimed that God raised Jesus from the think this is talking about David, pay your shekel entrance fee dead, and the tomb He was laid in was empty.1 “Men and and see the bones of David for yourself. His flesh has decayed brethren, let me speak freely to you and all you have is a tomb with of the patriarch David, that he is Psalm 16:8-11 bones! By contrast, go to the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea outside the both dead and buried, and his tomb I have set the Lord always before me; is with us to this day.” (Acts 2:29) Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. Gennath Gate and see it is empty. King David’s tomb still existed in Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; The Lord Jesus bodily rose from the A.D. 30. Josephus, the first-century My flesh also will rest in hope. dead! That is what David was writing For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Jewish historian (A.D. 37 – 97), wrote about.” Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. King David died and his body saw about this tomb on four occasions You will show me the path of life; relating three events. First, he In Your presence is fullness of joy; corruption. In contrast, the Lord recounts the burial of David by At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Jesus rose from the dead and was Solomon and mentions that a vast seen by many witnesses before He amount of wealth was placed in the tomb. Second, he tells the ascended to the right hand of the Father. story of the high priest Hyrcanus taking three thousand talents An Encouragement to Believers of silver from the tomb in order to bribe the Seleucid king, Psalm 16 should be an encouragement for the believer in Antiochus the Pious, to lift the siege of Jerusalem and to hire a the Lord Jesus because we have a book that predicts the mercenary force. Third, he records the exploits of Herod the future long before it happens. No other religious book can Great who, needing money, broke into the tomb and took orna- claim that. The Bible is history written before it happens and ments of gold and other valuables. Greed got the better of him can be trusted. and he returned a second time determined to find the coffins of The fact of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus gives us the David and Solomon.He went in with a handful of trusted friends assurance of eternal life and a home in heaven. His resurrec- and two bodyguards. It is recorded that both bodyguards died tion proves that sin has been paid for and believers are forgiv- in flames of fire.That was enough to put the fear of the Lord into en all their sins. Have you trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Herod so he built a lavish marble entrance to the tomb.2 Savior? The Roman historian,Dio Cassius (A.D.160 – 230),states that 1 Acts 2:22-29; 2 Antiquities of the Jews 7:392-394;13:249;16:179-183;Jewish during the Bar Kokhba Revolt (ca. A.D. 135) “the tomb of Wars 1: 61; 3 Roman History 69.14.2; 4 The Davidic Covenant—2 Sam. 7:4-17; Solomon,which the Jews regard as an object of veneration,fell 1 Chron. 17:3-15 Vol. 42, No. 3. Christian Missions in Many Lands (ISSN 0744-4052) is published eleven times a year by Christian Missions in Many Lands, Inc., Belmar, New Jersey. Periodical postage paid at Belmar, New Jersey, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send United States address changes to Christian Missions in Many Lands, Inc., PO Box 13, Spring Lake, NJ 07762. Send Canadian address changes to MSC Canada, 101 Amber Street, Suite 16, Markham, Ontario L3R 3B2. MSC Canada publication agreement Number 40026478. All cor- respondence, including address changes, gifts for missionary work, and for expenses should be sent by Canadian readers to MSC Canada, 101 Amber Street, Suite 16, Markham, Ontario L3R 3B2 and by United States readers to Christian Missions in Many Lands, Inc., PO Box 13, Spring Lake, NJ 07762. Copyright ' CMML. All rights reserved. COVER PHOTO: Ecuador–Becky Martin and student. Photo by Tarra Weber. 2 MISSIONS www.cmml.us ©iStockPhoto.com/skodonnell by Erin Hayes nce there was a shoebox not filled with shoes, but with in Sunday school. She was passionate about God’s love and Otoys, a picture, and sealed with prayer. The shoebox trav- seeing her family, friends and neighbors understand the mes- eled from “Somewhere, US,” and landed in Bastion Popular, a sage of salvation.One day she appeared at my door with two of poor sector of Guayaquil, Ecuador.The shoebox waited in stor- her neighbors, a bunch of kids, and a Bible in her hand.“Erin,” age as kids’ club leaders she said,“explain to them that salvation isn’t by works and that attended training meetings it doesn’t matter if you wear a long skirt or pants.” and thought about the chil- dren in their area of Bastion. Introducing the Gospel with Gift Boxes That shoebox,along with 119 Noemi wanted to share the Good others, was loaded onto a News, and she wanted help doing it. rickety truck. It traveled We talked a lot about what we could through rain on a muddy dirt do in her neighborhood, Block 8, road before it reached the about a 15-minute walk from the hands of an eight-year-old Block 6 church. We decided to start a girl. Months later, the box holds different treasures in the girl’s kids’ club in 2012 and prayed for the bamboo house.The plastic doll from the shoebox sits carefully ministry and more leaders. About this on her shelf, and the picture of the little girl, who packed the same time, we got word that box in “Somewhere, US,”is in the family photo album. Samaritan’s Purse “Operation Christmas Child” was coming to A Desire to Share God’s Love Guayaquil, and we decided that out- I came to Guayaquil,Ecuador,in 2010 to teach music at Hope reach would be a perfect way to kick of Bastion School, a free Christian school in a poor community off our new ministry. We attended named Block 6. One of the first friends I made here, and now training and received boxes to give one of my closest, is Noemi Marquez, a member of our Block 6 out. These gifts had a great impact on church.When I first arrived, she had recently trusted in Christ as the children and were a meaningful her Savior and was baptized. We met together to study the way to begin the ministry and demon- Bible, we saw each other at church, and I taught her daughter strate God’s love to them. Above: Children praying; Left: Truck transporting shoeboxes; Right (from top): View of Block 8; Children receiving shoeboxes. MISSIONS March 2013 3 A Thriving Ministry in a I have some very complicated friends and neighbors.They have National Believer’s Home very difficult problems and, unfortunately, do not trust churches All of the Block 8 ministry or Christians. We’ve been playing soccer in the afternoons, and I meetings are held in Noemi’s liv- told them,“The Gospel is not boring.I’m going to bring you some- ing room. On Sundays, Noemi thing to show you how fun it is.” and her husband Luis donate Erin gave me some gospel bracelets and I handed them out to their entire house to kids’ club my friends and explained what the colors meant. I told them and youth group. Luis usually about heaven and sin and Jesus’ death and resurrection.