Borrowed Tombs

Luke 24:1-3 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.  And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.  And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.

Can you imagine this notice?

For Sale – One slightly used tomb.  Held one body for three days before it got up and walked away.  Burial garments included, (left behind by the first occupant)!  Previous occupant promised to return, alive and to a different location and occupation.  Dead-serious inquiries only!  Tomb is not for rent or to borrow.  Barter in lieu of cash is acceptable but all transactions must be completed before occupancy.  There is no evidence the tomb has magical, healing, or resurrection properties.  For questions about resurrection from the dead contact the last occupant’s disciples.  This sale is final and binding whether or not the burial is final or binding.  No refund in case of re-anything, including, but not limited to, resurrection, reanimation, and reconstitution!

Can you think of any tomb in today’s world that might be similar?  There is indeed only one resurrected savior, but some day there will be many resurrected saints.  For now we can only imagine the past and future resurrections.  Suppose one or more of the four tombs of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington contain the remains of an unknown Christian?  It is under constant 24-7 guard.  Will any tombs or graves split at the rapture?  Was it necessary to break the seal and roll away the stone on the tomb of Jesus?  Couldn’t he have walked right through?  God found it necessary to thwart man’s best effort to prevent tampering.  We have child proof seals on medicine, tamper proof seals on critical cargo, and have had one God-proof seal and angel-resistant stone at a borrowed tomb.  There are many graves that have been made impregnable for one reason or another.  There will be many split and broken graves of the saints when Christ returns.  If any of the Unknowns is a child of God, not even the United States Army will be able to guard the tombs from the crash of an angel’s mighty hammer at Christ’s resurrection call.  This is the end for every saint’s grave.  Every saint’s tomb is a borrowed tomb! 

What about the graves of every other person; the atheist, agnostic, religious, and idolater; the defiant, rebellious, prideful, and resolute; the apathetic, complacent, lukewarm, and indifferent?  Every man without God’s gift of eternal life will have a physical eternity.  Not a single grave is permanent.  Some men have built a great edifice around their tomb to prevent robbery and theft.  Again, God will send his grave-breaking, hammer-wielding, angels to break every seal of man’s design.  Some men refuse the traditional grave and invent other methods of deadly rest.  Some without design find themselves without traditional rest.  Whether the grave is frozen, ionized, atomized, dissolved, dispersed, dissipated, or cremated, it will not hold against God’s call.  Then will come the day when those who refused to receive God’s great gift will stand in God’s court and be judged.  This is the Great White Throne Judgment.  No manner of design, invention, or spell will keep any man in the grave and absent from God’s judgment.  Every grave is borrowed!

Perhaps every grave plot should boast a “For Rent” sign, every tomb a lease agreement, and every marker a death-toll booth. 

There is hope of nary a grave.  But even that leaves us with a tomb.  We are entombed in bodies of corruptible flesh for a season.  This corruption may see the grave or be its own tomb when Jesus comes for his saints, but in either case we will rise incorruptible, transformed and complete in Christ.

We might say God owns every grave and we simply borrow it for a time.  One day we will be evicted by God from the grave.  Wouldn’t it benefit us to know the grave owner?  Jesus said, “In my Father’s house are many mansions…”  Who’d be happy with owning a grave when mansions wait?  Jesus also said, “…fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”  Why refuse Jesus’ pleading and warning?

Is there any grave worth the price?

Jesus’ death cost more than we could pay and left Him nothing here but a borrowed grave.

Isn’t that great!

We can share Jesus’ borrowed tomb ‘till resurrection day.

He left it just for us!