Eternally Buried?

In the mid 1800s, there was a Hanoverian countess who was a staunch unbeliever.  Her biggest objection was to the resurrection of all the dead at the end of time.  Her opposition led her to make unusual preparations for her impending death that occurred when she was only thirty years old.

Before her death, she wrote strict instructions about her burial.  Her grave was to be covered with a slab of granite.  Each of the corners was to be secured with a large, square block of stone fastened to the slab of granite by heavy iron clamps.  She even wrote an inscription to be placed on the covering.  It read,

THIS BURIAL PLACE,
PURCHASED TO ALL ETERNITY,
MUST NEVER BE OPENED.

She had taken enough precautions that no human effort would be allowed to invade her burial place without a lot of help or penalty of law.  All this effort, however, could not prevent what happened naturally.  A small birch seedling sprung up near the gravesite.  Its roots worked their way between the granite slab and the side stone wall housing her coffin.  Slowly but steadily the roots raised the granite slab.  The heavy iron clamps broke and the granite slab now rests against the trunk of a stately birch tree.

She did all she could do to prevent the disturbance of her grave.  However, the natural flow of life was stronger than her preventive measures.  So, too, will it be with the general resurrection at the end of time.  When Jesus was crucified, the leaders of the Jews attempted to do the same thing that this woman tried to do—prevent leaving the grave.

After Jesus was entombed, these leaders went to Pilate saying, ”Sir, we remember that while He was alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’  So give the order that the tomb be secured until the third day.  Otherwise, His disciples may come and steal Him away and tell the people He has risen from the dead.  And this last deception would be worse than the first.” (Matthew 27: 64).  Pilate the order.  “Go make the tomb as secure as you know how.” (Matthew 27:65).

They wanted to prevent happening what Jesus had said would happen.  They wanted to prevent His resurrection.  This does make sense.  If Jesus is resurrected, then everything He said must be true.  A false prophet could not accomplish this.  A deceiver could not fake this.  He must be a real prophet!  He must be the Son of God!

While the religious world celebrates the resurrection of Jesus once a year, we do so every week.  Jesus established the Lord’s Supper and connected it directly to His impending resurrection.  He said in Matthew 26:29, “But I say to you I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”  If He was going to do that, He must have meant that He was going to rise again! 

Furthermore, Jesus said to Peter, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written:  ‘I will strike the Shepherd and the sheep will be scattered.’  But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.” (Mark 14:27-28).  Again, He told His disciples that He was giving them a kingdom “that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom…” (Luke 22:29).

The Lord’s Supper celebrates 3 things that resurrection teaches us. 
1.  Old things have passed away and all things are new.
2.  There is no power that can prevent God from accomplishing His plans.
3.  Eternity is a present and future reality.

— Mike Johnson