Fascinating Discoveries at Jesus Tomb!
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5. INSIDE THE TOMB: Casual observation of the tomb would not reveal anything that would verify that this was Jesus' tomb. But closer examination of both the tomb and the Bible record reveal several incredible features:
The interior of the tomb has now been protected with an iron fence and gate because visitors were chipping off pieces of rock as souvenirs. The tomb was intended to accommodate six bodies, three on the left and three on the right. As per the declaration of Scripture, the tomb had never been used because it was not yet finished. Grooves were being cut into the tomb walls to hold three wooden litters which would support three bodies on both sides.
THE "FLOOR PLAN" OF THE GARDEN TOMB:
Mark 16:5 and 6 reveals that when the women entered into the sepulcher " . . . they saw a young man sitting on the RIGHT SIDE, clothed in a long white garment; and they were amazed. And he said unto them Be not amazed. Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, Who was crucified; He is risen; He is not here. Behold the place where they laid Him."
Note that there would not
have been room nor a place to sit on the left hand side.
But the angel was on the right hand side just as the
scriptures declare. He could have been sitting on
either of the small walls labeled #3 or on another rock
protrusion labeled #7.
The gospel of John is even more specific about the location of Jesus' burial place: "But Mary stood outside of the sepulcher weeping; and as she wept, she stooped down and looked into the sepulcher, And saw two angels in white sitting, the ONE AT THE HEAD, and THE OTHER AT THE FEET, where the body of Jesus had lain."
This passage revealed that there were at least two places for the angels to sit, one at the head and one at the foot!
TOMB
OF THE WEALTHY: There
is another fascinating point to observe about this tomb
. . . it was the tomb of a very wealthy man by the name
of Joseph of Arimathaea (John 20:38-39).
Only the very wealthy could afford to embalm the body of
a loved one. Notice the shape of the burial place.
It is very low at the foot indicating that very
expensive spices would be applied to that area and the
grave clothes would act like a wick and cause the body
to be moist with the mixture over an extended period of
time. Nicodemas and Joseph of Arimathaea brought
100 pounds of a mixture of myrrh and aloes (aloe Vera)
with the intention of embalming the body of Christ.
Of course, Jesus was raised after three days but the
point is, this was the tomb of a very wealthy man just
as the scriptures declare.
There is another fascinating thing we can learn from the Gospel of John . . . "Then came Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulcher, and saw the linen clothes lying there, And the cloth, that was about the head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. Then went in the other disciple, who came first to the sepulcher, and he saw, and believed." John 20:6-8
The disciples saw the linen clothes, apparently undisturbed as they had been wound around the body of Jesus. They still lay there, but there was no body in side! That would remove any doubt from the disciples' minds about the miraculous resurrection of their Master.
They also observed that the napkin that was placed over Jesus' face, was separate from the linen grave clothes, neatly folded or wrapped by itself. There is a great lesson here! At a formal dinner table, the head of the table would indicate to the servant when to begin picking up the dishes. If he wadded up the napkin and placed it on the table it meant that they were finished eating and the dishes could be removed. However, if he got up and left the napkin neatly FOLDED . . . it meant that HE WOULD RETURN!
What a wonderful message the Lord Jesus Christ gave to His disciples and to us that believe on Him today! HE IS ALIVE . . . AND HE WILL RETURN!
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Fascinating discoveries reveal the actual location of Jesus tomb! The Garden Tomb can be visited in Jerusalem, just outside the walls of the Old City and near the Damascus Gate. Near the Garden Tomb is Golgotha, the place of the skull described in the New Testament as the place where Jesus was crucified.