The Empty Tomb's Witnesses
Month 11: The Cross & the Empty Tomb · Why We Believe
Today's Scripture
Read together: John 20:1-9 & 1 Corinthians 15:3-8
1 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb,” she said, “and we do not know where they have put Him!” 3 Then Peter and the other disciple set out for the tomb. 4 The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent down and looked in at the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Simon Peter arrived just after him. He entered the tomb and saw the linen cloths lying there. 7 The cloth that had been around Jesus’ head was rolled up, lying separate from the linen cloths. 8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in. And he saw and believed. 9 For they still did not understand from the Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead. — John 20:1-9
3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He appeared to Cephas and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, He appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 And last of all He appeared to me also, as to one of untimely birth. — 1 Corinthians 15:3-8
Memory Verse
“He is not here; He has risen! Remember how He told you while He was still in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.’””— Luke 24:6-7 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Romans 8-10
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (No condemnation in Christ, nothing can separate us from His love, and salvation is for all who call on Him.)The Heart of It
The resurrection is not a story Christians ask the world to take on blind feeling. It rests on witnesses. John tells us he was there himself. Mary Magdalene found the stone moved and ran to fetch Peter and John. They raced to the tomb. John "went in… and he saw and believed" (). He noticed something a body-thief would never bother to do. The burial cloths were lying neatly, and the face-cloth was "folded together in a place by itself" (v. 7). Grave robbers grab and run. They do not tidy up. John saw the evidence with his own eyes, and he put his name to it. Then Paul, writing only about twenty years later, lists the witnesses like names in a courtroom. Christ "rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and… was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve… by over five hundred brethren at once." Most of them were still alive and could be asked ().
That little phrase, "most of whom remain," is Paul practically inviting people to go check. This is not "once upon a time." It is "go ask the people who were there." And notice who changed. Peter had denied Jesus three times. James, Jesus' own brother, hadn't believed in Him during His ministry (). Yet both became fearless leaders, willing to die rather than deny the risen Lord. People will die for what they sincerely believe is true. But no one knowingly dies for a lie they made up themselves. The empty tomb, the careful eyewitnesses, the transformed cowards, and the willingness to suffer for their testimony all point the same direction. It really happened. We believe in the resurrection not because we close our eyes, but because we open them.
Around the Table
Jesus' friends ran to the tomb and looked inside. It was empty, and the cloths were folded up neatly! They saw it with their own eyes and knew Jesus was really alive.
Let's do it: Pretend to peek into the empty tomb, then run to "tell" someone, "Jesus is alive! I saw it!"
A robber would grab the body and run, leaving a mess. But the cloths were folded neatly. That's proof no one stole Jesus. He rose, then left things in order.
Let's talk: What's one clue in today's story that shows the body wasn't stolen?
Paul lists real eyewitnesses. There was Peter, the Twelve, and over five hundred people at once. He says most of them are still alive, so people could go and check his claim. This was written within a generation, far too soon for a legend to grow.
Let's go deeper: Skeptics like James, Jesus' brother, and enemies like Paul became believers because they were convinced He had risen. Why is that so significant?
💬 Conversation Starter
If your friend didn't believe something amazing happened, what kind of proof would help them believe you? The first Christians had eyewitnesses, an empty tomb, and changed lives.
🛡️ Defending the Faith
When someone says, "Nobody can prove Jesus rose from the dead": Answer kindly. We have several early, independent accounts. We have an empty tomb that even Jesus' enemies admitted. We have named eyewitnesses, some of whom died rather than take it back. And we have skeptics like Paul and James, who came to believe because of what they saw. None of those facts has a better explanation than a real resurrection. We don't believe with our eyes closed. We "always be ready to give a defense… with gentleness and respect" (), and the evidence is genuinely good.
For Dad · Go Deeper
Scholars sometimes call a "creed." It is a summary of the gospel that Paul says he "received" and "delivered." That wording points back to the earliest days of the church, perhaps within a few years of the cross. That matters enormously. The resurrection was not a slow legend that grew over centuries. It was the bedrock claim from the very start. As a father, you don't have to be a professional apologist to hand your kids this confidence. Teach them the difference between blind faith and evidenced faith. Christianity has never asked anyone to believe against the facts. It stakes everything on a historical event and says, "Investigate it." A child who learns young that their faith can stand up in the light of honest questions will not panic when those questions come.
Draws on: Gary Habermas & Michael Licona, The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You that the resurrection is true. Thank You that You gave real witnesses who saw the risen Jesus. Strengthen our family's faith with the truth. And help us be ready to share it with gentleness and confidence. In Jesus' name, amen."
Our faith stands on an empty tomb and real witnesses. Jesus is risen, and the evidence is good.