“After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it” (Matthew 28:1-2).

There was another earthquake the Sunday morning of the Resurrection. There had been one when Jesus died and now there was another one when He rose from the dead. Even nature reacted to the Resurrection. Not only was Jesus alive but He had risen to affect all creation itself.

It is important to note that the stone wasn’t rolled away to let Jesus out. The tomb was already empty. It was rolled away to let us know that Jesus wasn’t there. While other religions have a grave to go to in order to honor their founder, Christianity is unique. We have an empty tomb that celebrates our Savior’s victory over death.

When Gwen and I visited Israel we did what most Christian pilgrims do. We visited the empty tomb and celebrated Communion outside the place where Jesus had once been laid to rest. There we celebrated, not just the Savior who died but the living Christ who had accomplished our salvation and now is alive forever.

When the apostle John saw Jesus in the book of Revelation Jesus greeted him with these words, “I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades” (Revelation 1:18). To that statement I join every believer and say, “Hallelujah.”