The empty tomb is not a matter of faith, the emptiness is a fact. This is verifiable by anyone. History records the religious leaders and teachers of the day approached Pontius Pilate after the death of Jesus and requested a guard be placed at His tomb out of fear that Christ's disciples would steal the body, hide it and claim His resurrection. Pilate agreed, but ordered they use their own guards, which some consisted of Roman soldiers (Matthew 27:62-66).
Matthew 28:1-6 records what happens next.
"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. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay."
Death would not stop Jesus from taking back His life (John 10:17-18), Hell could not stop Jesus from taking converts with Him as He rose again (Ephesians 4:8-9; Colossians 2:15) and Jesus would later physically appear before His disciples in a completely sealed-off room after His resurrection (John 20:19-23).
Therefore, soldiers and a stone were of no concern to the resurrected Lord. The stone's removal was the ultimate opportunity for humanity to step into the tomb and witness its vacancy, while allowing Jesus to step into the vacant hearts, ready and willing to accept Him as Lord and Savior. The Stone Was For Us!
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