Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: irani@brahms.udel.edu (Jennifer Irani) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: The missing body/Empty tomb Message-ID: Date: 21 Apr 91 05:37:15 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: University of Delaware Lines: 19 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu Now that the celebrations of Easter and Lent are officially over, could someone please answer a question that I hear quite frequently. In the Gospels we are told that Jesus' body was missing from the tomb. He had risen. However, many poeple seem to ask, how can Christians assume that He rose and that someone just didn't steal the body? I have always heard the most common answer that the stone was too heavy for the disciples to move, however, in Matthew 27:60, it says that Joseph rolled the stone in front of the tomb after placing Jesus' body in there. So it wouldn't be that hard for others to move it away then. And there is also the suggestion that the guards were standing near the tomb. Obviously, these guards had there life on the line if the body was to be found missing. So who is Mary referring to then when she says in John 20:2--"They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!" And yes, Jesus appeared to people after His death, but then, so is Elvis. Could anyone please give some logical answers. It does matter, this is what the Christian faith is founded on--that Christ didn't just die, but rose!