THE EMPTY GRAVE CHANGED EVERYTHING!
A grave is meant to hold death forever, but one grave is empty.
Christ’s empty tomb changed everything.
His empty grave isn’t just history it’s hope.
Hope of Eternal life.
It declares that Eternity is real.
What does Christ’s empty grave mean for you?
Welcome back! We are nearing the end of our series on the unique message of the Gospel of John.
John’s Gospel gives us an up-close and personal look at Jesus, the Source of Life, as He interacts personally with individuals while living on this earth.
Jesus was executed and placed in a burial tomb, but today, his grave is empty.
Why is that significant? (Pause)
What does that mean for us today?
Stay tuned.
To view the remainder of this series, Subscribe to my YouTube Channel,
Sabbath School Daily by Dr. Brenda Ware Davis.
If you have not viewed the previous lesson, to get caught up, binge-watch them via SabbathSchoolDaily.com.
This journey through John will help you get to know God in a personal way.
As always, before we begin, let’s Pray.
God Almighty, Thank You for giving us Your son.
His empty grave changes everything.
Help us fully understand its value. In Jesus, name, Amen.
The Gospel of John
(Lesson 12)
The Hour of Glory:
The Cross and Resurrection
Part 1 Introduction
Pilate asked Jesus, “So you are a king?” Jesus replied, “You are right to say that I am a king. I was born for this reason: to tell people about the truth. That is why I came into the world. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to me” (John 18:37, ERV).
Jesus came to bring truth—truth about God, about life, and about salvation. Those who listen and obey Him find real life and hope.
Jesus’ death and resurrection are the most important events in the Gospel of John. The first ten chapters of John talk about events that happened in over three and a half years of Jesus’ ministry.
But the last ten chapters focus on just one to two weeks of His life. Why?
This short time in Jesus’ life changes everything.
The four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, all tell the story of Jesus’ death, but each has a unique way of relaying it.
Although these writers agree on what happened, they each emphasize different parts, highlighting what matters most in their theme of the Gospel Message.
Matthew and Mark focus on the promises about Jesus found in the Old Testament. They both show how Jesus’ life and death fulfilled those ancient prophecies, proving He is the Messiah.
Additionally, Mark focuses on the similarity between the baptism of Jesus and the Cross.
Luke, on the other hand, emphasizes the cross and how it saves us. He gives explicit details about the thief on the cross who turned to Jesus in his last moments.
In turn, Jesus promised him eternal life.
“Jesus answered him, saying ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise’” (Luke 23:43, NKJV).
This shows that outside of death, no one is ever too far gone to be saved if they come to Jesus.
John portrays the Cross as Jesus’ moment of enthronement, closely linked to the concept of “the hour,” a theme mentioned multiple times in his Gospel, as in John 7:30, John 8:20, and John 12:27.
This idea of enthronement is deeply ironic because crucifixions were the most degrading and shameful form of execution used by the Romans.
Yet, John highlights the striking contrast: while Jesus suffers a humiliating death, this very act becomes His glorious enthronement as the Savior of the world.
Before Jesus’ crucifixion or execution, He had a one-on-one conversation with Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor of Judaea.
What did they talk about? Read John 18:28-32 and John 18:33-38
Then continue to Part 2: What is Truth?
The Gospel of John
(Lesson 12)
The Hour of Glory:
The Cross and Resurrection
Part 2: What Is Truth
The path to the empty grave began long before Jesus was laid in it. It was paved by moments like His trial before Pontius Pilate in John 18:28–32.
We don’t see the full details of Jesus’ trial, but the scene focuses on a confrontation that carries eternal weight: Jesus standing before Pilate, the Roman governor.
Pilate begins by asking a loaded question:
John 18:33: “Are You the King of the Jews?”
This is the first time the title is mentioned in the trial, but it won’t be the last. Pilate wants to know if Jesus is a threat, but Jesus flips the question back to him, asking in John 18:34:
“Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?” (John 18:34, NKJV).
Jesus’ response challenges Pilate to consider what he truly believes. Is he merely a pawn, repeating accusations made by others?
Or is he willing to face the deeper truth about who Jesus really is? (Pause)
Pilate dodges the challenge, saying in John 18:35
“Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?” (John 18:35, NKJV).
Frustration leaks into Pilate’s words, and prejudice blinds him from seeing the truth. Jesus answers Pilate’s question with a statement that redefines power:
He says in John 18:36, “My kingdom is not of this world. (John 18:36, NKJV).
You see, He is a King, but not the kind Pilate expects.
Jesus’ rule isn’t enforced by armies or politics; it is grounded in something far more significant.
Pilate catches on quickly. He concludes that Jesus must be a king: He therefore asks in John 18:37, Are You a king then?” (John 18:37).
Jesus responds with complete clarity, He says:
“You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” (John 18:37, NKJV). (Pause)
Jesus’ words cut straight to the heart of His mission. He came to reveal truth—about God’s love, the way of salvation, and the hope of eternal life.
He was born to bear witness to the truth and that every person who is “ ‘of the truth’ ” hears His voice (John 18:37).
Pilate’s next words are some of the most famous in history:
He asks in John 18:38, “What is truth?” (John 18:38, NKJV).
But tragically, he doesn’t wait for the answer. Instead, Pilate walks away, choosing political advantage over personal and spiritual transformation.
Thus, he goes outside to try to save Jesus from the crowd. Nevertheless, Truth is a central theme in John’s Gospel.
From the very beginning, Jesus is described as the eternal “Word,” the logos which is both the Light and the Truth as expressed in John 1:1–5.
John 1:14 say Jesus is full of grace and truth
John 1:17 tells us Grace and truth came through Him to the world.
What is truth? The following scriptures show that Jesus’ words and works testify to the unchanging reality that He is the Truth.
John 5:33 – John the Baptist bore witness to the truth.
John 7:28 – Jesus affirmed that His Father is “true.”
John 8:40 – Jesus Himself heard the truth from His Father.
John 14:6 – Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life.”
John 17:17 – The Word of God is “truth.”
Despite his question, Pilate missed his opportunity to know the truth because of his prejudice, his earlier decisions, and the pressures put upon him.
But the empty grave changes everything. When Jesus rose from the dead, He proved that His kingdom was real, His truth was unshakable, and His victory over sin and death was final.
How do you understand Jesus as the Truth? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
Pilate missed his chance to embrace the Truth standing right in front of him. To free his conscious, He tried to persuade the people to ask for Jesus’ release. How did he try to do this? Read John 18:38–19:5
Then, View the next segment of this video, Part 3: Behold the Man!
The Gospel of John
(Lesson 12)
The Hour of Glory:
The Cross and Resurrection
Part 3: Behold the Man
Pilate stood before the crowd, dealing with a decision that could change everything.
After asking Jesus, “What is truth?” (John 18:38), Pilate didn’t wait for an answer. Instead, he stepped outside to address the people.
He thought he could persuade them to let Jesus go. But by trying to reason with the crowd instead of standing firm, Pilate gave the religious leaders the chance to take control.
He reminded the people of the Passover custom of letting a prisoner go free. Hoping they would choose to free Jesus, he asked,
“Do you want me to release the King of the Jews?”
But surprisingly and ironically, the crowd, stirred up by the leaders, chose a criminal named Barabbas instead of the innocent Jesus.
What followed was heartbreaking. The Roman soldiers turned Jesus into an object of ridicule and shame.
They twisted together a painful crown of thorns and pressed it onto His head.
They draped a purple robe over His shoulders, mocking Him as a king. “Hail, King of the Jews!” they jeered, while striking Him.
This type of greeting by soldiers was similar to the way they greeted the emperor, but here it was done in mockery.
Pilate tried to appeal to the people’s pity. He brought Jesus out, still wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, and declared in John 19:5, “Behold the man!” (John 19:5).
The image was powerful—Jesus, the Lamb of God, standing in humble silence.
This moment echoes John the Baptist’s powerful declaration in John 1:29, ESV: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
How ironic that a pagan governor unknowingly presents the Messiah dressed in mock kingly clothes, standing before the very people He came to save.
But instead of mercy, as indicated in John 19:6-16, the crowd called for Jesus’ crucifixion.
However, when Pilate heard that Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, fear gripped him. He questioned Jesus further, desperate to find a way to release Him.
But the religious leaders sealed Jesus’ fate with a cunning argument.
They said in John 19:12, “If you release this man, you are not Caesar’s friend” (John 19:12, ESV).
Pilate couldn’t risk disloyalty to Rome. They know that Pilate’s loyalty to Caesar would mean he could not release someone claiming the same role.
The leaders went even further, shouting, in John 19:15, “We have no king but Caesar!” (John 19:15).
These words revealed their deep hatred of Jesus. They were so desperate to get rid of Jesus that they abandoned their national pride and loyalty to God’s kingship.
What a tragedy! A pagan governor wanted to free Jesus, but the spiritual leaders—those who should have recognized Him as their Savior—demanded His death.
It says in the Desire of Ages: “Pilate showed his weakness. He had declared that Jesus was innocent, yet he was willing for Him to be scourged to pacify His accusers.
He would sacrifice justice and principle in order to compromise with the mob. This placed him at a disadvantage…If at the first Pilate had stood firm, refusing to condemn a man whom he found guiltless, he would have broken the fatal chain that was to bind him in remorse and guilt as long as he lived.
Had he carried out his convictions of right, the Jews would not have presumed to dictate to him.
Christ would have been put to death, but the guilt would not have rested upon Pilate. But Pilate had taken step after step in the violation of his conscience.
He had excused himself from judging with justice and equity, and he now found himself almost helpless in the hands of the priests and rulers.
His wavering and indecision proved his ruin.—The Desire of Ages, p. 731.
It’s easy to follow the crowd or cling to what we feel is safe. Pilate’s fear and the leaders’ hatred remind us how dangerous it is to reject truth and love for the sake of power or pride.
Let’s ask God to give us the courage to stand for what is right, even when it’s hard.
Because of Jesus’ empty grave, we know that truth and Jesus will triumph in the end!
Jesus’ dying words on the cross were, “It is finished.” What did he mean? Read John 19:17-30
Then, continue to the next segment of this video, Part 4: “’It Is Finished’”
The Gospel of John
(Lesson 12)
The Hour of Glory:
The Cross and Resurrection
Part 4: It is Finished
The day Jesus was crucified was a day like no other.
Pilate, the Roman governor, ordered a sign to be placed above Jesus’ head as He hung on the cross.
He had it written in the most common languages of the time—Latin, Greek, and Hebrew—so everyone could read it.
It read:
Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews” (John 19:19, ESV).
The religious leaders were outraged.
They demanded that Pilate change the wording to say that Jesus claimed to be the King of the Jews.
But Pilate was having none of that. His stubborn reply was,
“What I have written, I have written,” (John 19:22, ESV).
The inscription remained in place, silently proclaiming the truth about Jesus.
It stood as a powerful sign that, even on the cross, He was the King.
Jesu was truly their King, the King of the Jews—hanging on a cross, treated like a common criminal.
But, even in this small detail, God’s hand was at work.
Through Pilate’s decree, the world was given the truth that no one could erase.
Jesus truly was the King—not just of the Jews, but of all creation.
This moment, as brutal as it seems, was filled with divine purpose.
This inscription wasn’t no accident.
“A higher power than Pilate or the Jews had directed the placing of that inscription above the head of Jesus. In the providence of God it was to awaken thought, and investigation of the Scriptures.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 745.
As Jesus hung there, beaten and bloodied, a heartbreaking scene unfolded below the cross.
Mary, His mother, stood with a small group, including John, the disciple Jesus loved.
This moment was the fulfillment of a prophecy spoken many years earlier.
When Jesus was a baby, Simeon predicted this very event when Joseph and Mary brought Jesus to the temple to be dedicated; in Luke 2:34-35 it says:
34 Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against
35 (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” (Luke 2:3).
Mary felt the pain of that sword as she watched her son suffer on the cross.
Now, in Jesus’s dying moments, even in His agony, Jesus thought of his mother.
He looked at his mother, Mary, and John, His beloved disciple, and with love, He said in John 19:26 and 27:
“ ‘Woman, behold your son!’ ” and To John He says, “ ‘Behold your mother!’ ” (John 19:26, 27, NKJV).
Jesus was ensuring His mother would be cared for, even as He faced death.
His selflessness in that moment reminds us that even in our darkest hours, Jesus cares for us.
Then came the final moments of Jesus’ life.
Weak and thirsty, He whispered, In John 19:28
“ “I thirst!” fulfilling yet another prophesy, John 19:29 says
29 Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. (John 19:29)
After receiving a drink of sour wine, Jesus declared with His last breath in John 19:30: “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. (John 19:30).
These three words, “It is finished!” are simple but most powerful.
In John 19:28, the Greek word for finish means “to finish, complete, or carry out”.
It is used to describe how “all was now finished” (ESV).
This exact word appears again in verse 30 when Jesus declares, “It is finished.”
Additionally, a related term, in the Greek for finished, means “to finish or make perfect,” is used in verse 28 to highlight the fulfillment of the Scripture.
Thus, despite the horror of the scene, every detail was unfolding according to God’s plan, being fulfilled, accomplished, and brought to completion.
This was not a cry of defeat or resignation.
It was a cry of victory!
Jesus had completed the mission God gave Him.
He fulfilled every prophecy, obeyed every command, and paid the price for sin.
The debt that humanity owed was fully paid.
When Jesus says, “It is finished!” He declared that the work the Father had given Him to do was completed, finished, fulfilled.
When Jesus said, “It is finished,” He wasn’t just talking about His suffering.
He was announcing that the battle for our salvation was won.
Sin’s power was broken.
Death’s grip was loosened.
The door to eternal life was opened.
For us, this means freedom.
It means hope.
It means that no matter how heavy our burdens or how deep our mistakes, Jesus has already carried them to the cross.
His finished work gives us a fresh new start and the promise of an everlasting life.
Jesus endured unimaginable pain, not for Himself, but for you.
You can live in the freedom Jesus has given you by loving God supremely and loving others as you love yourself.
Share His love with someone who needs to hear about the hope of the empty grave.
What does the empty grave mean for us? Read John 20:1-7
Then, continue to the next segment of this video: Part 5: The Empty Tomb
The Gospel of John
(Lesson 12)
The Hour of Glory:
The Cross and Resurrection
Part 5: Empty Tomb
Jesus died late on Friday afternoon and was placed in a borrowed tomb just before the Sabbath began, according to John 19:42.
42 So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews’ Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby. (John 19:42)
In other words, because the Sabbath was near, His burial was done quickly and wasn’t fully completed.
Even though His followers deeply loved Him, they honored the Sabbath; therefore, the burial process was done hastily and not completed.
His followers kept the Sabbath and did not go to the tomb until Sunday, after the Sabbath, as indicated in Mark 16:1
1 Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. (Mark 16:1)
And Luke 23:56
56 Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment. (Luke 23:56)
Early Sunday morning, the first day of the week, after the Sabbath had passed, several women went to the tomb with spices to finish preparing Jesus’ body.
To their surprise, they found the heavy stone rolled away—and the tomb empty.
One of the women, Mary Magdalene, carrying the weight of deep sorrow and loss, was also making her way to Jesus’ tomb, and to her surprise, the massive stone that sealed the tomb had been rolled away.
Startled, she looked closer and saw that the tomb was empty.
Her heart raced with confusion and fear.
What had happened to the body of her Lord?
According to John 20:1–7, Mary didn’t keep the news to herself.
She ran to find Peter and John, the disciple Jesus loved.
Out of breath, she told them what she had seen—or rather, what she hadn’t seen.
She said in John 20:2
“They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.”
Hearing this, Peter and John rushed to the tomb.
John was younger and faster, so he arrived first.
But he hesitated, stooping down to look inside.
There, he saw the linen cloths lying there.
He also saw the face cloth that had been on Jesus’ head; it was not with the rest of the clothes.
It was folded up and lying by itself.
What was the meaning of the folded face cloth?
Peter, bold and impulsive, entered the tomb without hesitation. Then John also enters. It says in John 20:8
8 Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first (John), went in also; and he saw and believed.
It says he saw the linen wrappings and the face cloth that had been placed on Jesus’ head.
But the face cloth wasn’t lying in disarray.
Instead, it was neatly folded and set aside as if left there on purpose.
John 20:8–10 says:
8 Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed.
9 For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.
10 Then the disciples went away again to their own homes. (John 20:8-10)
In other words, though John reached the tomb first, Peter entered the tomb, and John followed Peter.
When John saw the folded face cloth and the empty tomb, something clicked in his heart, in his mind, and he believed.
But why this minor detail?
The clothes left behind, with one neatly folded, why did this lead John to believe that Jesus had risen?
It’s because the evidence didn’t match any other explanation.
The most logical answer would be grave robbers.
However, this explanation does not fit for three reasons.
First, Grave robbers wouldn’t have taken the time to remove burial linens, let alone fold them neatly. Besides, robbers seek valuables, not bodies.
Second, Matthew 27:62–66 explains that the Roman guards were stationed at the tomb, making it unlikely that anyone could have stolen Jesus’ body unnoticed.
Third, even if someone had managed to remove the body, they would not have left the grave in an orderly state. Grave robbers are in a hurry, nor do they care about neatness; they do not fold up grave cloths.
Therefore, the folded cloth was evidence of intention and purpose, not chaos.
It was evidence that Jesus had risen.
It should come as no surprise then, that when John saw the face cloth folded, he believed that Jesus had risen from the dead.
The empty tomb is more than a story; it is the cornerstone of our faith.
Jesus didn’t stay in the grave.
His resurrection proves that He has power over death, sin, and the grave itself.
It changes everything for us because it means that the promises of God are real and trustworthy.
If Jesus could rise from the dead, then He can raise us up, too.
Though John was convinced Jesus was alive, Mary Magdalene still did not understand the reason for the empty tomb; why? Read John 20:11-13.
Then, continue to the next segment of this video, Part 6: Jesus and Mary
The Gospel of John
(Lesson 12)
The Hour of Glory:
The Cross and Resurrection
Part 6: Jesus and Mary
Mary Magdalene was overwhelmed with grief.
The last few days had been a whirlwind of heartbreak—her beloved Teacher, Jesus, had been crucified, and now, His body was gone.
After running to tell Peter and John about the empty tomb in John 20:2,
2 Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.” (John 20:2)
After Peter and John inspected the tomb, they left it.
But Mary returned weeping and lingered there.
Standing outside the tomb, she wept bitterly, lost in her sorrow.
When she finally stooped down to look inside the tomb, she saw something extraordinary—two angels dressed in white, sitting where Jesus’ body had once lain.
In John 20:13, They asked her gently, “Woman, why are you weeping?”
Her reply revealed her pain:
“They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” (John 20:13)
Mary didn’t yet understand what the empty tomb meant.
To her, it was just another wound cut into her grief.
However, in John 20:14–18, we find that through her tears, Mary turned around and saw a stranger standing before her; this stranger was Jesus, but she did not recognize him.
In John 20:15 the Stranger ask “ ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?’ ” Thinking the Stranger was the gardener, she pleaded, Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away” (John 20:15, NKJV).
Then came one word, a word that changed everything—“Mary.”
At that moment, her sorrow melted away as she recognized the risen Savior.
It was Jesus!
Her Teacher was alive and talking to her!
She turned to Him and exclaims, Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).
Her heart must have leaped with joy, but Jesus gently told her not to cling on to Him, for He had not yet ascended to the Father. Instead, He gave her a mission: In John 20:17, Jesus tells her to go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father and to My God and your God.’ ”(John 20:17, NKJV). (Pause)
Mary did as she was instructed. It says in John 20:18
18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her. (John 20:18)
She shared everything Jesus had told her, becoming the first witness to the greatest truth ever known Jesus was alive!
In 1 Corinthians 15:12–20, Paul reminds us why the resurrection is so vital.
Without it, our faith would be useless.
If Christ had not raised, then sin and death would have won, and all our hope would have been lost.
But Paul declares confidently, in 1 Corinthians 15:20, Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20, NKJV).
The resurrection of Jesus changes everything.
It proves that God’s love conquers death, that sin is defeated, and that eternal life is real.
Because Jesus lives, we have hope—not just for today, but for forever. (Pause)
Mary’s moment with the risen Savior reminds us that in our darkest, most tear-filled hours, Jesus meets us personally.
He knows our name.
He calls us to recognize His presence and to share His victory with others.
Will you, like Mary, share the good news of a risen Savior with those who need hope?
I challenge you today, let the folded face cloth and the empty tomb remind you: Jesus is alive, and because of Him, we have hope that will never fade.
No matter what you face, remember that the tomb is empty—and that changes everything.
———————————————-
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