What would a CSI agent conclude after visiting the tomb that Easter Sunday? Before interviewing witnesses, he would make a careful examination of the scene. Was a body stolen from this tomb? would be the question. Was it a crime as the Religious Leaders wanted everyone to believe?
There would be several sets of footprints to investigate. The foot work fromthe day before would not be completely gone. Was it only Nicodemus and Josephwho came close to the tomb with Jesus’ body? Did they carry Him? Was theonly place they set Him down on the rock inside? How many helped with gettingthe rock in place to close the tomb? Shortly after they finished, a guard wassent to secure the tomb. After they sealed the stone to the cave, where did theykeep guard? Was it directly in front of the tomb or were they a little more comfortablea short distance from a dead body? Did they sit together off to the side, passingthe time appeasing the Jews on this crazy assignment? There would be Mary’sand the other women’s smaller footsteps fresh in the morning, and thenJohn’s deep set of running footsteps that stopped right at the edge ofthe tomb. Peter’s fresh, larger feet would have left prints that went rightinto the tomb then turned and went right out. Inside the tomb there would beat least two fresh sets of men’s footsteps (Peter and John) and at leastone set of women’s (Mary Magdalene).
When the Crime Scene Investigator took fingerprints, the mystery of this happeningwould start to arise. There would be an absence of fresh fingerprints presentaround the body of Jesus and none on the stone itself save for Joseph’sand Nicodemus’ fingerprints on the side that would roll the stone to closethe tomb not open it. They may choose to interview Joseph of Armathea and Nicodemusto see if they had an alibi. Theirs would be the only reasonable fingerprintsaround the freshly hewn tomb. Would they find another set of fingerprints? Wouldthe fingerprints of Jesus be on the linen strips that had been around His faceand now were found neatly folded lying separate from the other cloth in whichHis body had been wrapped? Did they find other fingerprints of Jesus in the tomb?Was he reunited with His body inside that tomb that morning? Did He walk outwhen the stone was rolled away and the earthquake took place? Was His set offootprints found there? Did the guards see Jesus at all that morning? These answersare not recorded in Scripture, but are interesting to consider.
Next they would interview witnesses. Mary Magdalene would be their prime witnesseven though she was a woman and not considered reliable in their culture. Theguards would tell them the story about them sleeping and waking up to find thatsomeone had stolen the body; but could the crime scene investigator find evidenceto verify their story? Would they get the sense that these guards were hidingsomething? After interviewing John, Peter, Nicodemus and Joseph, what would theyconclude?
What about you? What have you concluded after your careful investigation of theevents of Easter?
