Well, they’re at it again. The clever “scientists” and Hollywood types have run their big show about the discovery of the “real” tomb of Jesus complete with the supposed ossuaries (bone boxes) of Jesus, His mother Mary, Mary Magdalene (to whom Jesus was allegedly married) as well as Jesus and Mary’s alleged child and some others that might have been the brothers of Jesus. We’ll pass over the fact that this tomb was discovered already in 1980 and it’s had big deals made about it before. We won’t spend time either debunking the errors of this so called “archaeology” because that’s been done before. And we’ll also ignore the constant way in which the Gospels are constantly portrayed in the media as untrue fabrications (treatment, which, if it were the Koran at issue, would result in the rioting of millions of Muslims). No, we’ll simply let the Word of God speak.
It has been asked what the effect would be upon Christianity if those really were the bones of Jesus. That question has been answered by St. Paul . “If Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!“ (1 Cor. 15:17 NKJV). It’s as simple as that. Jesus’ Christ’s bodily resurrection from the dead on the Third Day means that sin and death have been conquered by our Lord. If that is not true, then there is no Christian faith and it’s all just nonsense. But it is true because the Gospels are not made up but written by eyewitnesses through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. As Paul points out to his Corinthian hearers, Jesus was seen after His resurrection by Peter and then by the twelve and then by over 500 disciples many of whom were still alive when Paul wrote. Rest assured, the eyewitness testimony of the Gospels that Jesus was alive and the tomb was empty is solid.
And what of His alleged wife, Mary Magdalene? More nonsense to titillate the itching ears of a Gospel-hating world. The Scriptures also clearly answer this. Christ does indeed have a Bride; it is not Mary Magdalene but it includes her. For the Bride of Christ is the whole Christian church. Again, St. Paul : “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church…” (Ephesians 5:25-27 NKJV). This is a reality which St. John records. For John the Apostle and Evangelist was witness to Jesus’ death at which blood and water flowed from His side. Just as Eve, the bride of Adam was created from his s
ide, from a rib, so the church comes from the side of Christ in blood and water (the Holy gifts of the Lord’s Supper and Holy Baptism). Not only that, but John sees this vision for he sees “the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” (Revelation 21:2 NKJV). This is no mere symbolic language but rather it expresses the reality to which all marriage points.
So let the media have their fun with Jesus; it’s that time of year again, after all. But let those who want to know the truth hear it preached from the Holy Scriptures which are the Spirit-inspired faithful testimony of that Truth. It is that Word that has been conquering skeptics and Hollywood documentary producers as long as it has been preached.
The Reverend Mark Buetow is pastor of Bethel Lutheran Church in DuQuoin, Illinois, and the editor-in-chief of Higher Things Reflections.
