The Broken Seal

The grave! The grave is considered by mankind to be the end of the road, our final resting place. This has been the reality of man for some 6,000 years. The only two men to have escaped this ending are Enoch and Elijah. These two men never went to the grave, but everyone else, including Jesus has entered the grave after they breathed their last breath of life. Yes, even Jesus. 

When the grave takes a person, they are sealed and separated from the living. Sealed and separated from the land of the living by the power of the grave. That has been true since the beginning of time. The grave is the seal of separation from the living…until Jesus. 

Yes, Jesus died a real death, just like every other human. Yes, Jesus was put in a grave and yes, the grave had a seal. This seal was put there by the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate at the request of the Jewish leaders to make sure that grave robbers would not come and take the body of Jesus. 

Matthew 27:64-66 (NLT) 

So we request that you seal the tomb until the third day. This will prevent his disciples from coming and stealing his body and then telling everyone he was raised from the dead! If that happens, we’ll be worse off than we were at first.” 65 Pilate replied, “Take guards and secure it the best you can.” 

66 So they sealed the tomb and posted guards to protect it. 

Jesus’ grave was sealed. Seal the grave of Jesus so nothing or no one can get him out of the grave. Pilate agreed and sealed the tomb; the grave of Jesus was shut and sealed. 

I suppose that Pilate’s seal would have worked for anyone on earth, anyone but Jesus. Why? The grave is the result of sin. What if there was a man who had no sin? What would that do to the seal of death and grave? Yes, Jesus took all the sins of the world upon himself on the cross. But Jesus himself was without sin. What would that do to the seal that binds a man in the grave. 

The seal that held Jesus in the grave was broken on the third day. That seal was broken, not by man, but by God. Jesus had taken our sins into the grave, but Jesus would not be bound in that grave. The seal was broken by the one man who had no sin and because Jesus had no sin, the curse of the grave could not hold him. 

The seal that binds all mankind to the grave was broken by Jesus and only Jesus. This spiritual scene is also revealed to John in the Book of Revelation. The seal is broken. 

Revelation 5:2-5 (NLT) 

And I saw a strong angel, who shouted with a loud voice: “Who is worthy to break the seals on this scroll and open it?” 3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll and read it. 4 Then I began to weep bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll and read it. 5 But one of the twenty-four elders said to me, “Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals.” 

In that heavenly scene, Jesus was the only one worthy to break the seals on the scroll and remove the curse of sin, death, grave and hell from the people of earth. Jesus breaks the seals and opens the scroll. Jesus’ death and resurrection paid off the sin debt, broke the curse and redeemed mankind from the seal of the grave. The seal is broken for all who will put their faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord. 

And what was the result of that broken seal in heaven? They sang a song, and they worshipped Jesus. Not just in heaven, but they worshipped Jesus everywhere! The One who broke the seal. 

Revelation 5:13-14 (NLT) 

And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang: “Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever.” 

14 And the four living beings said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped the Lamb. 

Maranatha, Hosanna, Hallelujah and Amen, 

Terry Cooper