Empty Tomb

Resurrection Day 2021! Jesus is alive! The angel delivered this announcement to the women who came to Jesus’ grave on that momentous Sunday morning. The angel said, “He is not here; for He is risen as He said (Matthew 28:6).” And it’s still true today: Jesus remains alive! The Easter message is not an argument. It is a Divine proclamation that forms the foundations of our Christian faith. This basic truth of Christianity is proclaimed in every sermon, Bible study, and worship service. The Resurrection of Jesus is the heart of the Gospel message. This message is so powerful that the weak disciples of Jesus were emboldened with new evangelistic zeal. Later, they even chose to die as martyrs for the cause of Christ, rather than surrender their faith. After His Resurrection, Jesus appeared at least 11 times to His followers to bolster their faith. The empty tomb is an awesome testimony that Jesus has defeated death, hell, and the grave. As the songwriter wrote, “I serve a risen Savior, He’s in the world today. I know that He is living whatever men may say. I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer. And just the time I need Him, He’s always near. He Lives!” This Easter, many Americans are distracted with the COVID-19 vaccination, British Royalty scandals, strange weather happenings, the opening of baseball season, and political theater. But there is a greater event that should be front and center in the news: The tomb of Jesus remains empty! And the empty tomb of Jesus has a message for us today. First, the Apostle Paul declared in Romans 1:4, that Jesus is the “Son of God.” When Jesus declared that He had the power to lay his life down and to take it up again (Matthew 17:23), the empty tomb reveals that He could and He did! Second, the Apostle Paul declared in Romans 4:25, that Jesus “was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.” The empty tomb proves that Christ’s death on the Cross made atonement for our sins. Salvation is available for us through the death, burial and Resurrection of Christ. Third, Jesus prophesied that He would rise from the grave and this miracle provided a promise that as His followers, we would rise from the grave, too (John 11:25-26). As Jesus said in John 14:19, “Because I live, ye shall live also.” The empty tomb confirms that the claims of Jesus were justified and true. You can visit the graves of illustrious preachers, gurus, and holy men of the past. The tour guide will say, “Here lies the body of a noted teacher or writer.” Indeed, their graves contain the remains of that celebrated person. But if you visit the grave of Jesus, it’s empty! He is not there. He is risen as He said!