Sermon Central
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How Does The Empty Tomb Affect Me?
Contributed by Anthony Zibolski on May 15, 2014 (message contributor)
Summary: He is risen , He is risen indeed! That was the proper greeting of the early church. What does the empty tomb mean to believers today?
How does the empty tomb affect me?
Selected Scriptures
Introduction-
Between these Gospels we have an account of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
We have been in a series At The Cross… First we looked at the love of God because of what He did on the cross.
Last week, we looked At The Cross… and we saw the forgiveness of God. “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” The rebellious Jews nailed Jesus to the Cross.
If I am to stay in the thread of the series, this morning’s message would be At The Cross… is victory. That empty tomb changes everything!
If you came this morning to hear a boring religious message, I think you will be disappointed. This is not the day to be religious, it is not the day to be sad, it is a day to rejoice and be glad and to focus on the greatest event that ever occurred in human history.
We have come to celebrate the empty tomb. The tomb was empty.
As hard as the Romans did everything they could to keep the body of Jesus in that tomb, the tomb was empty, and Jesus was not there.
Webster’s dictionary defines “empty” as containing nothing.
The tomb that had the body of Jesus now contains nothing.
Ever go to the refrigerator to find an empty carton of milk?
Ever go to the grocery store and load up all your groceries on the belt and you open your wallet and find that it is empty? Not good.
Empty is not a good when it comes to your wallet or a carton of milk.
Empty is not good when you describe the condition of your soul, but when it comes to a tomb containing the body of Jesus Christ, it is a very good thing!
The women went to the tomb not expecting to find it empty, they actually planned on preparing Jesus body for burial.
The disciples, they thought the women were crazy until they went to the empty tomb themselves.
None of them expected to find the tomb empty.
None of them knew the power of the empty tomb would have in their lives or the world.
The empty tomb has the power to change lives (repeat)
All God’s people say amen, but just like the people in the video clip, they don’t doubt it is possible, but how does it affect you and I?
One of the most compelling reasons to believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the dramatic change that occurred in the lives of the disciples. The lives of thousands upon thousands all the way down to the church today were changed.
All going from nonsense to transformation.
Society that shifted from devout Jews worshipping on Saturday, the sacred Sabbath, to Sunday, the first day of the resurrection.
When Jesus died, His followers lost all hope.
Their hope for liberation from Rome died with Jesus .
Their hopes for a new life died with Jesus .
But they discovered that the tomb was empty! Jesus was alive! That gave them Hope!
Because Jesus lives, we can also live one day like Him.
How does that empty tomb affect you?
When we discover the empty tomb and meet the Jesus that is alive!
Most of you don’t know the 14 year old rebellious kid I was, flipping through the TV stations looking to watch a Brewers game one night, and running into a preacher named Billy Graham that told me I need Jesus. I laughed at him and made fun of him. Then the Spirit of God spoke to me, not in an audible voice, but I sensed His presence and I discovered the empty tomb, the Jesus that was alive! He changed my life that day!
Regrettably, not completely, and not without a struggle.
I was never the same, and when I did do things that I was not suppose too, I had a still small voice that guided me and corrected me.
Lee Strobel-
People will die for their religious beliefs if they sincerely believe their true, but people won’t die for their religious beliefs if they know their beliefs are false.
Because Jesus lives, we can also live.
I need God to show that to you this morning. Jesus was resurrected and is no longer in the grave.
1 Corinthians 15:12-20 (Read from the Bible )
Some at Corinth were saying that there was no resurrection. They said that someone stole the body of Jesus. Paul draws out the implications of this false contention.
If our faith in Christ brings benefit only for the present life and not deliverance from sin, then we are without hope.
(20) “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.”
