Empty Celebration

Empty Celebration

(ILL) Empty Eggs – children given eggs and instructions to put something in the egg to illustrate new life in celebration of Easter and Spring –

butterfly –flower – rock – empty

We celebrate today the fact that the tomb was/is empty

Matthew 28:1-10

1Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. 2And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. 3And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. 5The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. 6“He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. 7“Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.” 8And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples. 9And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him. 10Then Jesus said* to them, “Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.”

Empty tomb means:

Jesus is who He claimed to be:

Matthew 16:21

21From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day

Romans 1:4

4who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord,

Jesus is alive and we can know him

Jesus can be found and we can know him and have a relationship with him. Its one thing to have an empty tomb – its something else to have a living Savoir named Jesus Christ.

Matthew 28:9-10

9And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him. 10Then Jesus said* to them, “Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.”

John 14:23

23Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.

Revelation 3:20

20Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

Jeremiah 29:13-14

‘You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. 14‘I will be found by you,’ declares the LORD,

This morning there is another empty object that demands our attention.

The empty cross

John 19:28-30

28After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said*, “I am thirsty.” 29A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth. 30Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.

1 Peter 3:18

18For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;

The empty cross means that our sins can be forgiven – the price has been paid in full.

Colossians 2:13-14

13When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, 14having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

The cross is empty – empty of Jesus’ body – because his work is finished – his death for our sin has been accomplished -- YET the cross is full of God’s promises

1 John 1:9

9If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.