JESUS’ EMPTY TOMB IS LIFE CHANGING (Outline)
March 23, 2008 –
EASTER SUNDAY -
John 20:1-8
INTRO: Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia! This simple statement of fact is the bold confession of our Christian faith. Jesus’ empty tomb stands in contrast to the graves of everyone else. Kings and leaders throughout history have been laid to rest in their tombs. There they are to this very day, or at least what is left of them. The pyramids stand as a testimony to the mortality of those who once considered themselves to be gods. There was no escape for those mortals. They returned to the dust from which they were made. Today, every Sunday, yes, even every day we celebrate the fact that the tomb of Jesus is empty. "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead"(1 PETER 1:3). Jesus’ resurrection is our living hope.
JESUS’ EMPTY TOMB IS LIFE CHANGING.
I. See how peo-ple come to Jesus’ empty tomb,
II. See how the people leave Jesus’ empty tomb
I. SEE HOW PEOPLE COME TO JESUS’ EMPTY TOMB
A. The first anxious person to visit the tomb is Mary Magdalene, verse 1a. She comes very, very early.
1. Mary comes to finish the preparation of Jesus’ body to rest in the tomb. The tomb is empty.
2. Verse 2. Mary brings the disturbing news to the disciples. She asks, where? Jesus is gone.
3. Mary came to the tomb in grief. Her grief is intensified because of the missing body of Jesus.
B. The disciples are alarmed that the tomb would be empty. They wonder and are moved to action.
1. Verses 3, 4 Peter and John run to the tomb. John arrives first. He is younger than Peter.
2. John looks into the tomb but does not enter, verse 5. John is skeptical and doubtful.
3. John is questioning all these things that make no sense at all. John wonders, what?
C. Verse 6a. Peter arrives and enters the tomb without any hesitation. Peter acts first, thinks later.
1. Peter comes with overwhelming guilt. Peter denied the Savior three (3) times before his death.
2. Peter’s guilt brings him to Jesus’ tomb. The tomb is empty. Peter’s question is why?
3. Peter wonders why he did not listen to Jesus. Peter wonders why he betrayed Jesus. Guilt.
D. We dare not point to Peter and think, “I am glad I am not like him”. But, like Peter, our guilt can consume us in the same manner. We are no better than Peter or any other sinner. Our sins of thought, word, and deed are far too numerous to count or even imagine. “All our righteous acts are like filthy rags…” . We say one thing and do another. We might also run to Jesus’ tomb wondering why he died. He died because of our disobedience. "They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good "(TITUS 1:16). Our sins killed Jesus.
E. Like John we may be skeptical. “How can God truly know what I need?” “Where is God when I really need him?” The devil loves to plant seeds of doubt in the minds and hearts of believers. We need to face the facts. You and I and every believer spend more time in this world than in God’s word. Our world has become more and more wicked. Our society is turning away from God. What happens to us in this world? "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God"(2 CORINTHIANS 4:4). Yes, Christ is more than the Son of Mary and Joseph. Jesus is more than a carpenter. Jesus is the very Son of God!
F. People come to the empty tomb of Jesus expecting to find mortal remains. The government sealed the tomb and posted the guard. Man could not and cannot stop God’s plans and power. To this day the tomb of Christ is powerfully empty. This is the greatest power to be able to bring someone back to life. Man is not able to perform this miracle. Only the creating power of the Lord God Almighty can restore life. "…and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead"(EPHESIANS 1:19, 20a). Such is the powerful testimony of the empty tomb of Jesus. Jesus lives. Jesus lives in us. The power of God that raised his Son from the dead is alive and well and working in us. All of this by faith through grace.
JESUS’ EMPTY TOMB IS LIFE CHANGING.
See the people who came to the tomb.
Mary came in grief asking where?
John came with doubt – what?
Peter came with guilt – why? They leave changed.
II. SEE HOW THE PEOPLE LEAVE JESUS’ EMPTY TOMB
A. With great grief and devoted love Mary wanted to finish the preparation hastily done on Good Friday.
1. Verse 1. Mary saw the stone rolled away and thought the worst. The tomb would be empty.
2. The body was gone. She leaves and later returns. Jesus comforts Mary (20:11ff).
3. Mary returns from the empty tomb with joy and gladness instead of grief and sadness.
B. Remember John? He outran Peter but did not enter the tomb. He was skeptical and doubtful.
1. John lets Peter enter first. John does believe verse 8. He sees everything is in neat order.
2. The skepticism and doubt of John is replaced with confidence, certainty, and believing.
C. We cannot forget Peter. Peter catches up to John and rushes into the tomb, verse 6b, 7.
1. The burial cloths were there. The cloth covering the face was folded up. There was no robbery.
2. The tomb was not ransacked. Jesus rose from the dead and left. It was like rising from sleep.
3. We get up in the morning – make the bed – all is neat and in order. It was the same with Jesus.
D. Sadly, man still tries to deny the physical resurrection of Jesus. Many deny the witnesses. Some reject the truth of Scripture. BUT the tomb is empty. Jesus is alive. Jesus was born, lived, died, was buried, and came back to life on the third day. Most amazing of all, Jesus did all of this for us. "Jesus our Lord…was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification"(ROMANS 4:25). We are justified = “just if I’d never sinned”. Christ’s sacrifice pays for all our sins forever.
E. The sacrifice of Christ on the cross and his resurrection is God’s grace. God’s grace is his undeserved love for us. Our daily life is known as our time of grace. During our time of grace we learn just how much God truly, really, really loves us. It takes a lifetime of learning to only begin to scratch the surface of God’s grace. We know, believe, and confess the truths of Scripture. "This grace…has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel"(2 TIMOTHY 1:10). God’s gracious gift is immortality.
F. We leave the empty tomb with our lives changed. Our lives are changed forever. At the end of our earthly journey our mortality is left behind. The ultimate victory is ours because of God’s free gift (grace). The life that Jesus lived on earth was the battle to save our souls. It was the ultimate battle with the ultimate victory. "When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ’Death has been swallowed up in victory’"(1 CORINTHIANS 15:54). No matter what we face in this life the victory of Christ is our victory.
CONC.: The empty tomb of Jesus is life changing. More than that, Jesus’ empty tomb is also soul changing. Grief and sadness is changed into joy and gladness. Skepticism and doubt is turned into confidence and certainty. Guilt is replaced with forgiveness. All because Christ is risen, he is risen indeed! JESUS’ EMPTY TOMB IS LIFE CHANGING. We learn this from people who come to see Jesus’ tomb. We are comforted in watching them leave the empty tomb of Jesus. We come to the tomb of Jesus. We see tomb of Jesus is empty but our lives are filled. "Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand" (PSALM 16:9-11). Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
SERVICES:
SAT – 1:00pm @ NCF Min.,
+ SUN – 12:00pm @ NCF Medium / 9:30am @ Redeemer
Sunday radio broadcast @ 9:05am on KQNK 106.7FM or 1530AM + www.kqnk.com
EASTER SUNDAY readings:
JONAH 2:2-9;
COLOSSIANS 3:1-4;
MATTHEW 28:1-10;
(PSALM 118)
