The Empty Tomb
Matthew 28:1-10, 1 Peter 1:3-4
March 31, 2024
Have you ever been in a cavern or tunnel or some room where you can hear your voice echo? It’s kind of cool to hear the reverb in your voice. To hear your voice echoing, continuing for more than a quick second.
Keep that in mind about the fun of doing that as we start to look at the Easter story. In some ways, to say more than what the Bible says, almost seems like an injustice to the scripture. So, what I want to do is highlight some of the events and what they mean for us. I want you to walk out of here on a spiritual high.
I want you to be excited about what God did for us. I want you to hold onto the fact that God loves you so much, that He sent His Son into this world, not to condemn you, but to give you the greatest offer ever . . . . the offer of new life, a powerful life, abundant life, even life everlasting.
I took the liberty to combine scriptures this morning. I didn’t change a word, I simply wanted to bring the story from the 4 gospels to you, so that you can hear the story.
1 When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint Him. - Mark 16
2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. - Mark 16
3 And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” - Mark 16
2 And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. - Matthew 28
4 And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. - Mark 16
3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. - Matthew 28
4 And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. - Matthew 28
5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. - Matthew 28
6 He is not here, for He has risen, as He said. Come, see the place where He lay. - Matthew 28
3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. - Luke 24
4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. - Luke 24
5 And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? - Luke 24
6 He is not here, but has risen. Remember how He told you, while He was still in Galilee, - Luke 24
7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” - Luke 24
8 And they remembered His words, - Luke 24
9 and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. - Luke 24
It has always struck me that these women who went to the tomb to finish the anointing process for Jesus had no plan. Usually we have a plan. At least, I like having a plan. But they had no plan. That’s why the question, ‘who’s going to roll away the stone?’
This wasn’t just a 10 pound stone, this was a boulder that weighed 100's of pounds and would have been really, really difficult for anyone to physically move. It’s like one of those questions which is asked and just left hanging. It’s when you ask WHAT’S THE PLAN? And the answer is “I’M WOKING ON IT!” Ooops! Not a good sign.
But the women go to the tomb anyways. Maybe they can teach us something in the midst of the big story. And that’s having a blind, maybe even an unreasonable faith. The gospel of John tells us Joseph and Nicodemus had prepared about 75 poinds of spices to anoint Jesus’ body. The women were going to add to it, but they rested on the Sabbath, more to the point, they grieved on the Sabbath.
This is where the story gets a little more enticing. The boulder is rolled away. The women are surpirsed, but not too fazed, because I really believe they had faith that somehow, someone, in someway, that tomb was going to be open for them to see their Lord one last time.
What would you do? The tomb is open! You don’t expect it to be open, but it is . . . so, do you go in? Do you stand on the outside, kind of like John did when he and Peter arrived. Peter barged in, while John peeked in.
What would you do? What would your personality have you do? The women go in and are shocked. There’s an angel in there. They are afraid. Let me ask you, how many of you have walked into a room and there was an angel waiting to greet you. And don’t say it was your spouse! I’ve tried that!
They’re afraid. They’ve spent the last years with Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God, the Christ! The Teacher and Healer, the Great Physician - - - - and there was no fear. But now, they experience this angel and they’re afraid. That’s where walking into a cavern or empty tomb comes in with a shout.
Imagine the shrieks in their voices. You don’t expewct to meet an angel, you expect silence. And there’s an angel looking at you saying “wassup!?”
I’d give a shriek that reverberates for awhile. I’d fall face down, as if I’m seeing the face of God as well. It’s scary. They had no plan, and now an angel of God is talking to them like it’s another day. In fact, even questioning them as to what they were doing there.
Now the angel tells them, Jesus isn’t here.
Um, excuse me, Mr. Angel, your holiness, what do you mean, He’s not here!? He was brutally beaten and bruised, put on a cross, I was there, I saw it. I don’t mean to question you, but WHERE’S MY JESUS?
And the angel, very matter of factly tells the women, He’s not here, because just like He told you, He has risen. He told you He would be beaten and crucified and on the 3rd day He would rise.
Of all people, you should know that Jesus always spoke truth. And this is the truth, Jesus has risen. Come on in, take a look! You won’t find Him.
They look a little harder and there’s no Jesus. Talk about a shock to the system. Have you ever been shocked by something? Whether good or bad! For a moment, it just doesn’t register. It doesn’t computer. You’re trying to wrap your brain around this impossibility, but it’s real, it’s true. That event has happened and now you have to come to your senses and figure out the next steps.
That’s where these women were. They go and tell the disciples, which becomes another story for another day.
I love the statement from the angel - - - -
5 “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but has risen. - Luke 24
Isn’t that great?! That’s what we need to hear. The women were terrified! They were afraid! They were bewildered! Then they hear these words . . . .
That statement has echoed in power through the centuries, encouraging believers around the world in the reality of Christ’s victory over death.
These words shatter the chains of death and despair, they remind us about the victory we have through Jesus. The empty tomb stands as a testimony to the power of God over the grave, demonstrating that death could not hold the Son of God captive.
Jesus had been telling His followers, over and over again, that was going to happen. And on that very first Easter morning the reality of Christ’s victory became true before their very eyes.
Through His cross Jesus conquered sin and through His resurrection, Jesus conquered death, offering us the gift of eternal life. As a Christ follower, we rejoice in the assurance that death has been defeated, and we have been granted the promise of resurrection unto everlasting life.
What began as an echo in an empty tomb, "He is not here; He has risen, just as He said,” now serves as a sign of our hope and becomes the power of our song!
The resurrection of Christ and His victory over death are so monumentally important to our faith that the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians,
13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.
14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. - 1 Corinthians 15:13-14
That means everything we’re doing in the name of Jesus is totally worthless. It means we’re deceiving ourselves. Our faith means nothing. Then Paul adds - - - -
19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. - 1 Corinthians 15:19
And that’s where the Easter power comes in. If Jesus wasn’t raised from the dead, then what’s left for us? We’re left hopeless. And without hope, we will never be overcomers. We will suffer and give in to loss. But we don’t have to, because of what the Father did through the Son.
We have this amazing gift from Jesus. First we have His death on the cross for us. His death means we’re not going to be condemned. We’re going to find forgiveness. We’re going to come before the righteous judge on that day. And He’s going to look at us with love and tell us that we’re forgiven. That the Father looks at us as cleansed by the blood of Jesus. The righteous One dying for the unrighteous, so that God could count His righteousness upon us.
Then comes Easter morning. When all hope was lost. God’s plan came through for us again. Jesus wasn’t in the tomb. He has risen.
That’s why Peter wrote - - - -
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a LIVING HOPE through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, - 1 Peter 1:3-4
There’s another sermon in this passage too. But just pause for a couple of minutes as we wrap up. Consider what Peter was telling us in these 2 great verses - - - -
According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again
God, according to His great mercy, which means, we don’t get what we deserve, which is death - - - - has given us this new opportunity at life. It’s what Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3, that he needed to be born again.
And here’s the joy of it all . . . . when we’re born again, we get this living hope. It means our hope isn’t temporary or going to fade or pass away.
It’s a hope which is ALIVE. And that hope comes through the resurrection of Jesus. It’s Peter’s way to say death has been destroyed eternally. We experience it this lifetime, but there’s a day coming when death will be destroyed. And that gives us an amazing hope.
Think about your loved ones who have died . . . . If they died in Jesus, then they have this life everlasting. They have experienced the grace and mercy and power of God which we have not yet experienced. They are fully alive, because of their faith in Jesus. Never to suffer again. Yes, it seems implausible, far fetched. Yet, faith is believing in what we can’t see . . . . and I believe!
And Peter reminds us about the perfection of heaven. It’s not a place with medicines and physical, emotional and mental anguish. It’s a place when we experience 4 an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, - 1 Peter 1:3-4
Because we are God’s children, we will receive an inheritance which is guaranteed in Christ, through the sealing of the Holy Spirit. So, when that day comes, our inheritance will never perish, it won’t spoil or rust, or fade away. It will be perfect everyday . . . . forever. And we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
That’s part of our hope today! It’s an Easter hope. If we only had the cross, that would be great, but incomplete. OK, so I’m forgiven. That’s nice, but that’s the end. There’s nothing more.
So, whatever you're going through today, no matter what it is, I can assure that it’s not the end of the story. Your suffering and pain are not lost on God. He sees every tear and hears every prayer. Easter Sunday is an annual reminder that God keeps His promises, He will come through in the end and that the sting of death has been defeated. This is the hope we have.
The empty tomb resounds with echoes that reverberate through all of eternity. The tomb proclaims the victory of Christ over death, calls us to unwavering faith, and offers us the assurance of eternal hope.
As we reflect on the significance of the empty tomb, may we be reminded of the transformative power of the resurrection and the promise of new life found in Jesus Christ. Let us go forth from this place, boldly proclaiming the Good News and living in the hope of our risen Lord.
Imagine if we didn’t believe in the miraculous? Imagine if the miracles performed by Jesus were really just a figment of imagination.
We’d go through life to be pitied. We’d really have no hope, because our only hope would be in ourselves, which is never going to end well.
Thomas Jefferson didn’t believe in miracles. He actually modified the Bible, it’s called the Jefferson Bible. Here’s how his Bible ends - - - -
Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. Now, in the place where He was crucified, there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. There laid they Jesus. And rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.
That’s it!! That’s the end. Where’s the hope that death has been defeated? There is none. My hope for you today is that you believe in Jesus. You trust in the power of God to defeat death. Not only to forgive you, but to rise again, to give us this great hope in life everlasting.
It’s what the angel said that morning . . . .
He is not here, He has risen!
Praise God!
