The 4 Messages Of The Empty Tomb

THE 4 MESSAGES OF THE EMPTY TOMB

Luke 24:1-6; 36-47

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. I heard about a Church musician that overslept on Easter morning. At 6:30 the church had an early service. The pastor called at 6:31. She got to the church 10 minutes later and started playing.

2. The following Easter her phone rang at 5:45. The pastor said gently, “Christ is Risen! And you better be risen too!” [Paul Tan, Encyclo. Of 7,700 Illus., #2783]

B. TEXT

24 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee?” 36 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 37 They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. 38 He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”….41 And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate it in their presence. 46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

Luke 24:1-6, 36-39,41-43,46-47.

C. THE TURNING POINT OF HISTORY

1. The day Christ died was the most important day in all of human history. Matthew described how when Jesus was dying on the cross, the sun became dark for three hours, the veil of the Temple was torn from top to bottom, the ground began to rumble with an earthquake, and that the graves of many righteous people around Jerusalem were opened.

2. The Bible relates that the thief on the cross next to Jesus and even the Roman Centurion in charge of the execution became believers in Christ as a result of the miraculous events surrounding his crucifixion.

3. But something much greater than these isolated events was taking place; Jesus was reconciling the human race to God, He being the final sacrifice to take away sin. It was captured in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

4. This morning we’re going to look at “The Four Messages of the Empty Tomb.” FIRST…

I. WE DON’T HAVE TO BE AFRAID OF DEATH

A. THE PROBLEM OF FEAR

1. We’re all beset with fears. The young fear rejection by their peers and the old are afraid of getting sick.

2. There's fear of lightning, tornadoes, airplanes, financial ruin, assault, cancer, etc.

3. Fear is contagious and paralyzing. The ultimate fear is the fear of death.

B. WHY THE RESURRECTION CALMS OUR FEARS

1. The resurrection is important because none of us are going to make it out of this life alive. We may live 90 years, be we’re all going to die.

2. Jesus rising from the dead proved:

a. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross was pleasing to God;

b. Jesus overcoming death proves His eradication of sin;

c. It proves that Jesus stands alone in being the Savior & Redeemer of the world.

3. ILLUS.: ASK THE LIVING ONE!

a. Dr. Seamands told of a Muslim who became a Christian in Africa. "Some of his friends asked him, ’Why have you become a Christian?’

b. He answered, ’Well, it’s like this. Suppose you were going down the road and suddenly the road forked in two directions, and you didn’t know which way to go, and there at the fork in the road were two men, one dead and one alive--which one would you ask the way to go?’"

c. They all admitted that they would ask the one who was alive! Only Jesus is Alive!

4. A Buddhist bragged to a Christian, “Archeologists have found one of the fingers of Buddha, but all you have is an empty tomb!” The Christian responded, “The empty tomb is the PROOF that Jesus overcame death! The empty tomb is the best possible news, because it tells us Jesus IS ALIVE!