An Empty Tomb

 Sunday

An Empty Tomb

“Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body.”

Mark 16:6

Light was just beginning to peak into the morning, casting a pink glow on the fringes of the night sky. Stars still clung to their dark backdrop, as the women made their way to the tomb. They had bought and prepared spices so that they could properly prepare Jesus’ body for burial. Grief clung to their hearts. The pain of their loss was still so fresh that it felt as if the ache would never subside. One had carried Him in her womb. She had bandaged His knee when He fell down and scraped it. She had wiped  tears from His eyes when He was sad. And although she knew this day would come, she missed her son. The other woman knew the feeling of deep loneliness and desperation. Until she met Jesus, she had been possessed. She couldn’t control herself, instead the seven demons who tormented her controlled her. It all changed the day she met Jesus. He didn’t avoid her as most people did. Instead, He came close and with one word He cast the demons out of her. Both of these women had their own reason for following Jesus. This small act of anointing His body would be their final way of serving this man who had given so much for them. 

As they approached the tomb, they noticed that the large boulder that had been used to cover the entrance, had been rolled to the side. They looked at each other in disbelief. Had the guards moved it for some reason? They tentatively peeked inside, and seeing nothing but inky blackness they proceeded to walk into the tomb. There, on the flat stone where Jesus’ body should have lain, sat two men clothed in gleaming white. Frightened by their appearance, the women sank to their knees. One of the angels said to them, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.” (Luke 24:5-7, NLT).

The women remembered the words Jesus had spoken to them, so they rushed to tell the disciples. Their feet ran down the dusty path, tears streaming down their faces. They found some of the disciples still grieving at the house where they were staying. The women began telling the disciples of the empty tomb. The story sounded like gibberish to them. They couldn’t make sense of it all. Peter jumped up from where he had been sitting and pushed past John, who was already heading out the door in the direction of the tomb. When they arrived at the tomb, Peter stooped down to look at the empty linens that had covered Jesus’ dead body. Shaking his head in disbelief, he stumbled out of the tomb. He turned back toward the city wondering what had happened (Luke 24:12)

Later that evening, the disciples gathered behind locked doors because they feared the Jewish leaders.  As they discussed what to do next, Jesus appeared to them. He said, “Peace be with you.” (John 20:19, NLT)  At the startled look on His disciples faces, Jesus began showing them the wounds in His hands and on His side. They were overjoyed when they realized that it was indeed Jesus. He was alive just as He had promised. The smile on His face lit the room as He looked at their faces. He said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I’m sending you.” (John 20:21, NLT) 

An empty tomb and a risen Savior, this is the anchor point of our faith. Jesus did what He said He would do. He defeated death. He was tortured, and rejected so that you wouldn’t be condemned to the punishment you deserved. If He would go to such a great price to redeem our lives from the grave, will He not also take care of all of the details of our lives.

There are a couple of things that stood out to me as I studied the resurrection. First, Jesus had told the disciples what would happen and they had seen the empty tomb, yet they still didn’t believe that He had risen. How many times does unbelief hamper our lives? How many times do we fail to do the things that God is calling us to do because we don’t believe Him? How many times do we choose to lean into our understanding rather than trusting His leading? I know that there are many days when unbelief marks my life. Just as I was writing this last devotion, I felt unbelief creeping into my heart. Should I publish any of the Holy Week devotions that I had written so that  others could read them?  I wanted to tuck them away instead of risk putting my heart out there. 

Secondly, when Jesus reveals Himself to His disciples He sends them out into the world. Now that they know the truth and their eyes have been opened, He sends them out to minister to a broken world. He doesn’t want them to keep the knowledge of who He is to themselves. Yes, there might be risks. The religious leaders had Jesus crucified and they could do the same to His disciples. But the risk is always worth it. We have the words that give life. We possess a hope that carries us through the hard days, and encourages us to live lives that go beyond ourselves. Why would we not want to share that with the people around us?

Behold, the risen Savior. He defeated death, and the same power that raised Him from the dead lives in you (Ephesians 1:19). He wants you to live in the victory that He won for you. I pray that this Easter you will realize the invaluable gift that you’ve been given. I pray that you will go and risk it all for the One who gave His life for you. 

Scripture Reading:

Matthew 28:1-13, Mark 16:1-14, Luke 24:1-49, John 20:1-23