March 24 2011
Empty gas tank – bummer.
Empty wallet – what the heck?
Empty bank account – time to worry, pray, or both.
Empty refrigerator – not so good at all.
Empty ice cream carton – who ate it all?
Empty house – loneliness.
Empty look – trouble.
Empty tomb – incredible, best news ever!
Generally speaking we are not that fond of “empty,” we’d much prefer full. The
biggest exception of them all is our own grave, we love for it to stay empty. Have
you ever considered how hard we work at that being so? Of course we love being
full so much that most of the time we are completely focused on it until someone
tells us our fullness will shorten our lives. We also love for our lives to be full,
in part because we know that we won’t be able to keep our own tomb empty
forever, and because we know that once we are in our own grave we are totally
powerless. Death strips us of everything. There is no hope in death – unless.
Unless – there is someone who has conquered both death and sin. The two are
related, you know. Death (physical, spiritual, and eternal) is the result of sin, yours
and mine (Romans 6:23). And since we already know that neither of us can stave
off forever the appointment with our own grave we are indicted as sinners. Our
capacity to sin never is on “empty,” and this is why our death and God’s judgment
is merely a matter of time, on our own we won’t survive neither.
That’s why the empty tomb of Jesus Christ is such great news. It testifies to the
fact that Jesus didn’t lie when he said that he alone is “the way, the truth, and
the life” – the only possibility to be justified before God, the only way to escape
death, and the only way to get to heaven (John 14:6).
Many object, “That’s too narrow! That disqualifies every other religion.” This true,
because there is no religion that can save you from your own grave, the only one
who can is Jesus Christ whose tomb is empty. He really has the power to save us
from our sins and grant us eternal life (John 3:16). The fact is that on our own,
tomorrow we will be a little closer to our own grave being full, and there is no one
else to help us other than Jesus Christ.
My Easter prayer is that you, and anyone else who has not put their hope and
trust in Jesus Christ for life and eternity will do so today. God’s word is clear,
“If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart
that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the
heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting
in salvation. … For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be
saved (from sin, death, and God’s judgment).” Romans 10:9-10, 13 (HCSB,
parenthesis mine)
He is risen!
To God be all glory, love you, Pastor Hans