Easter, 2006
The Top Ten Meanings of the
Empty Tomb!
Pastor Joe Fuiten, April 16, 2006
A survey of 1,007 adults by Scripps Survey Research at
What we have here is a serious disconnect between the
realities of Easter and its application to our lives. We really have become an “Easter bunny”
generation.
In response to that, I would like to offer this
sermon: “The Top Ten Meanings of the Empty
Tomb!”
#10. The empty tomb means Jesus is alive.
#9. The empty tomb means the Old Testament prophesies about
Jesus’ body came true. He was the long-
awaited Messiah of Israel. Psalm 16:9-10 “Therefore
my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, 10
because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One
see decay.” The empty
tomb allows us to know that “God has made him both Lord and Christ". This is from Peter’s sermon at Pentecost in
Acts 2:23-32 “ This man was handed over
to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked
men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24 But God raised him from
the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for
death to keep its hold on him. 25 David said about him: "'I saw the Lord always before me.
Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 26 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue
rejoices; my body also will live in hope, 27 because you will not abandon me to the
grave, nor will you let your Holy One
see decay. 28 You have made known to me
the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.' 29 "Brothers, I can tell you
confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here
to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath
that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Seeing what was
ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to
the grave, nor did his body see decay. 32 God has raised this Jesus to life,
and we are all witnesses of the fact.
NIV This speaks to the
reliability of the Bible.
#8. The empty tomb
means the predictions of Jesus about his resurrection came true. Matt 16:21 “From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must
go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief
priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third
day be raised to life.”
#7. The empty tomb
means the miracles of God go beyond life itself. That is, they are not limited to this
life. Jesus did many miracles during his
lifetime while on the earth. This shows
the power of God beyond death itself.
That’s good to know. We are not
just serving Jesus for this lifetime but forever.
#6. The empty tomb means our own
bodies will be resurrected just like that of Jesus. 1 Corinthians 15: 20 But Christ has indeed been raised
from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For
since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through
a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23
But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those
who belong to him.
When you see the empty tomb it means
that your tomb, if you make it to there and don’t get raptured along the way,
will be empty one day as well. The first
sheaf of the harvest has already been offered, and the rest of the harvest will
follow on the day Christ returns.
Our bodies will be changed like that of Jesus. Phil 3:19-21”But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from
there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring
everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will
be like his glorious body.”
The resurrection of Jesus included the
resurrection of his body. In the same
way, ours will be a resurrection of the body.
After the resurrection Jesus had a different kind of body; the type that
Paul described as a “glorious body. It
is like a beautiful flower that comes from an ugly bulb or seed.[1]
#5. The empty tomb means once the
believer is resurrected, you do not die again.
That is what happened to Jesus.
It is what our future is as well. Rev 20:5-6 “Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The
second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of
Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.”
#4.
The empty tomb changes us right
now in this life. We will be
resurrected some day; but already that power is within us and is impacting
us. Jesus breathed on his disciples and
said “Receive the Holy Spirit.” That was
Easter night. “But God, being rich in
mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, even though we were
dead in transgressions, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you
are saved! and he raised us up with him and seated us with him in the
heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:4-6 NET)
We have been made alive together with
Christ, so a new life is now pulsating within us. We were buried with him through baptism into
death. Now we have been given a new
life. Romans 6:3-5 “Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus
were baptized into his death? 4 We
were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just
as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may
live a new life. 5 If we have been
united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with
him in his resurrection.”
Our new life is grounded in our
association with Christ's resurrection. Because we are "in Christ",
we are new creation. We have now living in the dimension of the
resurrection. Sin no longer
controls. We are called to live
according to this new reality; we are called "to bear the image of the man
of heaven".
Colossians 3:1-5 “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on
things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds
on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now
hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you
also will appear with him in glory. 5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs
to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and
greed, which is idolatry.”
#3.
The empty tomb means Jesus is the judge of all. Paul laid this out
clearly to the people of Athens: The times of ignorance God overlooked, but
now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on
which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has
appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the
dead. (Acts 17:30,31)
"God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above
every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and
on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:9-11)
#2.
The empty tomb shows that Jesus is the Son of God in power. This is no longer the Jesus of humility,
weakness, and suffering. The sacrificial
work was finished. As Paul said it in
Romans 1:3-4 Jesus “...descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be
the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his
resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord...” ESV
Acts 2:34-36 reads, "'The
Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my
right hand 35 until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." ' 36 "Therefore let all
#1.
The empty tomb shows to all that
He is Lord, and it is through His resurrection that He becomes Lord in
truth to those who belong to Him. Jesus
is Lord of all.