Empty

Jesus is the only person who never sinned.  He knew the wages of sin is death and that hell waited for every lost person.  He provided an alternative.  On the third day he came out of the tomb and provided it.

Luke 24:¹Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.² And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.³ And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.⁴ And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:⁵ And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?⁶ He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,⁷ Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.⁸ And they remembered his words.

Empty.  This one word is usually thought of negatively.  It means hollow—nothing inside.  At the death of a loved one we go back to an empty house and it’s sad.  An empty gas tank won’t go.  Here the graveyard was filled with graves of those long dead.  One tomb had someone laid in it only the Friday before.

Jesus had taken the place of Barabbas.  He and two others were sentenced to death for stealing.  Pilate put it before the people to choose either Barabbas or Jesus for death.  Jesus had already been beaten, flogged, and scourged.  He’d done nothing wrong.  Barabbas had, yet the people released him and asked for Jesus to be crucified.  He took the cross that belonged to Barabbas; it also belonged to each one of us.  Jesus bore it to Calvary and was nailed there.  He suffered and died in the place of someone else.  If there is anything we need it is salvation.  There is one person we need—Jesus Christ, the Savior.  There is no other way to be saved.  Thank God that Jesus carried the cross.

When he cried it is finished and into thy hands I commit my spirit, he bowed his head and died.  He was taken down from the cross.  It was then empty.  He had hung there six long hours staying no matter what.  He had the ability to come off but he stayed.  As they carried his body away they left an empty middle cross.  You don’t have to let your sins take you to hell.  You can empty the cross you carry by letting Jesus become your Savior.

The tombs were full.  One was empty, never used.  Jesus’ body was taken there.  It was sealed by a stone.  Soldiers were put there to watch.  The graveyard was now full again.  On Easter Sunday morning the earth shook.  No doubt the women saw tombstones fall over.  An angel came and moved the stone away from the tomb in which Jesus was laid.  He then sat on it.  The soldiers were ready for anything but not angels.  Scared to death, they passed out.  The devil and all his angels can’t stand against the gospel. The ground shook to let Jesus go.  Other tombs were still filled but this one was open and empty.  The angel said ye seek Jesus who was crucified; He is not here, but is risen.

He came back to life to do for us what was needed.  He was neat about how he left the tomb.  The grave clothes were left neatly inside.  The women were reminded that Jesus told them he would die at the hands of sinful men but rise on the third day.  Then they remembered his words.  Now they understood. The tomb was empty.

Empty is not bad.  The cross is empty.  The Savior took it and we don’t have to.  My cross can stay empty because Jesus hung there.  He went into the tomb, our tomb.  Nobody has to perish.  Jesus died our death and was buried for our death.  He suffered and died and by arising the tomb was empty.  As long as I trust Jesus my tomb is empty.  When we leave this world our old body may go to the cemetery but we’ll be with Jesus.  Whatever lays ahead, the tomb is empty.

I don’t have to worry about occupying a tomb.  I don’t have to worry about hell.  I trust in Jesus who bore it all.  He left it empty.  Why bear your cross?  Why go on in sin?  For life to mean anything come, with your sin and your destiny in the lake of fire, to Jesus.  Call on his name and empty it all before him.  If you do, you’ll find your cross empty; you’ll find your tomb empty.  Life will be full of eternal life.