Today we are going to talk about the power of emptiness. That may sound funny because empty things are usually void of power. Not only that, we typically don’t celebrate things that are empty.
•
Empty gas tank
= stress
•
Empty bank
account = worry
•
Empty house =
loneliness
•
Empty toilet
paper roll = bad timing
All jokes aside, emptiness usually means that something is missing. However, Easter completely flips that notion. What was empty on that Easter Sunday is exactly what changed everything.
Today we are going to talk about 4 things that we left empty on Easter in order that you and I would experience fullness.
1.
The
Empty Cross
The reason there was an empty cross was because Jesus had died. World scholars
unanimously agree and do not dispute the two facts that Jesus really lived and
that Jesus really died.
Jesus was beaten, whipped to the bone (His flesh torn off of Him), mocked,
scorned, crucified, and hung left to die. Jesus was dead within 6 hours. His
death was confirmed when both blood and water exited His side after a guard
pierced Him with his Roman spear. Separation of blood from serum is one of the
strongest legal medical proofs of death.
Upon knowing that His death was near, Jesus was thirsty. A guard gave Him a sip
of sour wine through a dirty sponge. After taking His last sips, He shared His
final words…
John 19:30 — “It is
finished…”
Now why would Jesus say that? Because His work on the cross had been complete.
The cross was empty because Jesus finished the work.
Luke 23:52-53 — “52 This man went to Pilate and asked for
the body of Jesus. 53 Then he took it down and wrapped it in a
linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet
been laid.”
They took Him down from the cross; that is the body that carried your sin and
the body that bore your punishment, it was removed. Why? Because Jesus had paid
the price for our sin.
That price was death.
The cross is no longer occupied!
• He didn’t partially save you
• He didn’t almost save you
• Your salvation was totally and completely PAID IN FULL
• The work of salvation is complete.
• The cross was left empty because your debt was paid in
full.
But how many of you know that if the
story ended there, we wouldn’t be
here today.
2.
The
Empty Tomb
When Jesus was laid in His tomb, there were women who followed to find out
where Jesus was laid. On Easter Sunday, they brought spices to where Jesus was
at and found the tomb empty. Jesus was nowhere to be found. The text says that
these ladies were “perplexed” as to why Jesus’ body was no longer there.
It was at about this two angels appeared before these women and said:
Luke 24:5-6 — “Why do
you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.”
The tomb was empty, not because Jesus went missing, but because Jesus was
alive! Jesus had been raised from the dead.
This is important!! Because it is upon this event that 12 men surrendered
their lives to spreading the truth of
the gospel all around the known world. Not only did they surrender their lives
to the telling of the gospel, but even died a grueling death…based upon what
they had seen. That is the dead Christ risen from the dead.
It also means that Jesus has proven that He has defeated sin and death. There
were other people who were raised back to life from the dead. Lazarus was
raised from the dead (John 11:1-44). Jairus’ daughter was raised from the dead
(Mark 5:35-43). The widow’s son was raised from the dead (Luke 7:11-17).
However, their resurrection was different from Jesus’ resurrection.
• When these people were raised from the dead, they died
again.
• When Jesus raised from the dead, He was raised in
newness of life.
• Therefore, if you believe in Jesus, the resurrection
gives us the promise that:
1.
We too will
have eternal life
2.
We can walk in
new life with Christ today
Through the power of the Holy Spirit, you can experience true transformation
from the inside out.
• What that means is that you cannot find true life in:
• Good behavior
• Career achievements
• 401K
• Material possessions
• Personal relationships
• These are all good things. However, none of these have
the power to change us or give us true life.
So that question still echoes today:
• “Why do you look for the living among
the dead?”
True life is found in Jesus, who is risen from the dead.
3.
The
Empty Grave Clothes
After their encounter with the angel, Mary Magdalene ran back and told Peter
and John that the tomb was empty. Peter and John ran back to the scene to see
for themselves.
John 20:6-7 — “6 Then
Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen
cloths lying there, 7 and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head,
not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself.”
When Jesus rose from the dead, he left the grave clothes behind.
Grave clothes represent the old life that we used to live.
• Old habits
• Old desires
• Old things we used to do
• All of those things were left behind
• Colossians 3:1-3
“1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above,
where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on
things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have
died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
If you have placed your faith in Jesus, your new life is no longer found here
on this earth. Your life is now found in Christ and in the things of God. The
resurrected life that we are called to live here on earth is not just about
Jesus getting up, its also about what you’re willing to lay down.
4.
The
Empty Space (in our heart)
The cross was left empty.
The grave was left empty.
The grave clothes were left empty.
And you know what else was left empty? The space in your heart.
We all know what that emptiness feels like:
• You can be surrounded by people and still feel alone
• You can be successful and still feel unsatisfied
• You can stay busy and still feel unfulfilled
• We go through life and we try to fill that space in
our heart with stuff that we think we make us happy, and yet we are still left
feeling empty.
• Why is that?
Ecclesiastes 3:11 — “He
has put eternity into man's heart…”
• That emptiness that we fill is by design. Our hearts
are like a glove that is meant for the hand of God. The problem is that we try
to fill a God-sized space with temporary things that just don’t fit. The only
thing meant to fit is the hand of God.
• That is the emptiness of Easter; it is an invitation
by God Himself to meet you right where you are.
• Revelation 3:20 — “Behold, I stand at
the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in
to him and eat with him, and he with me.”
• Jesus is standing at the door of our heart, knocking.
The emptiness you feel inside of you is the sound of Jesus knocking. He is
asking for you to let Him in to your heart.
Will you let Him?
Takeaways:
Because Jesus is risen from the dead…
1.
Your
debt has been paid
2.
Death
has been defeated
3.
Jesus
is knocking at the door of your heart
