The Empty Tomb A Full Life

OPENING ILLUSTRATION: Tell a story about someone not accepting a coupon or honoring a discount.

— TRANSITION —

Some people get really bent out of shape about coupons not being honored. In a matter of seconds I’ve seen people move from kindness to screaming for a manager.

Is saving a few bucks really worth making a fool of yourself? For most people, it’s not about the saved money. It’s about the broken promise. An empty promise can ruin an entire experience.

- TENSION -

• Have you ever experienced an empty promise?

• From someone breaking your heart, to a politician on the debate stage, to a store not accepting their own coupon, broken promises lead to frustration.

• Jesus was killed during Passover, a holiday that celebrates God keeping His promises for His people. The Israelites celebrated Him as a king, but then, He died and laid in a tomb.

• Imagine how the followers of Jesus felt. Wasn’t He supposed to save them? Wasn’t He supposed to set them free from Rome? I am sure they felt as though Jesus delivered an empty promise.

— TRANSITION —

What seemed like a broken promise was actually a setup for a world-changing miracle.

Jesus was laid in a tomb and everyone hung their heads in disbelief. Jesus was wrapped in burial clothes and placed in the grave. A massive bolder was rolled over the entrance to seal the deal. Within that chilling cave laid the savior of the world— lifeless, quiet, and seemingly hopeless. This is not the end of the story, though! The grave could not hold the power of God.

• Let’s really try to put ourselves in the place of the disciples watching Jesus murdered during his mock trial.

• The Bible teaches that darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon while Jesus was on that cross. The curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice:

When he had said this, he breathed his last. (Luke 23: 44-46).

• Rome liked to make examples of their criminals, so they crucified them in public. Crucifixion was designed to be a devastating death down to the last detail.

• It was long, painful, and excruciating every step of the way. It was like a symphony of suffering. Every detail was intentionally designed to create the longest and most lingering torture possible. Some criminals would spend days dying on a hill overlooking the city. This location was called Golgotha, which means Hill of the Skull. They publicly punished people on purpose.

• When the public witnessed dying men atop Golgotha, they received a clear message — don’t mess with the Romans. They wanted to do the same with Jesus. They wanted to show their power paralleled with His weakness. They had no idea what they sent into motion though.

• Three days later, Jesus opened His eyes, took a deep breath, and walked out of the tomb.

• God raised Jesus from the dead! The resurrection is the core of Christianity. It sets our faith apart from every other belief system in the world. We don’t hold to empty promises; we have an empty tomb.

• Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection act as the culmination of every promise God ever made— Jesus defeated death, and God won the war.

— TRANSITION —

The resurrection doesn’t just represent God’s promise to the world. It represents God’s promise to you.

Look at Jesus’ last words before his death. With a loud voice, he shouted,“Father into your hands, I commit my spirit.

In sync with this saying, the earth began shaking, the sky went pitch black, the temple shook, and Jesus died before everyone’s eyes. This simple phrase reveals to us the supernatural truth about death:

Death is just a doorway.

• Jesus knew that He would be reunited with His Father once His heart stopped beating. As He left this life, He trusted His eternal destiny in God’s arms.

• The same is true for you.

• Because of Jesus, death is just a doorway. You leave behind a life full of problems, pain, bad weather, confusion, suffering, and mosquitos to be united with God in an afterlife full of joy, glory, and rejoicing.

• Through the power of Jesus, our last breath on earth leads to our first shout of praise in heaven. We can experience peace in all distress — even death.

The Resurrection represents God’s promise to you.

• The resurrection isn’t just the story of Jesus. It’s your story, too.

• Paul teaches (1 Corinthians 6:14) that you are a part of this promise. You actually get to participate in the resurrection of Jesus. It’s not just proof of life after death; it’s an invitation for you to experience life after death. There was hope beyond the tomb of Jesus, and there is hope beyond your grave, as well. With Jesus, your death is just a doorway into the eternal presence of God.

• The grave is not the end; it’s merely the beginning.

• The tomb couldn’t hold Jesus, so death can’t hold you down. This is the greatest promise in human history. The empty tomb leads to a full life.

TALK IT OUT 

Go through these questions with your circle. Be honest. Be open. Talk through the tough stuff.

What empty promises frustrate you the most?

How would you define Jesus’s resurrection? 

How did the resurrection of Jesus fulfill every promise God ever made to us?

How does understanding the resurrection give new meaning to the term ‘born again Christian?’

How should you live your life differently knowing that you share in Jesus’s victory over darkness, sin, and death? 

What can you do this week to begin sharing in Jesus’s resurrection and living from a hopeful place of victory? 

READ THESE PASSAGES IN ORDER EVERY DAY

Matthew 9:9–13

7 Luke 6:17–46

Psalm 22 1-8

Matthew 3:1—4:11

John 2:1–11

John 4:1–26

Luke 4:14–30

Luke 5:1–11

Do the following with each passage: 

ASK– God to connect with you here. In prayer, start by slowing down and inviting God to be present. Begin with focus and openness to see what God has for you today.

READ– the selected section of Scripture slowly. Take note of the words and phrases that intrigue you, reading them a second time if necessary.

REFLECT– on what grabs you. How does this passage personally relate to your own life and experiences?

RESPOND– to the Scripture. Speak directly to God about what’s on your mind and heart. Look for ways to live out what you’ve uncovered.