The Empty Tomb
[Preached by Pastor Kenneth Chin at Acts Church Malaysia on 27 March 2016]
The tomb that held a dead body is now empty.
During Easter weekend, you probably heard a lot about Christ’s resurrection, but why exactly is the empty tomb so important to our Christian lives?
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What makes the Empty Tomb
so significant?
One
The empty tomb is the tangible evidence of Christ’s resurrection, it tells us that this Jesus who went to the cross was no ordinary person.
Read| Matthew 27:51-54
Jesus’ death was accompanied by an earthquake, the temple veil torn in two, and the miraculous raising of the dead. Even the centurions who mocked Jesus during His crucifixion admitted that He was the Son of God!
Two
Jesus told Martha that He was the resurrection and the life.
Read|John 11:25-27
Either He was the biggest liar the world has ever known, or He was speaking the truth.
The proof of the empty tomb shows that He was indeed everything He claimed to be – the Son of God who goes to prepare a place for us in the mansions of His Father’s house (John 14:1-4).
Three
The Bible tells us that : If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen.
Read|1 Corinthians 15:13
The empty tomb declares to us that Jesus’ ultimate destination was not the grave. Therefore, we have hope because He has risen and has conquered death.
Jesus came from the Father, therefore He can show us the way back to the Father as well.
Four
Jesus stood between us and the punishment for our sins that we deserved.
God’s acceptance of this sacrifice was to raise His Son from the dead.
The empty tomb tells us that our debt for sin has been paid and cancelled, and that we are now able to be reconciled with God.
Two questions we are always asked as Christians are:
1. Did Jesus really die?
2. Did Jesus really rise again?
The answer to both is a resounding yes!
Jesus, God in the form of man, died to pay the penalty for our sins, and He rose again, leaving behind an empty tomb and the promise of eternal hope.
Let the risen Christ empty the tomb in your life.
That place that once held a dead body of your past hurts, regrets and bitterness, let it be empty, because we are alive in Christ.
Written by: Writer’s Ink
Edited by: Ivy Wambaa & Hailey Chung