Matthew 28:1-10 Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb. Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint. Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are lookig for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you.” The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel’s message. And as they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to him, grasped his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid! Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.”
Happy Easter, Peeps! Today we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior. Good Friday was a terrible day for our Savior when He hung on that cross. He was tortured and crucified for our sins. He could have stopped the men from crucifying Him. He could have stopped them with a look or even one word, but He didn’t. He could have avoided the beatings, the crown of thorns, the piercings, and oh, the suffering. He could have stopped them dead in their tracks. But He didn’t! He didn’t stop them. It was prophesied long before that dreadful day that Jesus would be the propitiation for our sins. It was foretold that this Messiah would be the Holy Lamb of God. Yes, our Lord and Savior went through pure agony, extreme suffering, awful pain, and even death. He did this for you, and He did this for me. I tear up when I think of the anguish that my Savior endured so that all of my sins could be forgiven. I hang my head in shame when I think about all of the many times I have failed Him. This Savior died on that old rugged cross for my sins. The shear thought of such an act of immeasurable love shakes me to my core.
But we must remember that the tomb is empty. Death could not hold Him. The stone was rolled away. The linen cloth was folded. His body was not there. Just as it was prophesied, Christ arose on that third day. The angel shared this fact at the empty tomb, but we don’t have only the word of the angel. Over 500 people saw the risen Savior after that faithful day. Can you imagine the surprise of the women who went to prepare the body with perfumes and oils? Can you imagine the shock? They believed that He was the Messiah, but their faith had possibly died with their Savior. They thought that He was gone forever, and they wanted to prepare His body for eternity in that tomb. But He was not there. Just imagine how they must have felt! The resurrection of Jesus changed the course of history forever.
That empty tomb is something that we can hold onto. The empty tomb declares that our lives are not merely on a one way trip to the cemetery. No, the resurrection of our Savior and that empty tomb declare that there is hope. We don’t have to fear death. We don’t have to fear the tomb. No, my friends, if we are in Christ, death on earth is just the beginning. We too will be resurrected to live in eternity with our Father. I can only imagine how wonderful that day will be. I pray that you know without a shadow of a doubt that you too will be spending eternity with our Savior. If you do not know this, today is the absolute best day to invite Jesus into your heart! It is resurrection day. Let your dead heart be resurrected today. He will make you new!
The tomb is empty! Let us celebrate the risen Savior!
Inspirations from the Funny Farm 