The Hope of the Empty Tomb
Discover the powerful significance of the empty tomb of Jesus in Christianity and how it can provide believers with strength and encouragement during challenging times. Learn how to trust in God’s plan and purpose and find inspiration to overcome adversity.
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1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” 3 So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. 4 Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 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'[a] head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went back to their homes.
Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene
11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic,[b] “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.
The resurrection of Jesus is foundational to our Christian faith. When Jesus rose from the dead and left behind an empty tomb, He demonstrated his power over death and gave the gift of eternal life to everyone who believes in Him.
Our ultimate destiny, as believers, is not the grave. Our destiny lies in the hands of our loving and powerful God. Understanding this gives us the courage to face difficult times with faith and perseverance. We know that in the end, God’s purposes will be accomplished, and His victory will be complete.
What Can We Learn from The Empty Tomb?
1) Strength to Overcome our Doubts and Challenges
Imagine the disappointment of the disciples when Jesus was crucified. They experienced the heartbreak of losing a friend and teacher. Surely doubt also crept into their hearts. The disciples had witnessed Jesus perform many miracles, but when it came to saving Himself, Jesus had failed. At least through the eyes and expectations of the world.
How often have we not recognized God’s hand moving in our lives because we expected God to give us a different outcome?
Matthew 28:17 tells us that even after Christ’s resurrection, some of the disciples still struggled with doubts even after seeing the risen Jesus! Eventually, we see the disciples living on mission and sharing what they have witnessed. Despite their initial doubts, God still restored each one’s faith and used them mightily for His Kingdom.
“…and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might, that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places….” Ephesians 1:19-20
How often do our problems seem too big for us to handle? Bills are piling up, relationships are fractured, and grief overwhelms our ability to accomplish even the smallest tasks. Yet, we can trust God to give us His strength to persevere.
The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to us. We have access to a source of supernatural strength that can help us overcome any obstacle.
Despite the pain and grief, God used the cross to bring His redemption to humankind. Ask God to help you see your circumstances in a new light, the light of the empty tomb. Where there was confusion, heartbreak, and doubt, God proved that even in life’s most extensive trials and injustices, He can use everything for His good.
“And going a little farther, he fell on his face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.’” Matthew 28:39
Even as Christ approached the hour of His arrest and crucifixion, He begged His Father for another way. He knew the pain that awaited, but even with that knowledge, He willingly submitted to God’s will, even to the point of death. His surrender ultimately led to victory over death. True strength and victory come from surrendering to God’s will.
2) Power to Overcome Our Fear
Through the empty tomb, Jesus can overcome our fear. As humans, we’re naturally afraid of death, as it represents the unknown and the end of our physical existence. However, as Christians, we believe death is not the end but rather a transition to eternal life with God.
Christ’s resurrection from death was more than another miracle showcasing the infinite power of God’s glory. Instead, it was a sacrificial death to atone for humanity’s sins and a testament to the power of God’s love and grace, which is available to all who believe and follow Jesus.
As Christians, we’re called to submit our lives, out of our faith and trust, into God’s hands. God could call you to be a missionary in a dangerous part of the world, but He could also call you to serve in the church nursery. Either would be a discipline of dying to ourselves to serve God’s greater purpose.
The empty tomb highlights the importance of living a life of purpose and meaning. As Christians, our ultimate destiny is with God, and our actions in this life have eternal consequences. God’s grace has a transformative power, regardless of our past mistakes and shortcomings. Jesus’ final message was instructions to share His hope that death may be the finale of this life, but it is not the end.
3) Trust in God’s Promises
Because of God’s great love and faithfulness, Christians are called to trust His Promises. However, holding onto that kind of faith can sometimes seem impossible in the face of injustice and heartbreak.
The empty tomb is the reminder of God’s faithfulness, even when it doesn’t come when or how we expect it.
“The Lord, your God, will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen.” Deuteronomy 18:15
“Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14
God’s track record for keeping His promises is flawless. In the Old Testament, God made numerous promises to His people, such as the promise of a Messiah who would save them from their sins. Despite centuries of waiting and doubt, God fulfilled this promise through a baby boy in a manger. When God makes a promise, even when it seems impossible to fulfill, He will always be faithful to it! It just may not look like what we expect.
The empty tomb is the physical manifestation of God’s faithfulness. Jesus promised that He would rise from the dead, and on the first Easter Sunday, Jesus proved once and for all that death could not hold Him down. By rising from the dead, He confirmed the validity of all His teachings and sacrifice on the cross.
Hebrews 11:1 says, “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
To trust God’s promises requires Godly patience. While we’d all like a Magic 8 Ball to answer our questions and overnight shipping to supply the needs of our hearts, God doesn’t often work that way. Instead, we operate in God’s timing, which sees beyond our circumstances to a greater perspective beyond our human understanding.
How Do We Wait For God to Answer?
Trusting in God’s promises may also require letting go of our plans and desires. We may have ideas about how God’s promises should be fulfilled, but we must surrender those ideas to God’s will.
God has not abandoned us while we wait. Often, between our prayer and God’s answer is the opportunity for us to deepen and develop our faith. We have several powerful tools to sustain us in the waiting.
Prayer
When we pray, we express our faith in God’s ability to fulfill His promises. We can pray for guidance, strength, and patience as we wait for His promises to be fulfilled. We can pray for a deeper understanding of God’s faithfulness and promises for our lives. Prayer can also prepare us to see how God may answer our prayers in ways we may not be expecting.
Scripture
Scripture is filled with stories of God’s faithfulness and promises to His people. By reading and studying the Bible, we can learn more about God’s character and promises for our lives. As we read of God’s great faithfulness to people like Abraham, Ruth, David, and Mary, we learn to trust that God keeps His promises to His people.
Community
When surrounded by other Christians who also trust in God’s promises, we can encourage and support one another. Having brothers and sisters praying for us and speaking His truth strengthens our faith. We also learn from each other’s experiences and perspectives, which can strengthen our faith.
Ultimately, trusting in God’s promises means trusting in His character. If we believe that God is faithful to His word, we must understand His character and love for us, which can only come through a personal relationship with Him.
4) Indispensable Joy
As Christians, the empty tomb represents the pinnacle of our faith. It is a powerful reminder of Jesus’s incredible sacrifice on the cross and the triumph of His resurrection over death.
Through this, we can learn valuable lessons about the importance of gratitude and joy in our daily lives. Here are six ways Christians can cultivate thankfulness and joy in light of the empty tomb.
Celebrate
Recognize the enormity of what Jesus has done for us. The magnitude of Jesus’ sacrifice and His victory over death can fill us with awe and wonder. We can learn to be grateful for this amazing gift and rejoice in our salvation.
The empty tomb allows us to celebrate Jesus’ victory. By embracing this celebration and incorporating it into our lives, we can experience the joy and hope of the resurrection all year long.
Share the Good News
The empty tomb is a call to evangelism. We are called to share the Good News of the Gospel with others. By sharing the joy and hope of our faith with those around us, we can help others to experience the life-changing power of Jesus’ resurrection.
Embrace Forgiveness
Through Jesus’ sacrifice, we have been forgiven our sins and set free from guilt and shame. By embracing forgiveness and extending it to others, we can experience the joy and freedom of a life without condemnation.
Seek God’s Presence
When we draw near to God and spend time in His presence, we can experience a deep sense of joy and peace. By prioritizing prayer and worship in our lives, we can cultivate a deeper relationship with God and experience the joy that comes from knowing Him.
Find Joy in the Journey
Life is full of ups and downs, but when we embrace the journey and trust God’s plan, we can find joy amid even the most difficult circumstances. By learning to find contentment in all circumstances, we can experience the joy that comes from knowing God is with us every step.
Remember the Hope
The empty tomb is a powerful reminder that our hope is not in this world but in the promise of eternal life with God. By keeping our eyes fixed on this hope and living with an eternal perspective, we can experience the joy and peace that comes from knowing we are secure in Christ.
How the Empty Tomb Represents Hope for Believers
The empty tomb is a powerful symbol of hope for believers, as it represents the triumph of life over death and the promise of eternal life. One of the primary ways the empty tomb represents hope for believers is through the assurance of eternal life.
Jesus Christ’s resurrection proves that death is not the story’s end but the beginning of a new life. There is a future available that is free from suffering and pain. Even in the darkest of our circumstances, one day, In Christ’s eternal Kingdom, all things will be made new.
The empty tomb gives us the courage to face the world, knowing that Jesus has already won the victory! Through His goodness and faithfulness, He has always been in control, and all things will be for His glory.
The empty tomb was not just a historical moment; it is available today. We can experience the glory of the resurrection and its transformative power in our lives. This gives you and me the confidence to face any challenge knowing that they have access to the power of God.
Be filled with hope! The tomb is empty! Christ is alive!
TL;DR
The resurrection of Jesus and the empty tomb is the foundation of the Christian faith. The hope that comes from the empty tomb offers Christians three things:
Strength to overcome our doubts and challenges
Power to overcome our fear
Trust in God’s promises
Through the empty tomb, Christians can find the courage to face difficulties with faith and perseverance, knowing their ultimate destiny lies with a loving and powerful God.
Christians can access supernatural strength to overcome any obstacle, the power to overcome fear, live a life of purpose and meaning, and trust God’s promises.
The empty tomb reminds God of faithfulness, even when His promises seem impossible to fulfill.
Related Reading
The Two-Sides of the Crucifixion by Bro. Chris Carter
How to Overcome Doubt: 4 Lessons from Doubting Thomas by Bro. Chris Carter
Grieving with Mary Magdalene by Rev. Jacky Gatliff
The Lord’s Supper: Understanding Jesus’ Sacrificial Loveby Nicki Halford
