Sermon Snippet – Empty
INTRODUCTION – When we use the word empty, it usually has a negative connotation. For example, either the gas tank is empty, or the wallet is after we buy gas. Empty shelves, empty buildings, empty promises – all of these are distressing. Only Jesus can transform the negative into the positive, as we shall see in a bit.
1. EMPTY IS THE TALL TALE OF JESUS’ OPPONENTS
Mathew 27:62-66 reveals that the leaders who refused to trust in Jesus had no excuse. They had heard His words and understood them. Now, they took precautions to prevent His promised resurrection. Of course, they failed. Thus, they concocted an absurd lie to try to explain away the truth (Mathew 28:11-15). A governmental cover-up – there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9)! Their words were empty, as were they: T.S. Eliot’s poem “The Hollow Men” comes to mind. Powerful men or the Potentate Messiah – whom will we believe? Powerful people always have agendas; one desire that they have in common is to increase their power. In contrast, Jesus‘ agenda is to provide everlasting salvation in heaven to anyone who will place faith in Him. His power cannot be enhanced, for He is omnipotent. He chooses to exercise His might on our behalfs. Why do we listen to the self-serving hollow men of this world? Their words are empty. The Apostle Peter was right when he said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God” (John 6:68-69). Empty words or words of eternal life – each one of us must choose.
2. EMPTY IS THE TOMB OF JESUS
Matthew 28:1-10 records the historical fact of the empty tomb of Jesus (note especially verse 6). Later, we read that other disciples visited the sepulchre and entered in (John 20:3-9). The grave of Jesus was most assuredly empty, for He had risen from the dead, defeating death itself. Empty – what a glorious reality! I often state the obvious: if the political and religious authorities had simply produced the dead body of Jesus, the Christian faith would have been stopped immediately. The authoritarian opponents of Jesus could have physically forced each resident or visitor of Jerusalem to enter the cave-crypt of Christ and view His decaying remains. They did not do this, because they could not. Our faith is based on facts; the overwhelming evidence leads us to the logical conclusion that Jesus is alive (note the eyewitnesses of I Corinthians 15:1-8).
CONCLUSION – If we trust in Jesus for His salvation, our emptiness is replaced by His fullness (Colossians 1:19; 2:9; Ephesians 3:19). May each one of us be certain of eternal life through faith in Jesus, and may we marvel that He transforms the most negative into His absolute best for us.