Hosea 6:1-3
I Corinthians 15:12-20
John 20: 1-20
Emptiness
Many theories have been proposed over the years as to why the tomb was empty, all of which are weak and far-fetched, and each one requires that the disciples be part of a cover up as they promoted and preached a lie.
Charles Colson, the former counsel of President Nixon, convicted conspirator in the Watergate scandal, writes that the Watergate cover up convinced him that Jesus was raised from the dead. he said,
"There were only 8 or 10 of us in the inner circle around the president who really knew what was going on." He said, "all we had to do was stonewall for a couple of months and the Watergate scandal would be over. We had all the power and prestige of the presidency at our fingertips, and if the truth broke there would be embarrassment and perhaps a prison sentence. There was no grave danger. our lives were not threatened, but we could not hold the conspiracy together for more than 2 weeks. We could not contain the lie. Once prosecution was possible the natural instincts of self preservation was so overwhelming that the conspirators one by one deserted their leaders. They caved in and they stood in line at the prosecutor’s office to escape jail."
Colson concludes, " I know that the disciples could not perpetuate a lie like the resurrection, because it was not just their reputations that were at stake, their lives were in danger. they had no clout, they had nothing to gain by the lie and yet everyone of them stood fast in the conviction that Jesus is alive. Take it from one who saw firsthand how vulnerable a cover up is: nothing less awesome than a direct encounter with the resurrected Christ could have caused those men to maintain to their dying whispers that Jesus is alive and he is Lord!" (as each apostle except John died a martyrs death).
It is hard to consider the resurrection a hoax today, when you seriously consider the evidence:
Charles Colson, the former counsel of President Nixon, convicted conspirator in the Watergate scandal, writes that the Watergate cover up convinced him that Jesus was raised from the dead. he said,
"There were only 8 or 10 of us in the inner circle around the president who really knew what was going on." He said, "all we had to do was stonewall for a couple of months and the Watergate scandal would be over. We had all the power and prestige of the presidency at our fingertips, and if the truth broke there would be embarrassment and perhaps a prison sentence. There was no grave danger. our lives were not threatened, but we could not hold the conspiracy together for more than 2 weeks. We could not contain the lie. Once prosecution was possible the natural instincts of self preservation was so overwhelming that the conspirators one by one deserted their leaders. They caved in and they stood in line at the prosecutor’s office to escape jail."
Colson concludes, " I know that the disciples could not perpetuate a lie like the resurrection, because it was not just their reputations that were at stake, their lives were in danger. they had no clout, they had nothing to gain by the lie and yet everyone of them stood fast in the conviction that Jesus is alive. Take it from one who saw firsthand how vulnerable a cover up is: nothing less awesome than a direct encounter with the resurrected Christ could have caused those men to maintain to their dying whispers that Jesus is alive and he is Lord!" (as each apostle except John died a martyrs death).
It is hard to consider the resurrection a hoax today, when you seriously consider the evidence:
How the Christian church developed and spread, despite all the obstacles and the persecutions
The change in calendars—the whole world changed how it measures days and weeks and years
The eye witness testimonies of the risen Christ by over 500 people
The inability of anyone in the first century to produce the body of Jesus, which would have quenched the fire of this movement...despite how they tried.
The testimony of non Christian writers in the first century, who had no reason to perpetuate a hoax
When we consider the fact that the tomb is empty -- there is no other conclusion that an individual in the pursuit of truth can make, other than that Jesus Christ is alive!
And the two Marys who bent down and walked into the tomb, and saw that it was empty. Jesus was not there-- what do you think they were thinking at that moment? How do you think they felt? Did they just look in, or do you think they stayed awhile? Did they touch the linen that had been around Jesus? Did they shed tears of joy?
Matthew goes on to say, "so the women hurried away from the tomb afraid, yet filled with joy and ran to tell the disciples…"
Once they found that the tomb was empty -- once they believed that Jesus had risen from the dead, these women were on a direct path that would ultimately led them to meet the risen Lord.
And as they were running down the road back into Jerusalem -- suddenly Jesus appeared to them -- and they fell down and clasped his feet, perhaps wanting to make sure he was real, and they worshipped him.
The love and devotion that these women showed to Jesus while he hung on the cross and as they arose early to tend to his body was greatly rewarded. Even when Jesus didn’t seem to be acting according to their plans or wasn’t giving them what they wanted, these two women never wavered or faltered in their devotion to him. That kind of love and devotion will always be rewarded by Jesus.
The women arose from worshipping the Lord, and went into town to tell the others... what started out as a terrible day, had suddenly been changed into a day filled with inexpressible joy. Meeting Jesus can do that for you. The contrast between the journey to and from the tomb is overwhelming.... the steps they took now were full of hope and joy, something they didn’t have when they had gotten up this morning.
So Mary and Mary hurried to tell the others the great news of hope.... can you even imagine, what it would be like to be the first ones to ever tell the news that Jesus is alive?
But what does the empty tomb really mean? The empty tomb means that there is forgiveness. As Jesus hung on the cross, he asked God to forgive those who put him there, and he was asking we be forgiven too. He died for us, but the empty tomb, the resurrection proved that that request was not in vain. The empty tombs means hope for us because Jesus said, if we are obedient and follow him, we will have eternal life.
But the empty tomb means something else. It means there is no need for anyone to live a life of emptiness anymore. There is no reason for anyone to be lost and lonely.
We are born with a desire to know God. God created us to seek him, join him, to be part of his ongoing creativity. He came to us in the flesh, as Jesus, to show us how much he loves us and wants us to know him and be with him. Until we do know him, through Christ, we have an emptiness in our lives that cannot be filled otherwise. So many people try to fill the emptiness of their life with more and more material things. So many try to fill it with lots of activity, trying to find satisfaction in all the things they do. So many take paths that lead to their destruction. Others try to do great things, but in the end nothing we do that is not done for God has lasting value.
So many—too many—come to the end of their life and realize that their life, full of activity and material things as it may have been, has been empty. Empty of the one and only thing that gives true satisfaction, peace, and joy: the love of God.
Jesus hung on the cross to show us that death is not an empty end to life. Life goes on with Christ. The resurrection is true, it happened, and it there for you and I, if we believe, if we accept Christ as Savior and Lord,, if we follow him. If we follow him, we will walk into the arms of God. That is what the empty tomb means for us.
Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment