The Value of the Empty Tomb

There is great value in emptiness. 

When we empty ourselves of things such as worry, anxiety, concern, frustrations and bitterness, all those things that come from our carnal flesh; there is more room for God inside of us.  To be emptied of the things of this world and filled with the presence of God is a very important aspect of the Christian life.  Yet, the tomb gives us another spiritual insight to what emptiness is.  We can define it this way: to return to the original state.  The ultimate original state for all mankind was the Garden of Eden.  There, God walked and talked with Adam and Eve regularly, there was no death and there was no doubt to this one thing: God loved His creation.  He loved the man and woman that He had made. 

After man sinned, death and sin came into the world and changed some things.  Man was made to be in God’s presence all the time, but sin separates us from a Holy God.  In the temple in Jerusalem, there was a veil that separated the Holy of Holies, which was the dwelling place of God at that time, from the people – and God didn’t want it to stay that way.  When Jesus left the tomb empty, He restored man to their original state – that is, unhindered access to His presence.  When Jesus died on the cross the veil in the temple was torn in two pieces and now we can approach the throne of grace, nevermore to be separated from Him.  Death was another thing that wasn’t a part of God’s original plan.  When Jesus rose again, death was also returned to its original state – meaning, its power was empty, just like the grave He walked out of.  This carnal flesh may die, but the spirit dwelling inside keeps living.  Now, there is nothing that can separate us from the Father’s love - that was the state man was created to live in.  The empty tomb to the child of God means that sin’s ability to keep us from God is empty, death’s power to separate us from God is empty and anything in this world that could try and keep us from knowing the love of Christ in our lives is empty!  And it’s all because the tomb of Jesus is empty.  There is nothing that’s more valuable than the emptiness of that place. 

In John 17, Jesus prayed His High Priestly prayer and when He finished, this is what He said…

“Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.”  - John 17:24 and 26                           

Today we celebrate the resurrection of our perfect Savior.  We rejoice that His love for us was so deep that He bore the sin of the world and redeemed us from eternal death that we could dwell with Him forever.  We pray that the reality of His empty tomb is as much of a blessing to you as it is to us. 

Happy Easter!
Mark, Nick, Randy, Blake