Epworth United Methodist Student Ministries

Epworth United Methodist Student Ministries

3077 Valleyview Drive Toledo Ohio 43615 419.531.4236 swat.jpg (14228 bytes)

Students With A Task

Service Worship Accountability Teamwork

Ponder this..... April 3, 2007

What's the big deal about an empty tomb ?

Sometimes it sounds more like Hollywood fantasy than historical reality. Yet the claim of an empty tomb established the basis for the start of Christianity in the first century, and it has profoundly impacted society since. But was that claim fact or fantasy? The answer to that question - and your response to it - could determine where you will spend eternity. If you're interested... read on.

Believe it or not, Easter didn't start out with bunnies and baskets and eggs. Although these traditions add to the holiday's festivity, it all actually began on a much more somber note - an empty tomb. After several years of public teaching and instruction in the old Roman Empire, Jesus's enemies physically tortured and then killed him by crucifixion on a cross. Yet three days later, multitudes claimed to see him "posthumously." Think of it! Just a few days after the world saw Jesus killed, he appeared, in perfect health, to hundreds of people. And this was no Elvis sighting! On the contrary, for half of a summer, Jesus ate with people. He showed them His scars. He taught His final lessons about sacrifice and courage. So you see, Easter is the time we celebrate the new life we can have because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

If Jesus rose from the dead, then everything Jesus said is true. He once said that God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son (Jesus), that whoever believes in Him would not perish, but have eternal life. When Jesus walked on the earth, he sincerely said, "He who hears my word and believes on Him who sent Me, has eternal life and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life."

You see, our imperfections prohibit us from having a relationship with a perfect God. From God's perspective, since the beginning of humanity, people have allowed their actions to create barriers between them and God. It's the human condition - we lie, cheat, gossip, get angry and mad, are jealous of others and lust, allow our self-centered arrogance to blind us of our need to help and serve others and always place God and others before us, we make worldly values our idols such as glitz, status, titles, fame and fortune and we only go to God on our bad days instead of all days. The empty tomb means that Jesus overcame physical death to prove that He alone could completely pay for our imperfections and restore our relationship with God. The empty tomb means we can have new beginnings and spiritual life and restoration!

So what does the empty tomb mean to you personally?

It means that you can have a relationship with God by putting your trust in Jesus. How do you do that? Remember, Jesus Christ has risen - He is alive today - listen to him in prayer - talk to him in prayer - recognize what you would like to change in your life and tell Him that you are sorry for the screw-ups of your life and ask Him to forgive you and tell Jesus that you want to choose to live for what is right - for Him - the rest of your life!