Morning Devotional

April 10, 2004

"An Empty Tomb" 

by Don Emmitte

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Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to see the tomb. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, because an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and rolled aside the stone and sat on it. His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint. Then the angel spoke to the women. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn't here! He has been raised from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. And now, go quickly and tell his disciples he has been raised from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember, I have told you." The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to find the disciples to give them the angel's message. And as they went, Jesus met them. "Greetings!" he said. And they ran to him, held his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Don't be afraid! Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there." (Matthew 28:1-10 NLT).

They were desperate to keep Jesus in the tomb! All they needed was three days, and then they could prove a lie to all He said. Just three short days, and it would make mockery of Jesus and His claims of Messiah. Three days would prove them right and Him wrong.

There was no question that Jesus was dead. They had seen to that. They were there when He was crucified. They were there when He cried out, "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?" They were there when He said, "It is finished!" O yes, they were there.

They were there when the Centurion certified that He was dead, satisfying Roman law. They were there when Joseph of Arimathea took His body down from the cross, satisfying Jewish law. They were there when He was wrapped with hundreds of yards of linen and coated with spices and perfume. They were there when He was placed in the tomb. O yes, they were there. They were there when the huge oval stone was placed in front of the tomb. They were there when the workmen secured the stone with mortar. They were there when the grave was sealed. They were there when the guards were placed before the tomb. O yes, they were there. They had made it impossible for a live man to get in, and a dead man to get out. Thus, by their own hands they proved beyond all doubt that only God could leave the tomb! And He did!

Centuries have come and gone, and time has dulled the miracle of that Easter morn. We celebrate a day, the early church celebrated a Life. It would do us well to forsake the day, and embrace the Life. No matter what men say, the cross is barren and the tomb empty.