Every Easter, I am confronted by the reality that the women and the disciples who came to the tomb of Jesus that Sunday morning, expected to find Jesus still in the tomb. As a matter of fact, the Gospel of Mark states that Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome came to anoint the body with spices and that they were discussing who might roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb. Mark 16:3-4 states, “They were saying to one another, ‘Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?’ Looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, although it was extremely large.”
They came expecting to find things as they had been, but what they found was something quite different. They found no body of Jesus. The Bible tells us that they ran to the disciples of Jesus and that Peter and John ran to the tomb to see if what the women had said was true. Luke 24:12 says that “Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrapping only…” In John 20 we read that “…Peter and the other disciple (John) went forth, and they were going to the tomb. The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there…”
Those men and women who came to the tomb that morning had their changed dramatically, not because they found something, but because they found nothing. Jesus was not there, He was not dead, He had risen just as He had told them He would. When they found nothing, they found everything. Jesus had conquered sin and death and that means everything.
One of my favorite gospel singing groups is a group called Legacy Five. One of their latest recordings is a song entitled, “When They Found Nothing” from their “Just Stand” CD. The chorus says, “When they found nothing, They found everything! In an empty tomb they realized what Christ Himself prophesied; That death could never hold their King. When they found nothing they found everything!” The bridge boldly proclaims the joy and excitement, “Oh, Hallelujah! He is Risen! Hallelujah! Praise the Lamb! Who conquered Death and Hell Who died and rose again!”
What a great way to communicate the message of Easter. It is my prayer that as you celebrate this Easter, you will, like those first disciples, find nothing in the tomb and because of that truth, it will change everything in your life.
Until next time…
