Empty

EMPTY: A Resurrection Meditation

Scripture Reading- Mark 16:4-6 ESV

4 And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. 6 And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him.


4눈을 들어본즉 돌이 벌써 굴려졌으니 그 돌이 심히 크더라 5무덤에 들어가서 흰 옷을 입은 한 청년이 우편에 앉은 것을 보고 놀라매 6청년이 이르되 놀라지 말라 너희가 십자가에 못 박히신 나사렛 예수를 찾는구나 그가 살아나셨고 여기 계시지 아니하니라 보라 그를 두었던 곳이니라
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Jesus is alive! Alive forevermore! And because He lives, we can face tomorrow. Let us proclaim the glory of the risen Lord; our victorious warrior; the one who satisfies the longings of our soul! Read John 20:1-8

Last Friday the theme of my message was the fullness of the cross- it was full of humanity and full of divinity; the perfect full display of God’s glory in the collision of Christ’s humanity and divinity.
when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. (Gal 4:4-5).

Today I want to talk briefly about four things represented by the emptiness of Christ’s tomb. The emptiness of Christ’s tomb signifies to those who have received the gift of faith that they have been emptied of darkness (어두움), death (죽을 [Chugum]), doubt (의심) and despair (낙심).

1. Darkness (어두움):
“While it was still dark, Mary went to the tomb and saw...” v. 1.

The Bible tells us that Jesus is the light of men; He shines in darkness (Jn 1:4-5). The Bible also says that in men there is only darkness. Speaking to Christians, Paul reminds them “you were once darkness” (Eph 5:8). Jesus said that our darkness indicts us,
And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed (Jn 3:19-20).

The empty tomb means that light has broken upon our darkness and darkness has retreated. “I have come as a light into the world,” Jesus said, “that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.” (Jn 12:46).
For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Cor 4:6).

2. Death: (죽을 [Chugum]):
V. 6-7 says that when Peter and John came to the tomb, they found Jesus’ burial shrouds but his Body was gone- because Jesus was no longer among the dead.

Another “Nothing” that is signified by the empty tomb is the emptiness of death. Since, Adam, death has reigned. The Kingdom of men can be said to be a Kingdom of the dying. But Christ’s death signifies that men who have been baptized into Christ’s death need no more die (Rom 6:3). Jonathan Edwards wrote,
He brings sinners out of darkness into marvelous light. He rescues poor captive souls out of the hands of Satan; he saves persons from the devouring fire; he plucks one and another as brands out of the burnings; he opens the prison-doors, and knocks off their chains, and brings out poor prisoners; he is now working salvation among us from this very destruction of which you have now heard.[1]

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?”
The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor 15:54-57).

The empty tomb is a promise that one day soon,
…God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death…. for the former things have passed away.” (Rev 21:4).

3. Doubt (의심):
Then John, in verse 8, came to the tomb and went in “And he saw and believed.”

Without faith it is impossible to please God and “…he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind” (Ja 1:6). Our doubt is replaced by faith, but not a faith without reason. Our Lord has given many indisputable reasons why faith is intelligent; for instance, Luke records that after they witnessed the empty tomb, the Disciples
…gathered together, saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” …as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, “Peace to you.” But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit.  And He said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.” (Lk 24:33-39).

When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,By the living Word of God I shall prevail

But our faith is not intellectual assent alone; even the the demons believe! Our faith is a miraculous opening of our eyes to the one truth that saves and the enabling of our hearts to believe that truth for salvation- it is a gift that only the saved can possess.

Despair (낙심):
Finally, the empty tomb means that we no longer need despair.
…we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— (2 Cor 4:7-9).

Instead of despair, we have a hope which does not disappoint (Rom 5:5). We are saved in this hope: not a hope like the world in which they hope it all works out; Ours is a secure hope, a joyful hope that has its foundations the living Christ.
When Satan tempts me to despairAnd tells me of the guilt withinUpward I look and see Him thereWho made an end to all my sin

Notes
[1]Edwards, J. The Works of Jonathan Edwards - Volume 2 (205).