Hosanna Restoration Church

Don’t you just love it! Each of the gospels carries an account of that morning and it always turns out the same? Yes, the tomb was empty! The cross was empty, the tomb was empty and because of that we can be full of the life that is in Christ Jesus.

Can you imagine how empty the followers of Jesus were feeling? Can you imagine the despair of watching the one you loved, followed, and depended upon, tortured, murdered, and placed in a tomb? It is no wonder that they wept at the tomb; they thought they should at least get to bury Him. It is really not so hard to imagine why the disciples doubted when the women told them about the empty tomb. Even though everything happened just as Jesus said it would, it was very difficult to process all the information. They fled when he was arrested, wept as he was crucified, and in their despair, forgot everything He had told them.

Once their minds began to function again, they were able to realize that this could be good news. The empty cross was good news because Jesus told them it had to happen that way. So the empty cross represented a big step toward the promise of the Kingdom of God. Now the tomb was empty so if they could just find Him maybe it would still work out! So yes, empty was a good thing; or it could be a good thing. They just had to find Jesus. As we know, Jesus did not disappoint them. Jesus is not the type to disappoint anyone. He never has and He never will. That does not mean that people are never disappointed, it just means that Jesus is not the source of the disappointment.

Here are some thoughts that I’ve had as I considered “empty.” The cross and tomb are still empty and they were emptied for all man kind. Scripture tells us that all creation is in a state of emptiness (despair) waiting for the Lord. No one can be truly full without finding Jesus. That is of course foolishness to those who reject the gospel, however, try as they may, people just do not find true joy, peace, or contentment without Him. Why else would billionaires rob people or kill themselves. Believe me, I know from personal experience how a you can think everything is swell and not realize that you are only fooling yourself. I also know just how good it can be to recognize personal emptiness. It at least causes a person to start looking for what only Jesus can give. So empty is good because it puts us in a position to be filled.

God emptied the cross and the tomb, so that we could be filled to overflowing with His presence. If you are feeling empty, you are in a good place to be filled. It may even be that you are full of something that you need to pull the plug on so that Jesus can fill you with something better. The goal is to stay filled with the revelation of Jesus Christ! Yes, sometimes being empty is the thing the helps us most. Keep seeking Jesus. There is always more.