Feels like hope is in short supply these days. Or is it just me? I recently lost a friend to cancer, and other people I know are currently engaged in battle with this same life stealing enemy. It is easy for me to feel overwhelmed, helpless and sad. All this is happening just as we are getting ready to celebrate something very hopeful, entirely hopeful, actually – the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. That’s why the empty tomb is such a symbol of hope. When Jesus body was laid to rest there, the story appeared to be at an end.

“Joseph took the body (of Jesus), wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.” (Matthew 27:59-60)

BUT the story was far from over. The story continues –

“After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; He has risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay. Then go quickly and tell His disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him.’ ‘ ” (Matthew 28:1-7)

What an unexpected plot twist! What was supposed to be the end of the story (Jesus’s death) turned out to be only the beginning of a brand new story, a story full of hope and of promise, a story leading from an empty tomb to life everlasting! And the tomb was indeed empty! In Mark we read this account –

“As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. ‘Don’t be alarmed,’ he said. ‘You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him, just as He told you.’ ‘ ” (Mark 16:5-7)

My favorite “empty tomb encounter” is recorded in Luke with these words – it is my favorite because of the angel’s question to the women. It goes down like this –

“On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. . . . the men said to them, ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen! Remember how He told you, while He was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ‘ ” (Luke 24:1-7)

The tomb was empty. The tomb is empty. This is good news. It was good news then. It is good news now. It is desperately needed good news for today. Death is not the end of the story. It was not the end of the story for Jesus, and it is not the end of the story for me or for you, dear readers, when Jesus is our Redeemer, our Rescuer, our atoning sacrifice and our Savior. Today, the empty tomb is a symbol of hope precisely because it is empty. The tomb could not hold the Creator of life, the Giver and the Sustainer of all life, Jesus. He will not allow it to hold His precious children either!

The tomb is empty, therefore we have hope. Our Redeemer lives! The angel’s question – “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” reminds me today that I have a risen Savior – not a deceased hero, but a living Lord. Jesus’s tomb is empty. He is not there. Because of this, these words ring true –

“Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:54-55)

hope for a dying world – found in an empty tomb!

“He is not here; He has risen!”

what wonderful words of hope!

sincerely, Grace Day