As I was preparing for Easter Sunday’s message, I read a commentator’s statement on the empty tomb. He stated Christian’s lost the tomb of Jesus (citing the place where Christians visit in the Holy Land is probably not the original). The same could be said for many shrines, churches, and synagogues that the ancient world has hid over time. By the second century, the tomb of Jesus was lost and what we have today is at best a possibility.
I hadn’t paused there long because it wasn’t the focus of my message. However, as I have been thinking about what it must have been like for those first disciples after the resurrection, I couldn’t help but think about what I read. The reason given for the loss of the tomb…Jesus is not there.
I really appreciated the illustration given…
When a child leaves home…goes to college, or serves in the military, or takes a job etc., his/her room is viewed very differently. Old tennis shoes that wreaked, were tossed about, and never picked up now become His or Her shoes. The trophies, pictures, posters, towels, gym bag all become special tokens of the childhood past. Some hesitate to change the room or empty the drawers or closet, wanting to linger with the memories of the way it was when the child was home. That is a natural transition and can be awkward or painfully difficult. But the early church didn’t cling to the empty tomb…they didn’t linger with burial clothes or memorialize the site.
Jesus wasn’t there!
They had Him…like they never could imagine having Him. He came and lived with them, dwelling by faith in their hearts. “Handle me, touch me, eat with me,” was our Lord’s invitation to their fears, terror, and doubts.
Today, Jesus is alive and dwelling in the hearts of His people all around this amazing world.
The reminder of this note is Easter has come and gone…yet Jesus is so much more than a “concept” of religion. He is the Lord, alive, and knocking on hearts’ doors everywhere. Let’s make sure we’ve invited Him in.
Pastor Greg
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