We usually don’t associate “empty” with something beautiful. Empty hands. Empty hearts. Empty promises. Yet, there’s one moment in history where empty meant everything—and it changed everything.
This moment is captured in Matthew 28:5-6, when an angel told the women at Jesus’ tomb: “Do not be afraid… He is not here, for He has risen, as He said.” The tomb was empty. But it wasn’t a symbol of loss. It was a masterpiece of fulfilled hope.
They Expected Death, But Found Life
When the women approached Jesus’ tomb, they expected to find a lifeless body. They came prepared to honor the dead, not to witness resurrection. And yet, their mourning was interrupted by astonishment. The tomb wasn’t just opened—it was vacated.
If the tomb had held His body, there would be no gospel. No forgiveness. No church. No reason to hope.
But it was empty.
And that emptiness speaks more loudly than any sermon ever could.
A Hope Based in History
It’s one thing to feel inspired by a story. It’s another to place your life in the hands of what can be historically verified. The resurrection of Jesus isn’t just a matter of faith—it’s backed by sources outside of the Bible.
Flavius Josephus, a Jewish historian, recorded the existence of Jesus and affirmed that His followers believed He rose from the dead. Tacitus, a Roman historian and critic of Christians, mentioned that Jesus’ movement surged after His execution. Even the Babylonian Talmud, a Jewish collection of rabbinical teachings, acknowledged Jesus as a teacher with a loyal following.
These weren’t Christian fanatics trying to sell a religion. These were observers with no incentive to lie. And yet they corroborated key elements of Jesus’ story.
If Jesus hadn’t risen, if His body could be found, Christianity would’ve ended that day. But it didn’t. In fact, it exploded across the known world.
Why It Should’ve Been Us
The empty tomb isn’t just a plot twist—it’s a deeply personal gift. Because we are not perfect. We mess up. We fall into addiction, rebellion, pride, and shame. The Bible says, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Our sin deserves separation from God. That’s the consequence of imperfection in the presence of a perfect God.
But Jesus took our place. That cross? It should’ve held our bodies. Those nails? They should’ve pierced our hands. The blood spilled? Ours.
Yet Jesus willingly endured it all—for us.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
No One is Too Far Gone
Maybe you’re reading this thinking: “That’s for someone else. Not me. I’m too far gone.”
But that’s the beauty of the cross and the empty tomb: no one is too far gone. I once thought the same. I walked into a church on Easter as an agnostic, unconvinced and unconcerned. But Jesus changed everything.
You’ll never be too broken for Jesus to fix. You’ll never out-sin the capacity of His grace. You will never be a greater sinner than He is a Savior.
What Do You Say About Jesus?
This isn’t just a history lesson or a religious sales pitch. It’s a deeply personal question: What do you say about Jesus?
The apostle Paul once wrote, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
That’s the invitation. Not to religion. Not to performance. But to surrender.
You Don’t Have to Stay Empty
The tomb is empty so your heart doesn’t have to be. Jesus offers to fill your life with a peace that holds steady in pain, a purpose that outlasts your job title, and a future that stretches beyond the grave.
He gave up everything so you could gain everything that matters.
And that, my friend, is what makes The Beautiful Empty more than a clever sermon title. It’s a lifeline. It’s hope. It’s truth.
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