What a Glorious week it was.
So much so fast. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ to conquer sin and death. We have the opportunity to remember and celebrate what was accomplished on the Cross. But it’s not all about the Cross.
What about the empty tomb?
This was an absolute miracle in itself.
Imagine this tomb sealed by a giant rock. Closed shut so that no man would ever be able to enter. What was the fear?
The fear was if the lifeless,cold,decaying body of the Messiah was gone then perhaps everything that was said was true.
So guards are put on watch. Surely it’s now secured and no one would ever be able to claim that the beaten lifeless body of Jesus of Nazareth is gone!
Not by power nor by might but by the Spirit of the Lord!
Something happens!
The Father in Heaven commanded the earth to quake and shake! And the earth obeyed. Then this mighty rock obeys and it rolls from the entrance of this cold,dark lifeless cave of a tomb.
The Power of God Almighty was still lingering in that tomb! How? The body was gone! It was HUMANLY IMPOSSIBLE! Sealed shut and guarded!
This proves that there’s nothing that’s impossible for the living God!
The Power of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ of Nazareth did conquer death as He promised! The empty tomb was proof that as He said,
“Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
John 2:19 NKJV
Mary Magdalene sees the empty tomb and runs to tell the others. Peter and John run to see for themselves.
She was right. No body of Christ.
We miss something in this amazing story. The tomb wasn’t completely empty. Yes, the Body of Jesus was gone and Resurrected just as He said would happen. The disciples look into the tomb, linen clothes. Scattered, undone. The grip of these death clothes didn’t have the strength to hold back the power of the Resurrection!
Still there is one small detail we miss.
“and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself.
John 20:7 NKJV
This folded handkerchief is our hope for today! Why?
In ancient Jewish culture there was a custom,a practice. When they sat to eat they were given a handkerchief, napkin.
This was a signal to the servants of the meal. If one was to get up from the table and take this napkin and throw it over the plate, this meant that they were finished with the meal. They were done.
But if one got up and nicely folded the napkin and placed it, this meant something to the server. They were not done and will finish what they started,they will be back!
Jesus left a sign to us all by this folded napkin! He is NOT done.He will return! The Resurrection was the start of our Spiritual Meal that He provides.
The Empty Tomb was proof of His Resurrection! The Holy napkin that covered His precious face that He left there is the promise of His return!
Jesus is not finished with us. He will continue to grow us. He protects and guides us. He still has an ear to hear us and a heart to have mercy on us.
His work in us and through us is still in progress. It will be until He returns just as He said by showing us the promise of the folded napkin!
We must live in the power of His Resurrection, the power to bring something that was dead and that is now alive. Allow the Resurrection Power to free us from our own cold, dark tombs.
Then we must never forget that simple sign that Jesus gave us in a folded napkin! He is coming back soon! So live a life that is expecting His return!
Pastor Ed
