THE EMPTY TOMB, A SIGN FROM GOD

Sermon Notes, April 5, 2015

Rev. Dick Guizar

            Rev. Guizar’s message was titled “The Empty Tomb, A Sign From God,” and his scripture basis was Mark 16:1-8, the story of the women coming to Jesus’ tomb, worrying about who would move the stone, and finding the tomb empty.  Pastor Guizar also read the story from Luke 24:1-12, which includes Peter and John’s reaction to the empty tomb.
            Whenever God is involved in an event, you will also see a sign.  Noah’s flood was the event, the rainbow was a sign.  The Tower of Babel was the event, the confusion of languages the sign. Baalam prophesying to the Moabites was the event, the donkey talking was the sign.  The Passover was the event, the parade (the Triumphal Entry) was the sign.  And Jesus’ resurrection was the event, and the empty tomb was the sign.
            Peter and John ran to the tomb.  John stopped when he saw it: the Greek word bleppo was used, meaning “seen from afar.”  Peter kept running and entered the tomb: the Greek word describing his reaction, theorus, means “seen from a different angle.”  And when they saw the empty graveclothes, the word used was eiden, meaning they “perceived and believed.”
            The gospels tell of others who saw the resurrected Jesus: Mary Magdalene in the garden, the two on the road to Emmaus, the disciples eating (without Thomas) in hiding, then Thomas himself later.  Peter and the disciples who saw him on the shore when they went fishing, the 500 who watched him ascend into heaven, and Paul who saw him on the road to Damascus.
            Today, on Easter Sunday, people are gathered from around the world to celebrate the risen Jesus and worship Him.  You can find the bones of the leaders of other religions.  The Resurrection was real—an actual event, and the sign is the empty tomb.  The soldiers had to lie to save their hide.  Many want to believe, and they look for spiritual meaning in all the wrong places: the occult, drugs, relationships.  Others don’t want to believe: they call Christian beliefs lies, or myths.
            But when you have a personal encounter with Jesus, there is a transformation of your soul.  And others can see the difference.  The event is Easter, and the sign is changed lives.  Jesus is alive!