Empty!

Empty Driveway

Thursday morning we woke up as normal, got the kids breakfast, got ready for school. I sent Dylan and Arabelle out to set the trash cans out and Dylan comes back in “Dad, where are the cars?”

“What do you mean? They’re in the driveway.”

“No, they’re not.”

“KK, did you move the cars?” “No.”

“Logan” (he’s driving now) “did you move the cars?” “No.” “You parked in the driveway last night, right?”

The kids are gathering, concerned.

We check the footage of the RingPro camera… we can’t see anything. The cars are nowhere in sight. So I make the call.

“Yes, my cars are gone form in front of my house. I assume they’ve been stolen. Either that or it’s April Fools!”

Earlier that morning I had moved them and parked around the corner.

It says something about me that fooling the kids is so stinkin’ funny to me. I think it says that I am a terrible, terrible person.

We knew we had to get the kids in the morning before they knew the date.

Oh man, they were so upset. :D

I wonder how often we are that upset about things in our life and the car is right around the corner. Not because God is a terrible Father like me, hiding things around the corner from us… but because He sees all things.

He sees that the answer to our question is right around the bend. He sees that our crisis is momentary, that our hopelessness is about to be transformed into joy and laughter and gladness.

Holy Saturday

It is hard for us to imagine the absolute disappointment and disillusionment of the disciples. They had no expectation, only grief and hopelessness. Jesus meets them in different ways at different times… but exactly where and when they needed. He is still doing this today. He turns despair to hope, doubt to faith, death to victory!

Jesus shows up.

Why did Jesus stay in the tomb three days?

Of course it was prophesied that he would… but Jesus was the source of those prophecies. He could have said “three hours” or “three months”.

If he had resurrected immediately, some folks would have said he was never really dead.

According to some Jewish traditions, it is said the soul hung around the body for three days and then departs.

And there are other three day patterns: Abraham when sacrificing Isaac, Jonah in the belly of the fish,

God created life on the third day… and humanity on the next “third” day (the sixth day).

Or, tongue in cheek, Jesus observed his “Sabbath rest” even in the tomb.

Lots of possible reasons.

Scripture doesn’t tell us exactly why.

But this we can know. Those three days were brutal on the disciples… on all the people who knew and loved Jesus.

This is hard for us to fathom, really, with all the hints Jesus has been dropping all the way along.

They didn’t see it coming. They didn’t expect it. And when presented with the first messages, most didn’t believe it at all. They were at least as skeptical as you or I would be if you heard someone was raised from the dead.

First to the Least

Luke 24:1–11 ESV

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” And they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.

Mary Magdalene - a woman Jesus freed from demonic possession… and by tradition the very same woman who anointed Jesus’ feet and dried them with her hair. A faithful disciple, one of those who has helped support Jesus’ ministry.

Along with Joanna. Who knows who that is? I didn’t remember her. She is the wife of “Chuza”, Herod’s household manager. She’s got money and she is helping bank roll Jesus (Luke 8). And the “other other Mary.” Jesus is collecting all the Mary’s. Mother of James, not Jesus’ brother James but one of his apostles James.

These aren’t strangers, these women have been faithful, faithful disciples. Giving of their resources, and now going with other women to prepare the body.

These disciples hear the report of an angel - and they believe in the risen Jesus.

I don’t think it’s an accident that the first witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection were women - at that time women weren’t considered viable or trustworthy legal witnesses. Jesus turns that on its head completely.

What happened when they told the disciples?

They didn’t believe!!! They thought it was “an idle tale!”

No sense of expectation. They aren’t quick to believe. They think the women are lying.

Peter and John

Two disciples are intrigued enough, at least, to go check it out. Peter here… and John. John writes and says “ooh, ooh, I was there too!” John tells us the story and makes a super important point: he is faster than Peter.

John 20:3–4 ESV

So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.

John 20:5 ESV

And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in.

He “peeks” in.

John 20:6–7 ESV

Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself.

Peter goes into the tomb… he “looks”. He “saw”..

And finally

John 20:8 ESV

Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed;

Different word for “see” there. He “perceived.” and believed. They didn’t understand all the things yet.

But Peter and John saw the empty tomb and they believed in the Risen Jesus.

The “Other” Disciples

Jesus appears to two men on the road to Emmaus, talks with them for a long while before revealing who he is. and they sprint back (miles uphill) to Jerusalem to tell the disciples. And in that locked room, Luke tells us the story:

Luke 24:36–42 ESV

As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish,

He appears to another group. How many? We don’t know. But he anticipates all their objections. He isn’t a ghost, a disembodied spirit… he is physically resurrected, flesh and bones. He will eat with them. Broiled fish, sounds delicious!

Thomas

But Thomas! Poor Thomas, he slept in that day. He missed it, he missed out. And so all his friends are talking about how Jesus is alive, back from the dead… and Thomas just doesn’t buy it. Maybe he wants to, maybe he wishes he could… but he’s a skeptic.

John 20:24–25 ESV

Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

What do you do with someone like that? Making demands of God for proof? There is an arrogance to that. Like God has to show up on Thomas’ timetable and prove himself?

He doesn’t.

But this is the grace of Jesus. He doesn’t have to. But he knows Thomas, he knows this isn’t a game Thomas is playing but the absolute honest desire of his heart. And he meets Thomas exactly where he is at.

John 20:26–28 ESV

Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”

My Lord and my God!

I think of the prayer of a demon possessed boy, crying out to Jesus “I believe, Lord, help my unbelief.” Jesus does. He does for that father. He does for Thomas. He does for you and I. And he promises this blessing:

John 20:29 ESV

Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

How many people did Jesus reveal himself to? Sneak preview of 1 Corinthians 15.

1 Corinthians 15:3–8 ESV

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.

500 people, brothers specifically so maybe more people counting woman and children! Again and again Jesus shows up. The story is different each time, the revelation is different but the effect is the same.

Thomas says it well: “My Lord and my God!”

There is no other explanation for transforming their hopelessness.

From despair to hope.

From doubt to faith.

From death to victory.

Jesus is Alive

We celebrate Resurrection, not because of all the silly bunny and candy and eggs (and other fertility rights. But also, not just because of Jesus’ miraculous resurrection nearly 2000 years ago.

We celebrate because Jesus is still alive. Still encountering us, empowering us with His Holy Spirit. Still willing and able, ready to transform our doubts. To bring hope to the hopeless. Love to the loveless.

We celebrate because when Jesus conquered death He conquered it forever and always.

We celebrate because Jesus is alive.

Like Thomas we say “My Lord, my God.”

Like Peter and John, we see and believe.

Like Mary we rush to tell the world that our God is not dead, He’s truly alive!

And he will resurrect you and I to eternal life with him.

Where can he meet you?

Here is my prayer for you this Resurrection weekend. I pray that Jesus meets you exactly where you are at.

Some of you are faithfully serving Jesus, ready and waiting first thing Sunday morning. I pray that Jesus surprises you beyond all expectations with His Living Presence.

Some of you are fearfully hopeful. Peter and John, peeking into the tomb. May you see and perceive, know and understand, see the empty tomb and believe: Jesus is Risen.

Some of you are trapped in a locked room, despair that God could or would ever help or even show up. Jesus, we ask you to show up in Living Power and Presence.

And I know there are Thomas’ here this morning. I kind of want to believe… but I feel like I am missing the “proofs” or experiences that everyone else is getting. I pray that Jesus shows up and answers those questions, those doubts, confronts you even with His living presence. I pray for miracles today.

From despair to hope.

From doubt to faith.

From death to victory.

The Resurrected King to Resurrect us even now.