Empty Is Everything

Empty is Everything Mark 16:1-8 Well, $4 gas is here, again. One of two things will be true for you. Either your gas tank is full and your wallet is empty, or your wallet may have some money in it and your gas tank is empty. Regardless, we think full is good and empty is bad. Given a choice, we prefer full to empty. Full sounds positive; empty sounds very negative. Empty implies want and need, whereas full suggests abundance and blessing. Well, today I am here to tell you that Easter is not for "full people," especially people full of themselves. Easter is for "empty people." There are two types of people in this world, full people and empty people. If we took a poll and asked the question, "Which would you rather be: full or empty?" most of us would probably say, "Full." Right? Think about it. "Full" is good. - Full Easter egg basket? Good. - Full church on Sunday? That’s real good. - Children full of respect and manners? Good. - A home full of comfortable, plush furniture? Good. - A life full of laughter and love? Good and good again. - A full stomach? Good. - A full bank account? Very good. - A full pantry? Good. - A full gas tank? Expensive. You get the point. A person who is "full" is one who's able to look at her or his life and say, "I have arrived! Every need is met, every fear is silenced, and every obstacle is overcome." Most would say, "That's what I want. That's what I'm aiming for!" Maybe your life is pretty full and complete, then again, maybe not so much… Are you full? Let's be terribly honest. If we believe that we're complete, that our lives are as they should be, then this day, this message, this reality of the resurrected Jesus Christ, just isn't for us. Here's the deal: Easter is not for full people. It isn't for the "have-it-all-together-life-is-good" people. No, Easter is for empty people. Allow me to explain. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is for those who have 2 figured out that in this life, "full" is a fleeting feeling. As an example, looking at the spending habits of American families reveals that the vast majority of income is spent on items that need constant replenishing. We spend almost all of our treasure on food that will be eaten, gas that will be burned, clothes that will wear out and entertainment that lasts a moment. Some of us realize that no matter how many pounds of ham you put away or deviled eggs you down later today, come Monday morning, you'll be hungry again. Maybe you've discovered that on this side of eternity, the beauty of spring always fades, turning into a summer likely going to be hot and humid. The cutest Easter dresses on your daughter will be grown out of by next year, or stained and even dirty before you get to grandma's house this year. Now I may sound rather dour for the moment, but the good news is coming. Some of us have felt the emptiness of losing someone close. Others know what it's like to have your health fading or your family fighting. Raise a hand if you have (well, you don’t have to raise your hand, just make a mental note to yourself…) Do you have… - a prayer that's unanswered, - a fear that still haunts you, - a depression that's lingering, - a faith life that's stagnant, - a job that's struggling, - kids who are crazy, - in-laws who are nuts, - or a future that's uncertain. We could ask those questions, and others, and it's possible that eventually every hand would shoot up. Yes, there are those who know that fullness is fleeting and what it feels like to be empty. The good news is that for all who fall into that category where life is tenuous, fragile, questionable, or uncertain; they are the ones Easter is for. Easter is not for full people. Easter is for empty people, or at least unfulfilled people. 3 Listen again to these words from Mark's account of the Easter story. "And [the angel] said to them, 'Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. Go, tell His disciples and Peter that He is going before you to Galilee. There you will see Him, just as He told you.' And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid." They said nothing, they were empty. They were to be filled; first with astonishment, then with joy and overwhelming happiness and wonder and praise. Did you catch the words like "alarmed," "fled," "trembling," "amazed" and "afraid"? Easter has its origin in the emptiness of heart that overwhelms the disciples who've seen their Savior die, and the anxiety that comes from expecting to see His body. The temptation is to look at such emptiness and see it as a bad thing. The truth is that our emptiness is a great thing, for they heard and we hear instead, of a risen body, a resurrection. Jesus is alive! In 1 Corinthians 15 the Apostle Paul helps us understand the blessing of the empty tomb upon our fleetingly full lives. He says, "... if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ, have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive" (1 Corinthians 15:17-22). Paul's point is this: If Jesus is still dead, then all we have is another great teacher who promised the world but died before he could deliver -- like everybody else. If His bones are still stuck in some tomb, then it means there is still no clear path to the Creator, no certainty about our life after death, and no trustworthy teaching about why we exist in this world. If He is still dead, all we have is our emptiness. But Christ is not dead. Christ is risen. Now, just a word to the skeptics. It's time you stopped doubting the resurrection. Sure, you saw some special on the History Channel or some Discovery program that made you question it. But please, how much credibility can you give to a cable channel whose biggest shows are about pawn shops and Bigfoot and aliens? 4 The resurrection of Christ is not a myth or a rumor. It's a fact. The disciples recorded it and later willingly died for it. History says that more than 500 people were willing to be evidence as eye-witnesses to it. The Roman authorities never disproved or even attempted to argue with it. Likewise, in a male-centered world as was Israel then, why would the gospel writers dare to make up a story about women being the first to find Jesus? They would be inviting scandal and scorn, derision and denial; unless, of course, it actually happened and eyewitnesses made them unable to say otherwise. The empty tomb speaks to a world of truth. Therefore, since the tomb is empty, it means that everything Jesus ever preached or promised is true -which is good news. Jesus has some amazing things to offer those of us who know the emptiness of this life. The empty tomb means that Jesus' death on the cross was, in fact, a work of forgiveness. It means that all of the mistakes we've made that leave us wondering whether or not God loves us, have been cared for, forgiven and put aside. But that's not all. According to Paul, Christ's resurrection is a glimpse of our own future resurrection. There will be a day when Jesus returns and gives to us the same experience He had on that first Easter. He will bring us back to life! These are the promises that Christ places in the hearts of those who are willing to admit they are empty and that only Christ and His promises can truly fill them. So what are we? Empty or full? It's an essential question for today because if we truly believe that our life is full, then we have no room for, no need for, the great things Jesus can give. But if we're able to admit that we need something far more than what this world can offer, that we’re often empty, then the fulfilled promises of Easter are ready and waiting to fill us up. There may be some skeptics among us today, here because they were dragged here by a spouse who looked at them this morning and said, "It's Easter. All I want are chocolate bunnies and your be-hind in church!" To you I say, “Welcome, you are among friends, and if you're here and still refuse to believe that the resurrection is true, that's fine. But consider this. At the very least, you should want it to be true." Why? Because if Jesus is risen from the dead, it means death is not the end! That's huge! It means a kingdom is coming that will bring an end to all war. It means poverty will someday cease, and everyone will have a seat at the table. That is more than huge! There will be no more war and we can beat 5 our swords into plowshares. It means sickness will be destroyed and there will be no more need for cancer centers or children's hospitals or insurance payments. We’ll have no need for insurances of any kind. Jesus will be the only assurance we’ll even need. Surely, you can get behind that? The resurrection means that anyone who's ever buried a spouse, or every parent who's ever lost a baby, will one day have his or her grief overshadowed by God's glory at Christ's return. It means one day our tsunami-filled, tornado-blown, fireravaged, earthquake-plagued planet will be replaced with a calm re-creation, a new heaven and a new earth. It means that soon there will be a day when all those who can't walk, or hear, and those whose minds are slow or bodies are broken will rise from their chairs, step out of their beds, leave all assistance behind and be whole. Totally amazing! We believe that because Christ is risen, all of that is guaranteed for us tomorrow and can be tasted today. You don't have to believe it's true, but no matter how full you think you are or how skeptic you may be, deep down you should want it to be true. There are two types of people in this world -- empty and full. Which one are you? Empty isn't a bad thing. An empty tomb means Jesus is alive. Emptiness in your life simply means you're the one Jesus rose for, and that you're ready to receive all that He has to give. Sure, full pantries, full gas tanks and full bank accounts are good. But when it comes to Easter, empty is great. Being empty is everything.