Sabbath 4/20/19 Seventh Day Baptist Edgewater Pastor Keith sermon “Empty Promises” John 19:38, 20:9
Life is full of empty promises. Marketing TV commercials, government political promises give us empty promises. We live in a world of broken and empty promises that were never going to be kept. God is not like this. He keeps His promises. The Resurrections promises have three parts: Empty Cross, Empty Clothes and Empty Cave.
Life is full of empty promises. Marketing TV commercials, government political promises give us empty promises. We live in a world of broken and empty promises that were never going to be kept. God is not like this. He keeps His promises. The Resurrections promises have three parts: Empty Cross, Empty Clothes and Empty Cave.
- Empty Cross: An empty, blood stained cross is where our sins were nailed to. It was not the betrayal by Judas or the Pharisee’s jealousy that put Jesus on the cross. It was our sins that sent Jesus to the cross. Our sins had a price tag that we could not pay accept by our death. We were in debt for our sins and doing good things would not counter balance it. God sent Jesus to die for our sin. God forgave us for all our sins and nailed them to the cross. The empty cross promises that our sins are gone. Paid in full is our debt. Empty cross promises forgiveness for all our sins.
- Empty Clothes: Nicodemus and Joseph bound up the body of Jesus in burial clothes with spices. Jesus rose from the dead and left the burial clothes empty. John saw the empty clothes after Jesus rose and was stunned. He then saw, believed and knew that Jesus rose from the dead. A pile of empty clothes restored John’s faith. They were positive proof that Jesus had risen.
- Empty Cave: The cave was a hand hewn tomb owned by Joseph and it had never been used. The angels that appeared to the women, told them to come inside to see the place where Jesus had laid. The empty cave tomb means that we who believe in Jesus will have eternal life forever. Jesus said he who believes in Him has everlasting life. He offers us forever and eternity. The empty cave represents eternal life with Jesus. If we died with Christ, we know that we will be raised with Him to live forever with Him. We are alive in Christ Jesus.