Sermon Central
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Empty Promises (A Message For Reurrection Day)
Contributed by Arlen Payne on Nov 24, 2002 (message contributor)
Summary: Don’t you hate empty promiese. God gave us promises of an empty cross, empty tomb, and empty clothes as a reminder that Jesus rose from the grave.
Empty Promises
Reading: Matthew 28:1-8
Intro: Don’t you hate empty promises?
The world often makes promises and then does not
keep them.
The promise of happiness if you buy a certain product.
The promise of an Insurance salesman.
God has never broken even one of His promises to us.
In the death, burial, and resurrection however we can
find some “empty” promises.
I. The promise of an empty cross. Vs. 7
A. Jesus had told the disciples many times that he would be crucified.
B. The empty cross is a promise of the forgiveness of sins.
-Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
-Jesus was our atoning sacrifice.
-All our sin was laid upon him.
Hebrews 8:12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
The empty cross is the promise of the forgiveness of
sin.
II. The empty tomb is the promise of life…Luke 24: 1-6
A. Jesus rose from the dead.
-Because He lives, we can live also.
B. The resurrection gave us victory over death.
John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection,
and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were
dead, yet shall he live:
C. The world wonders why we get so excited about Easter
– Resurrection day – it’s because it is the day that we celebrate the eternal life that we have in Christ.
John 10:27-28 My sheep hear my voice, and I know
them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal
life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
-We don’t celebrate rabbits and eggs…we celebrate a
risen Savior who gave us victory over the world.
-1 Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
The empty Cross gives us the promise of the forgiveness of sin.
The empty tomb gives us the promise of eternal life.
III. The empty clothes give us the promise of His return.Luke 24:12
A. Peter wondered at that which was come to pass.
-I believe Peter remembered the words of Jesus.
-The promise at the last supper John 14:
-The promise at His ascension.
Acts 1:10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
(11) Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
B. One day he will come to take us to be with Him.
-1 Thess. 4:13-18
-Are you ready to go?
Conclusion
Instead of promises full of emptiness, in the death burial and resurrection of Christ God gave us emptiness that is full of promise.
The emptiness of the Cross gives us the forgiveness of sin
The emptiness of the tomb that gives us Life
The emptiness of the clothes give us the promise of His return.
