An Empty Cross,
An Empty Tomb,
but an Occupied Throne!

My thoughts at this Easter time are based on Matthew 28. 1 – 10. My text is found in verse 6. ‘Christ is not here, He is risen!  On March 24 2005, The Times newspaper listed a hundred things to do at Easter. Attending a church service was not one of them. An old cathedral once stood on the site of the present St.Paul’s in London. It was destroyed in the great fire of London in 1666. After the fire Christopher Wren, the architect, designed a new cathedral that took 35 years to build. The first stone Wren picked from the ruins of the old building had an inscription on it in Latin which read:
‘I shall rise again.’ The founders of some of today’s major faiths are dead and buried. But the Christian Faith bucks the trend – it boasts a Living Head – Jesus Christ!
Over a thousand years before Christ’s resurrection, David wrote a prophetic song which included the words: ‘My heart, body and soul are filled with joy, for You will not leave Me among the dead; You will not allow Your beloved One to rot in the grave.’  Psalm 16. 9 (Living Bible)  We are surrounded by visible signs of resurrection every year in Nature – the shoot, the bud, the blossom, and the fruit.
We live in a culture that is hooked on power. Man has invented machines that break the sound barrier and hurl objects into space. Basic powers of the Universe have been harnessed to make weapons of mass destruction. We possess an impressive array of powerful mechanical hardware, but a famine of of spiritual dynamics. The problem of Evil and the lack of Peace, remain unsolved.
Resurrection is all about naked power, original power, sourced in God Who raised His Son from the dead. Christ wasn’t resuscitated or revived. Resurrection! Resurrection! Resurrection! Christ received a new Body operating at a new level to our natural bodies. He is alive, never ever to die!
By raising His Son from the dead on the third day God the Father signalled His satisfaction and approval of the sacrifice for sin Christ has made at the Cross. ‘How incredibly great is Christ’s power to help those who trust Him.. It is that same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him in the place of honour at God’s right hand in Heaven.’  Ephesians 1. 19-20.
The former bishop of Durham, David Jenkins believed that Christ’s rising from the dead was nothing more than a conjuring trick with bones. What nonsense! In reality it was a resurrection of His BODY!
Colossians 2. 9 ‘For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity or Godhead, lives in bodily form.’
We don’t have to wait till Christ returns to enjoy the benefits of resurrection life. Those benefits are available to us in the here and now. Romans 6. 4. ‘When God the Father with glorious power, brought Christ back to life again, we were given His wonderful new life to enjoy. Resurrection life is in evidence within us now in cleansing, healing, release from bad habits, new relationships, nine fruits of the Holy Spirit, and the prospect of Heaven!
At Christ’s second coming, the total benefits of resurrection life kicks in. 1 Corinthians 15. 53-54. ‘This mortal body of ours will put on immortality, or deathlessness.’
Quote: ‘Once a man is united to God, how could he not live for ever?’ (C. S. Lewis)
When Christ came back to life on the first day of the week, He had an immediate impact on people around Him then and NOW! The living Christ is here to liberate us and restore us from our failures.
Peter denied Jesus three times when his loyalty mattered most to Jesus. But after breakfast on the shore of Lake Galilee Jesus restored Peter to discipleship and leadership with the words: ‘Feed My Sheep, Feed My Lambs.’ (John 21. 15-17) The living Christ invites us to use our failures as stepping stones, not stumbling blocks, to renewed service for Jesus Christ.
Christ has come back to life to dispel our doubts and fears. Doubting Thomas was invited to put his finger into Christ’s nailprints and thrust his hand in Christ’s side. Thomas responded with worship.
‘My Lord and my God!.’ John 20. 24-29. The living Christ comes to us now to transform our doubts and fears into certainties. Hymnwriter: ‘I will trust Thee, all my life Christ shall control.’
In 1928 Alexander Flemming discovered Penicillin. Instead of keeping this discovery to himself, he made it freely available to the wider World. We have discovered a Saviour Who is alive, and it’s our responsibility to share this Good News with everyone we meet!