Why Do We Celebrate His Empty Tomb?

Today, believers all over the world gather to celebrate something that happened 2,000 years ago - the historic event of our Lord’s resurrection. But have you ever wondered why the reality of Jesus’ resurrection is so important to us? What was so important that the Lord remained on earth for another 40 days after His resurrection and showed Himself to hundreds of people before ascending home into heaven? Why is it so important to know that Jesus really rose from the dead?

First, Jesus’ resurrection proves that Jesus is truly the Son of God. Just as Jonah’s miraculous rescue from the fish proved to the Ninevites that His message came from God, so Jesus’ death and resurrection was the ultimate sign that He is the Messiah sent by God, and as the divine Son of God, He cannot remain dead (Matthew 16:1-4).

Second, His resurrection confirms that everything He said can be trusted. Several times in the gospels, Jesus foretold that He would be killed, but would rise again after three days, and He really did (Mark 8:31, 9:31, 10:34)! How much more can we trust everything else that He claimed about Himself and taught about the kingdom of heaven?

Third, His resurrection demonstrated God’s ultimate authority and power over our last enemy - Death. No one in human history has ever conquered death. Science may have helped to delay it, but cannot eradicate it. Jesus’ resurrection, however, proved that the Almighty God truly exists, and that He has power even over life and death. Victory over death has been won once for all.

Last, His resurrection assures us that God who raised Him from the dead has accepted Jesus’ sacrifice. God’s wrath has been satisfied, and our justification in Christ is assured (Romans 4:25). Plus, we now have our resurrected Saviour sitting at the right hand of God, interceding for us as our eternal High Priest (Romans 8:34)!

So, to us, Jesus’ resurrection is not just a comforting legend. Jesus stayed on for 40 more days, appearing to hundreds of eye witnesses, to ensure that today we can have the assurance of the undeniable fact that Jesus, the true Son of God, truly defeated death and rose again (1 Corinthians 15:5-8). And this fact has been defended by generations of believers, many of whom clung on to this truth even in the face of death.

What does the reality of our Saviour’s resurrection mean to you today?

What difference has it made in the way you live or make decisions?