Listen 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. But 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."
Did you catch the words like "alarmed," "fled," "trembling," "amazed" and "afraid"? Easter itself has its origin in the emptiness of heart that overwhelms disciples who've seen their Savior die, and the anxiety of mind that comes from expecting to see his body and instead hearing of a risen one.
The temptation is to look at such emptiness and see it as a bad thing. But let's not go there. The truth is that our emptiness is a great thing. Our realistic view of this fleetingly full world is an essential thing.
Since the tomb is empty, it means that everything Jesus ever preached or promised is true -- which is good news because 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. But that's not all.
We believe because Christ is risen, all of that is guaranteed for us tomorrow and can be tasted today.
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.
