Sermon Notes: The Empty Tomb

Scripture: Luke 24:1–12 (NIV)

Part I: The Unexpected Emptiness (Verses 1–3)

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

Cross References:

Why We Struggle:

We often approach God expecting a “dead” experience—ritual, tradition, or a historical figure kept behind a stone. We struggle to believe that God can move the heavy, immovable “stones” of our circumstances (grief, addiction, or failure) before we even arrive on the scene.

Know This:

The stone was not rolled away so Jesus could get out; it was rolled away so the world could see in. The emptiness the women found was not a sign of loss, but a sign of a finished work. In the Kingdom, an empty tomb is the most fulfilling thing in history.

Exegetical Commentary:

The phrase “very early in the morning” (orthrou batheos) literally means “at deep dawn.” It signifies the transition from the darkness of the Sabbath (the Old Covenant) to the light of the “first day” (the New Creation). The passive voice in “found the stone rolled away” implies a Divine Passive—God had already acted while the world was still sleeping.

Theological Reflection:

This section highlights the Faithfulness of God.

• The women came to perform a duty of death (anointing a corpse),
• but God invited them into a reality of life.
• It teaches us that our “preparations” (the spices) are often rendered unnecessary by God’s “provisions” (the Resurrection).

Our Response:

What “stone” have you been staring at, assuming it’s the end of your story? Trust that God is already at work in the “deep dawn” of your situation.

Part II: The Divine Reminder (Verses 4–8)

While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’” Then they remembered his words.

Cross References:

• John 11:25: “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.'” (To Martha about Lazarus)
• Matthew 16:21: “From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must… be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” (To the disciples concerning his death)

Why We Struggle:

We struggle with spiritual amnesia. In the middle of our “fright” and “wondering,” we forget the specific promises God has given us. we look for life in “dead” places—success, temporary happiness, or past versions of ourselves—instead of looking to the Risen Christ.

Know This:

The angels don’t offer new information; they offer a reminder of old truth: “Remember how he told you.”

• The Resurrection isn’t just a miracle;
• it is the fulfillment of Jesus’ own Word.
• If He was right about the Cross, He is right about the Crown.

Exegetical Commentary:

The angelic question, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” is a gentle rebuke of their limited expectations. The verb “raised” (egerthe) is again in the passive voice—Jesus was raised by the power of the Father, vindicating everything He claimed to be. The moment the women “remembered His words” (emnesthēsan tōn rhēmatōn autou), their fear began to turn into faith.

Theological Reflection:

This is the Vindication of Christ. The Resurrection proves that the “Emptying of Self” (Week 3) and the “Empty Praise” (Week 4) were not the end. It confirms the Authority of Scripture—God does exactly what He says He will do.

Our Response:

Stop looking for satisfaction in “dead” things. Go back to the Word of God and “remember” the promises that apply to your current struggle.

Part III: The Testimony of the Empty (Verses 9–12)

When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others… But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.

Cross References:

• 1 Corinthians 15:14: “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.”
• 1 Peter 1:3: “In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

Why We Struggle:

We struggle with “cynical faith.”

• Like the disciples, we sometimes find the miraculous “nonsense” (leros—like the babbling of a fever).
• We prefer to stay in our grief because it’s familiar,
  • rather than “running to the tomb” to see for ourselves.

Know This:

The empty tomb is the foundation of everything we believe.

• It is the “Living Hope.” Peter’s “wondering” was the beginning of a transformation that would turn a denier into a rock.
• An encounter with the empty tomb demands a personal response;
  • you cannot stay the same once you’ve seen the linens.

Exegetical Commentary:

The word leros (nonsense) was a medical term used to describe the delusions of the sick. This shows the raw honesty of the Gospel—the first preachers were ignored. Yet, the detail of the “strips of linen lying by themselves” is a crucial evidentiary point. Grave robbers wouldn’t unwrap a body; a resurrected Lord simply stepped out of the wrappings.

Theological Reflection:

This section emphasizes Apostolic Witness and the Physicality of the Resurrection.

• Jesus didn’t rise as a “ghost” or a “memory”;
• He rose in a body, leaving the physical evidence of His victory behind.
• It reminds us that our faith is grounded in history, not just mythology.

Our Response:

• Don’t just take someone else’s word for it.
• “Run to the tomb” in your own prayer and study.
• Move from “wondering” to “witnessing.”

Closing Reflection

HEAD – What to Understand

Understand that the Empty Tomb is the “Amen” to everything Jesus did. It proves that sin is paid for, death is defeated, and the “Emptying of Self” leads to the “Exaltation of God.”

HEART – What to Feel

Feel the “Living Hope.” The same power that emptied the grave is available to fill your heart. Feel the joy of knowing that because the tomb is empty, your life can be full.

HAND – What to Do

Live as a “Resurrection Person” this week. Carry the news of the empty tomb into a world full of empty promises. Be the witness that tells someone else: “He is not there; He has risen!”

Key Takeaways

1. The Prevenient Stone: God often moves the obstacles before we even arrive.
2. The Memory of Faith: Victory is found in remembering and believing the Words of Jesus.
3. The Folly of the Grave: What the world calls “nonsense,” God calls the “Power of Salvation.”
4. The Living Hope: We don’t serve a memory; we serve a Master who is alive today.

Read 1 Peter 1:3-5 The Transition of a Wonderer

1 Peter 1:3-5 NIV Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

Closing: “In a world of Empty Promises, Empty Hands, and Empty Praise, we find our true life by Emptying Self, because the Empty Tomb proves that God’s ‘empty‘ is the only thing that can truly fill us.”