Sun, Apr 5th - 11:55PM
Christians Celebrate The Empty Places of Jesus Christians have three empty places in the life of Jesus for which to be grateful. Because they are empty, all believers have a highway to Heaven. The only thing left on the agenda for the child of God is their move into the presence of God the Father. That will occur at either death or the rapture of the church. The first empty place in the life of Jesus, important to the child of God, is the empty manger. God stepped out of eternity in the form of a baby. It’s the story of Christmas. Isaiah pointed the world forward toward the birth of a baby. He wrote, "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and shall call His name Immanuel". That name means "God with us"(7:14). In the ninth chapter he elaborated upon that child when he wrote, "For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace"(v. 6). An Old Testament prophesy finds its fulfillment in the New Testament. An angel came to a man by the name of Joseph who was to take Mary as his wife. The angel broke the news of Mary’s pregnancy. Mary was going to have a child but it wouldn’t be a normal, natural birth. "Joseph, son of David," said the angel, "do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus for He will save His people from their sins"(Matt. 1:20-21). Joseph then learned that the birth of her son was to be the fulfillment of the Isaiah prophesy. They would call His name Immanuel. And the birth of Jesus came just as the Word of God had promised. When Mary gave birth, the Son of God was laid in a manger. But then that manger became empty and the Son of God, the Savior of the world, began His earthly ministry. Thank God for the empty manger. The second empty place in the life of Jesus, important to the child of God, is the empty cross. During the days leading up to Easter, the cross of Christ is the focus text of thousands of songs and sermons. It is indeed a time for us all to remember that Jesus went to the old rugged cross to pay the sin debt of all who would come to Him by faith. The cross was a horrible place of death. At first, it wasn’t a cross as we visualize it today. It began as a wooden board or long post driven into the ground. At first it could have been used to build walls around cities. Often the victims of war or criminals against political leaders had their beheaded skulls impelled as a sign of victory. Later it became a determent to crime by either tying or nailing criminals to a cross beam. Before being placed upon the cross, which was in the shape of either a cross or an X, the person was beaten. They would go to their cross weak and bleeding. This type of punishment had become a normal method of death by the time of Jesus. His death wasn’t as a result of crimes committed. His death was to take the punishment of wicked mankind. He became our sacrificial offering for our sin. But Jesus didn’t stay on the cross. It is now empty. Thank God for the empty cross. The third empty place in the life of Jesus, important to the child of God, is the empty grave. That is the focus of this weekend’s celebrations in Christian churches around the world. There is no longer a manger in which the Christ-child is to lie. There will never again be a cross upon which the Savior has to suffer. And the empty grave will never be needed in the future for the Son of God. The angel which met the women said simply, "He is not here. He is risen". That empty grave is the culmination of a journey which God took in behalf of lost humanity. The next phase of His work will be when He sets up His earthly kingdom and reigns with His people. And then finally, life better than the garden will begin for all the saints of God when all His children are gathered home in Heaven. Don’t allow this Easter to pass without giving Him praise for His wonderful love and grace for sinners like ourselves. Shout it loud and long! He is risen, hallelujah, He is risen!
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