The well-known, legendary Garden Tomb of Jesus is near the Damascus Gate of Old City Jerusalem. These burial grounds have been restored to show how the cemetery might have looked on that first Easter morning. It’s quiet, green, and beautiful. It strikes me that thousands of Christians travel great distances and spend large sums of money to go there, but what do they expect to see? Absolutely nothing! No bones. No burial wrappings. No proof that Jesus was ever there. The tomb is empty - and isn’t it emptiness that those who believe in Jesus expect to find? What would really shock us is to find something there. If the Savior’s bones were lying there, all hope of our salvation would be dashed.
Our hope and joy are found in the empty tomb.
As Christians, our hope is not invested in fancy temples, majestic cathedrals, or packed sanctuaries. Our hope is in the empty tomb, the only tomb in the world where the entrance was once used as an exit. If no tomb could hold Jesus, we are assured that no tomb will hold us. His vacant tomb is a powerful indicator that we who believe in Jesus as Savior and Lord will rise just as he has risen!
And oh, the joy that floods my soul!
So, what is this joy all about?
Joy is participating in what God is infectiously and irresistibly doing. Joy flows from the heart of God. We find joy when we're in the very center of God’s will - walking according to his plan. This joy is also integral to what we experience on Easter Day!
But this joy did not just start at Easter. Joy was a part of many moments in the Bible: The joy of a tiny baby (Jesus) in a manger going gurgle gurgle with a smile from ear to ear (Luke 2:7); the joy of finding a lost coin (Luke 15:8-9); the joy of a blind man who begins to see for the first time and starts to separate the people from the trees (Mark 10:46-52); the joy of a man named Lazarus coming out of his tomb, trying to get all the death wrappings off his body (John 11:38-44); a joy that’s more infectious than a disease, more irresistible than an army; a joy that looks into the heart of God and smiles broadly, maybe even laughs wildly.
Imagine a joy that can’t be contained, that’s so overpowering it bursts out of the tomb and floods the whole world. It’s a joy that shakes your body, splits your aching sides with laughter, takes the edge off your grief and pain, and makes you rock deep inside.
The Resurrection is a reason for joy all over the world.
Back in the 1970s in Britain, there was a rock group called Status Quo, so famous they were known as The Quo. Many wore black leather jackets then and had The Quo written across the back. I did not pay much attention to the rock ‘n roll scene. I was involved with classical and church choral music. But I must confess I enjoyed one song of The Quo that gained momentum from their 1985 “Live Aid” tour. The song said, “But I like it, I like it, I like it, I like it, I like it, I like it, here we go . . . Rocking all over the world." That was The Quo. The Status Quo. Rocking all over the world.
Sunday, April 9, is Easter Day. It's the day we celebrate the Resurrection. Easter creates a new status quo. The status quo has changed. The whole world is rocking, rocking all over, rocking all over with joy - the irresistible, infectious joy of God.
It's not just an ordinary joy; it's an eternal one!
As a child, I always loved the table talk and joking that took place over the dinner hour in our family. It was mainly then that I heard laughter from my dad. Stories and anecdotes and jokes of all kinds could bring him to laugh. But in the last few years of his life, that laughter was abruptly curtailed by body-wrenching coughs, coughs of chest pains and a pulmonary breakdown that would eventually take his life. So for me, bursts of laughter and expressions of joy from my dad had been replaced by coughs of dying. It was like the shadow of Good Friday (dying and death) had arrived and filled our home, just like it had for Jesus that night before his crucifixion.
But there is good news! Easter disperses the shadow of Good Friday. Death is defeated once and for all. Because of Easter and the resurrection of Jesus, I know I will hear my father laughing with joy again. The joyous laughter will never stop because of the promise of Heaven.
This Easter joy should be so infectious that the whole world wants to join in – sharing joy with God and one another – one great tidal wave of joy.
Never forget the promises of God.
In Luke 6:21, Jesus said, “Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh." On Good Friday, we weep and mourn, but soon, we will laugh forever in joy.
On that first Easter morning 2,000 years ago, Jesus unlocked the gate to eternal joy. Every Sunday, when we gather for worship at Berean, we come through that open gate. We come in to worship, and we go out to serve.
If we know Jesus, our home will be in Heaven one day, but this Earth is where the waiting line for Heaven forms. As Christians, we don’t gather at a grave; we gather at the gate to joy. And each time one of us steps through that gate, we celebrate Easter past and Easter future. So let’s stay in line, enjoy the party, and plan to meet in joy. The gate’s wide open. Come on in.
Never met Jesus?
We'd love to introduce you to him. You likely have questions. That's normal. Our Life & Faith Questions page is a great place to start. You're also invited to services anytime our doors are open. We'd love to meet you and help you take your next steps.
You're invited to Easter Week at Berean:
This Easter, come and experience the joy of the Resurrection! Click the graphic below for service times and details! Can't join in person? Watch online HERE.
