God’s Greatest Gift Was Empty.

Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb…⁵ Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. ⁶ He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying.  Matthew 28:1, 5-6 (NLT)

A new day will dawn on us from above because our God is loving and merciful. Luke 1:78 (GW)

the empty tomb assures me of god’s power, LOVE, & mercy…

1. When I’ve ____________ ____ & I’m ______________.

Arresting Jesus, they marched him off…Peter followed, but at a safe distance. ⁵⁵ In the middle of the courtyard some people had started a fire and were sitting around it…. ⁵⁶ One of the serving maids sitting at the fire noticed him, then took a second look and said, “This man was with him!” ⁵⁷ He denied it, “Woman, I don’t even know him.” ⁵⁸ A short time later, someone else noticed him and said, “You’re one of them.” But Peter denied it: “Man, I am not.” ⁵⁹ About an hour later, someone else spoke up, really adamant: “He’s got to have been with him! He’s got ‘Galilean’ written all over him.” ⁶⁰ Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” At that very moment, the last word hardly off his lips, a rooster crowed. ⁶¹ Just then, the Master turned and looked at Peter. Peter remembered what the Master had said to him: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” ⁶² He went out and cried and cried and cried. Luke 22:54-62 (MSG)

• I need God’s love & mercy to _______________ & _____________ me!

But he said to them, “Don’t be alarmed! You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised. He isn’t here. Look, here’s the place where they laid him. ⁷ Go, tell his disciples, especially Peter, that he is going ahead of you into Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you.” Mark 16:6-7 (CEB)

Woman Caught in Adultery: Lord, no one has condemned me. Jesus: Well, I do not condemn you either; all I ask is that you go and from now on avoid the sins that plague you. John 8:11 (VOICE)

NOTE: Jesus doesn’t ______________ or _____________ her.  He _____________ her.

2. When I Feel ______ ______ ________.

The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. ² He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. ³ He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.” ⁴ Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! ⁵ This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath[a] enter you, and you will come to life. ⁶ I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’” ⁷ So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. ⁸ I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them…¹⁰ So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army. Ezekiel 37:1-8, 10 (NIV)

3. When I’m ____________ __________ & I’m ____________.

A written notice was placed above him. It said, “This is the king of the Jews.” ³⁹ One of the criminals hanging there insulted Jesus by saying, “So you’re really the Messiah, are you? Well, save yourself and us!” ⁴⁰ But the other criminal scolded him: “Don’t you fear God at all? Can’t you see that you’re condemned in the same way that he is? ⁴¹ Our punishment is fair. We’re getting what we deserve. But this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” ⁴² Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you enter your kingdom.” ⁴³ Jesus said to him, “I can guarantee this truth: Today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:38-43 (GW)

Life everlasting has victoriously swallowed death.  ⁵⁵ Hey, Death! What happened to your big win?  Hey, Death! What happened to your sting? 1 Corinthians 15:54b-55 (VOICE)

4. When I Feel ________________ & Want To ________ ________.

Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. ¹⁴ They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. ¹⁵ As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; ¹⁶ but they were kept from recognizing him. ¹⁷ He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast. ¹⁹ …“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. ²⁰ The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; ²¹ but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. ³⁰ When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. ³¹ Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.  Luke 24:13-17, 19b-21, 30-31 (NIV)

Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. John 19:30b (NIV)

the empty tomb offers me a full life WHEN I…

1. ______________

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— John 1:12 (NIV)

2. ____________ & ________ To Jesus.

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to have you, to sift you like wheat, ³² but I have pleaded in prayer for you that your faith should not completely fail So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen and build up the faith of your brothers.” Luke 22:31-32 (TLB)

3. __________________ With Jesus.

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. 1 Peter 1:3 (NIV)

Baptism, which is like that water, now saves you. Baptism doesn’t save by removing dirt from the body. Rather, baptism is a request to God for a clear conscience. It saves you through Jesus Christ, who came back from death to life. 1 Peter 3:21 (GW)

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? ² By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? ³ Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. ⁵ If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. Romans 6:1-5 (NIV1984)