If I could transport you to the near East this morning a faithful Moslem could direct us to Medina and the tomb and remains of Mohammed.

After the death of the Buddha, the relics of his body were collected from the funeral pyre, divided into eight parts and buried in different places. Buddhists make pilgrimages to these places because remains of Buddha are believed to lie there.

The remains of Abraham the father of Judaism lie in “The Tomb of the Patriarchs” in Hebron.

In Jerusalem this morning there is a controversy. One group claims that Jesus’ tomb is located under the Church of the Holy Sepulcher where Constantine located it in the fourth century. Another group argues that Jesus’ tomb is located outside the walls of ancient Jerusalem and is called the Garden Tomb. There is one thing these two diverse groups agree on; that tomb where ever it is located is empty. Jesus rose from the dead and left nothing but grave clothes behind.

I want to make an attempt to answer the question; so what. After 2000 years of great scientific advancements, a busy life of making a living, raising families, marriage, divorce, living and dying, should that empty grave make a difference in your life.

I. The empty grave is a major sign of God’s approval of Jesus’ life and teachings. I say a ‘major sign’ because it was not the first and will not be the last.

a. His birth was a sign- announced by Angels, conceived in a virgin, visited by Kings and supernaturally named Jesus “for he shall save his people from their sins”.

b. His baptism was a sign- Matt 3:16-17

16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

c. His miracles were signs-Acts 2:22 (Peters Message)

22 "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst.

d. His death was a sign- The prophesy of Isaiah 53, 700 years prior is a vivid description of Jesus’ crucifixion. Read Isaiah 53

e. There is yet another sign of God’s approval of Jesus; His coming again to this earth. He will not appear as the suffering savior this time but as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

1 Thess 4:16-18

16” For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words”.

II. The empty grave is a sign that God has a plan for you.

God is very orderly. His creation particularly at springtime demonstrates his planning and order. We his highest creation, best demonstrate his plans and precise order. Right now are hundreds of thousands of operations occurring simultaneously making it possible to think, speak, and move. Do you think that God would have a precise plan for your body which is temporal but have none for your soul which is eternal?

A Brief View of God’s Plan Demonstrated through Time

1. The crucifixion of Jesus did not take God by surprise.

a. Revelation 13:8 speaks of Jesus as the lamb, which was slain from the time of creation.

2. God began to demonstrate his plan with the first two people on earth. An animal was slain, its blood shed, and its skin made a covering for Adam and Eve. This was the first object lesson that innocent blood would be shed for the sake of the guilty.

3. The law received by Moses from the mouth of God ordered blood to be shed in a very orderly and precise way to be used annually for the covering of sin.

4. When Jesus came to the River Jordan to be baptized John shouted “look it is a Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”. Every person there you exactly what John was talking about. Jesus was that perfect sacrifice that the lamb had represented.

5. The last words from Jesus’ dying lips were “It is finished”. What is finished Jesus? Oh, the father’s plan; my life for yours. The guilty is spared because of the innocent. The provision was made, the plan was complete, but the life was not extinguished. Jesus rose from the dead.

The Bible says that God is not a respecter of persons. That means he has the same plan, the same grace, and forgiveness for everyone. “For God so loved all humanity that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him”. John 3:16-17

If you would like an appointment, I can direct you to the Savior who keeps the appointment book.