The picture of the tomb is like the one that Jesus, the Son of God, was buried in. Notice in the picture that the tomb is empty because Jesus rose from the dead on the third day.
On Easter Sunday morning in 33 A.D., those who went to visit the tomb where Jesus had been buried found that it was empty. Aren’t you glad that it was empty? If it had not been empty and Jesus had still been there, that would mean that he did not rise from the dead as he promised he would do, and we would not have the hope for eternal life. (I John 5:12)
Let’s back up and explain what happened to Jesus.
Just the Facts
Three days before Jesus rose from the dead, he died by crucifixion. This was a form of punishment the Roman government used to punish certain criminals. That is difficult to understand because Jesus was not a criminal. He was the best person that ever lived on earth.
In fact, he was perfect. He never sinned at all. (I John 3:5)
Some of the religious leaders in Jerusalem did not like Jesus. From the time he began his ministry around the age of thirty, Jesus went about doing good. He taught people about God. He performed many miracles like healing the sick and even bringing dead people back to life. Wherever he went, many people came to see and listen to Jesus.
Some of the things Jesus taught about God conflicted with what the religious leaders taught about God. They did not like Jesus or believe that he was the Messiah as he claimed. (John 12:37) In fact, they hated him to the point they were looking for a way to kill him.
Even though the Roman governor could not find any fault in Jesus, the religious leaders stirred up crowds of people to put pressure on him to finally agree to have Jesus crucified. (John 19:6)
The Real Meaning of The Cross and Resurrection
When God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, he told them that they may eat from any tree there, but not one certain tree. They disobeyed God by eating from that tree. At that moment their hearts became empty.
Because we have inherited their sin nature, we disobey God (sin) as well. (Romana 3:23) And our sin makes our heart empty. (Romans 6:23)
God had a plan so that our sin could be forgiven, and we would no longer have an empty heart. By his death on the cross Jesus took up himself all the sin of the world, including yours and mine. (II Corinthians 5:21) He took the punishment we all deserve. (I John 2:2)
By coming back to life after three days, Jesus validated everything he said about himself and God his Father. We can believe he is really the Son of God and the promised Messiah. Jesus is alive and will be forever and ever.

An empty tomb is good news but an empty heart is not. (An empty heart is a heart without Jesus.) What is it like to have an empty heart? A person with an empty heart seldom if ever thinks about God. Life makes little or no sense and is boring much of the time. This person tries to satisfy the emptiness with many different things, but only Jesus can fill the emptiness. And finally, an empty-hearted person acts, thinks, and says things that are unpleasing to God. The Bible calls all these things sins.
What about you? Is your heart empty or do you have Jesus in your heart?

If you would like to have Jesus in your heart and life, here is a suggested prayer you can pray to Jesus:
I confess to you that my heart is empty. Because my heart is empty, I have done, thought and said things that are unpleasing to you. I am sorry for these sins. I believe that you died so that my sins could be forgiven, that you were buried, and that you came back to life three days later and will live forever. I now invite you to fill my heart.
*An empty heart is a heart without Jesus.

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