He walked over to the counter, eagerly thinking about his favorite flavors. He hoped there was still a chocolate frosted one available. Last time he looked, there were still several donuts in the box but he couldn’t remember for sure about the chocolate. He excitedly lifted the lid on the box of donuts but the box was empty! The donuts were gone. His heart sank in disappointment over the empty box.

Many times when we discover something is empty, we find ourselves disappointed and maybe even frustrated. Have you ever started up your vehicle while running late to an appointment only to discover the gas tank was about empty? Maybe you were in the process of cooking dinner only to discover that your jar of the main ingredient was empty. Discovering something empty can be so frustrating. 

One Sunday morning some 2,000 years ago, everything changed. As the women went to the tomb where Jesus had been buried, they discovered something they were not expecting. They had taken spices to anoint His lifeless body. Instead they found the stone rolled away from the tomb and the body of Jesus was not inside (Lk. 24:1-12). The tomb was empty! How discouraging and painful that must have been to those women. But then, in the midst of their great disappointment, they heard the powerful words, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen”(Lk. 24:5-6).

On that day, the empty tomb was anything but disappointing. It was not frustrating nor was it discouraging. The empty tomb was a blessing we still enjoy to this day. That empty tomb represents the greatest victory the world has ever known. Jesus conquering the grave gives mankind a living hope of a great inheritance that will never be taken away (I Pet. 1:3-4).

Friends, every first day of the week we celebrate the joy of that empty tomb. What a great blessing it is to know that the empty tomb doesn’t represent defeat, but rather a great victory for those who believe and obey Jesus Christ!