One day, my wife and I were looking to kill some time in Toledo, Ohio before a friend’s wedding. Since restaurant research is one of my favorite things to do, I immediately started scrolling through yelp to find some tasty-looking places. I was inundated with listings for taco trucks, pastry shops, and a daunting number of diners. A sausage, cheese, and onion omelet sounded delicious, so I started digging around the diner section. After a few seconds of scrolling, I stumbled upon a delicious looking diner that was offering a dramatic discount. There was a digital coupon that promised 20% of your order for first time guests. I mean, it was a no brainer, we could get sausage and savings! We punched the address into our GPS and went off on our little excursion.

We discovered this cute little diner right down the road from the wedding venue. It was the perfect example of an old-school American breakfast spot. There were shiny seats and chrome-accented tables all over the place with random sports memorabilia decorating the walls. When we walked in, we were greeted by a tower of freakishly-large pies and cakes. The waitress walked us to our table and gave us menus the size of a magazine. We ordered, dined, and had a delightful discussion over coffee. Finally, when it was time to pay, I showed the waitress the digital coupon on their website. She snarked, “We don’t accept those coupons any more.” This made me mad. Feeling like steam was coming from my ears, I replied, “Well, it’s on your website. Don’t you have to take it?” She apologized and said she couldn’t do anything about it. For some reason, I lost it. Embarrassing my wife, I exclaimed, “This is illegal! You’re committing textbook false advertising. The coupon is literally listed directly on your website.” After this awkward exchange, I paid full price and stomped my way out of the diner.

This story makes me squirm. Why did I snap at a minimum wage waitress? Was saving a few bucks really worth making a fool of myself? Their empty promise ruined my whole experience. Everyone has at least one weird trigger, right? That one thing that makes them snap into frustration at a moments notice. For me, it’s businesses not excepting coupons, in case you couldn’t tell.

Have you ever experienced an empty promise? From someone breaking your heart to a politician on the debate stage to a store not accepting their own coupon, broken promises lead to frustration. Jesus was killed during Passover, a holiday that celebrates God keeping His promises for His people. The Israelites celebrated him as a king, but then He died and laid in a tomb. Imagine how everyone felt. Wasn’t He supposed to save them? Wasn’t He supposed to set them free from Rome? I am sure they felt as though Jesus delivered an empty promise.

READ: 1 Corinthians 6:14 NIV
“By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also.”

Jesus was laid in a tomb and everyone hung their heads in disbelief. Jesus was wrapped in burial clothes and placed in the grave. A massive bolder was rolled over the entrance to seal the deal. Within that chilling cave laid the savior of the world — lifeless, quiet, and seemingly hopeless. This is not the end of the story though. The grave could not hold the power of God.

Three days later, Jesus opened his eyes, took a deep breath, and walked out of the tomb. God raised Jesus from the dead! The resurrection is the core of Christianity. It sets our faith apart from every other belief system in the world. We don’t hold to empty promises, we have an empty tomb. Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection act as the culmination of every promise ever made — Jesus defeated death and God won the war.

The Resurrection represents God’s promise to you. The resurrection isn’t just the story of Jesus — it’s your story too. Paul teaches (6:14) that you are a part of this promise. You actually get to participate in the resurrection of Jesus. It’s not just proof of life after death, it’s an invitation for you to experience life after death. There was hope beyond the tomb of Jesus and there is hope beyond your grave as well. With Jesus, your death is just a doorway into the eternal presence of God. The grave is not the end, it’s merely the beginning.

The tomb couldn’t hold Jesus, so death can’t hold you down. This is the greatest promise in human history. The empty tomb leads to a full life.

TALK IT OUT
Go through these questions with your circle. Be honest. Be open. Talk through the tough stuff.
Q1: What empty promises frustrate you the most?
Q2: How would you define Jesus’s resurrection?
Q3: How did the resurrection of Jesus fulfill every promise God ever made to us?
Q4: How does understanding the resurrection give new meaning to the term ‘born again Christian?’
Q5: How should you live your life differently knowing that you share in Jesus’ victory over darkness, sin and death?
Q6: What can you do this week to begin sharing in Jesus’ resurrection and living from a hopeful place of victory?