Saturday, April 29, 2006
Acts 5:18-21a They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. "Go, stand in the temple courts," he said, "and tell the people the full message of this new life." At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people.
TEACHERS OF THE EMPTY TOMB
The empty tomb of Jesus led to many things. It led to bribery when the church leaders offered the soldiers at the grave a sum of money to change their story. It led to doubt on the part of the disciples who at first did not believe what had happened. It led to joy and excitement on the part of those who were confident He had risen from the dead.
The empty tomb also led to an empty jail. Not too long after the day of Pentecost the apostles were in Jerusalem preaching about the resurrection of Jesus. They were arrested and put in the public jail, but during the night an angel came and released them saying, "Go, stand in the temple courts and tell the people the full message of this new life." It was really the empty tomb that led to the release of these prisoners, wasn't it? For they were freed unto a purpose-- to proclaim the living Jesus. Without Jesus' resurrection they would have had no good news to talk about.
The empty tomb frees us unto a life of faithful and joyful preaching as well. We are released from the bondage of our sins and encouraged to go forth and tell others of this new life! From the prison of our sorrows and fears the Easter angel has told us, "He has risen. Go and tell the others." Let us all become teachers of the empty tomb! 