If your stomach is empty, you’ll be hungry.

If your bank account is empty, you’re broke.

If your coffee cup is empty, that’s a bummer.

If the cookie jar is empty, that’s sad.

If the candy dish is empty, that’s worse.

If your gas tank is empty, I hope you are wearing good walking shoes.

If your trophy case is empty, you must be a Detroit Lions’ fan (sorry, I couldn’t resist).

If someone’s words are empty, they are meaningless.

If my church is empty on a Sunday morning, the church board will start shopping for a new pastor soon.

Empty is usually a bad thing. But not always.

On that first Easter morning, the ladies who were expecting to do the grim job of applying spices to the cold dead body of Jesus instead discovered that the tomb was empty.

Occasionally, empty is the best news of all!  The angel told them: “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.” (Matthew 28:7-8).  If Jerusalem had a tabloid newspaper, then the headline would have been a one word, large print, eye-catching caption above a picture of a giant rock on the side of an open tomb: EMPTY!

We are celebrating Easter on Sunday.

The tomb was empty. Death has been defeated. Jesus is alive.

Here’s more good news:

If you are feeling empty;

If your heart is empty;

If your life is empty;

The Resurrected Jesus will come and fill you with His love and presence. Jesus words on the Sermon on the Mount are still true: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. (Matthew 5:6)

The tomb is empty, but you don’t have to be!