Does an Empty Tomb really matter?

This seemingly simple question is the pivotal question to Christian faith. It is a question that can not be avoided. A recent indication to the importance of this question is the recent documentary by film-maker James Cameron, The Lost Tomb of Jesus. The film (which aired March 4, 2007 on the Discovery Channel) makes the claim that the tomb of Jesus has been found. The documentary is quick to point out that this discovery need not challenge any of the Christian doctrines. The suggestion is made that the resurrection of Jesus was a spiritual one if not physical. So again the question has been asked, "Does it really matter whether or not the tomb is empty?"

I believe that EVERYTHING hinges on that question. If the tomb is not empty, and Jesus did not return from the dead then everything else he claimed was either nonsense or a lie. Throughout history many have suggested that Jesus was a kind man and a good teacher, but not divine. The problem with this idea is that you believe the man that tells you how you should live, how much you should love, and how to prioritize your life, but your not going to listen to him when he says I will return from the dead! If Jesus did not rise from the dead then we should dismiss everything else he said, but if he did return from the dead then we can not ignore anything he said.

On Easter Sunday we will wrestle with this issue. We will discover what it means to us if the tomb of Jesus was empty. Make plans to join us as we begin the new message series, "God's Empty Promise.

God Bless

Scott

To read a good article that refutes the claims of the documentary click here.