“The Empty Tomb: Still In The Plan Of The Father!”

“The Empty Tomb: Still In The Plan Of The Father!”(Jn.20:1-10).
A definition of hypothesis states: “A supposition or proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation.”
Professor Kwame Bediako of blessed memory use to tell us to allow the field to determine the nature of the research. Research does not seek to justify the hypothesis but to prove it wrong or right.
According to the gospel of John those who first saw the empty tomb “still did not understand from Scriptures that Jesus had to rise from the dead.” If they had understood from scripture, then there is the possibility that the empty tomb would have been a justification of their assumptions.
They came to know of the resurrection through the empty tomb. As days went by they now saw it in Scriptures. Quite clearly they did not make up the story of the resurrection to fit a preconceived understanding of Scriptural prophecy. That would have been like using the empty tomb to justify a hypothesis. On the contrary, the empty tomb became the reason for the scriptural search. Finding it in Scriptures justifies that the resurrection was in God’s will.
It means that the empty tomb led them to now search the Scriptures and to then know from it that Jesus had to rise from the dead.
Jesus had told them on several occasions that he will rise to life on the third day, but it would appear they considered his words as some kind of weird hallucinatory rantings.
In one of his resurrection appearances he said to the disciples on their way to Emmaus, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?”(Lk.24:25).
Oh yes! The LORD is Risen! He is Risen indeed! Hallelujah!Hallelujah!
It was in the will of the Father for our sake. So what? Paul says, “Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast – as you really are. For Christ our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth”(I Cor.5:7-8).
In other words, “If anyone is in Christ, s/he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”(II Cor.5:17).
Easter prayer: Heavenly Father thank you for giving us new life through the risen Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!
Happy and blessed Easter! The LORD is Risen! He is risen indeed! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Rev Babila Fochang.