BBCC Sermon Outline

EMPTY Tomb, FULFILLED ‘Why’‍

Introduction: We All Face Empty “Why” Questions

• As kids, we constantly ask “Why?” until answers run dry.
• As adults, many of us stop asking deeper questions: “What’s my purpose? Where am I headed? Why do I do this every day?” We chase short-term goals—money, security, acceptance—but they often leave our souls unfulfilled.

The Easter Story (Luke 24:1–12)

[This passage] unit leaves us with a picture of Peter peeking into the tomb and seeing the empty grave clothes. Those empty clothes, as well as the empty tomb, raise the question of what happened to Jesus. Luke will answer that question in this chapter, but there is another question we must answer. If the empty clothes picture the fact that death is not the end but a transition, then what will happen to us when we experience our own resurrection? As the biblical alternative to both reincarnation and no resurrection, we must realize we are accountable to God for what we do in life. There are no reruns, nor is there one life and then nothing. Each one of us should therefore wrestle with the reality of standing before God. We should not ignore Luke’s shift to the name “Lord” here. Jesus is the one with authority, divine authority, over salvation. As Lord of all, the gospel must go out to all. One of Luke’s great burdens is to show that God’s plan is revealed to the person who understands just who and how great Jesus is. As Lord he is worthy to be trusted, worshiped, and followed. No one is more worthy of praise. In light of his majesty and position, we should all be willing subjects, resting in his care and direction. - Darrell Bock

Three Reasons An Empty Tomb Fills Our Why

1. Because He Lives, We Can Trust God’s Past Promises
   
   • Resurrection verifies God’s reckless-sounding promises—He does the impossible.
   • When all hope is lost, God’s power proves death and defeat don’t have the final word.
   • If He kept the greatest promise (overcoming death), He can keep every other promise.

1. Because He Lives, We Have Purpose Right Now
   
   • “We no longer live for ourselves but for Him who died and was raised.” (2 Cor. 5:15)
   • Christ’s resurrection gives meaning to our daily tasks—our work, relationships, trials—when done for His glory.
   • The routine becomes redemptive; parenting shapes eternal souls, jobs become acts of worship, kindness reflects the Risen Lord.

1. Because He Lives, Our Hope for the Future Is Secure
   
   • Empty tomb → empty fear: Death is not the end; new life is promised for us as well.
   • When everything else fails, the resurrection remains our “why” to keep going.
   • No matter our personal storms, the Risen Jesus promises restoration, healing, and final victory.

The empty tomb changes how we view work, family, pain, and life’s ultimate purpose. Because He lives, you can trust God’s promises, discover daily purpose, and possess a lasting hope.

BBCC Verse of the Week: 1 Peter 1:3: "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."

Study Notes

Luke 24:1–12 (NIV) — 1 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” 8 Then they remembered his words. 9 When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. 11 But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. 12 Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.

2 Corinthians 5:15 (NIV) — 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV) — 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

Romans 6:4 (NIV) — 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

“When Jesus was crucified his followers were discouraged and depressed. So they dispersed. The Jesus movement was all but stopped in its tracks. Then, after a short period of time, we see them abandoning their occupations, regathering, and committing themselves to spreading a very specific message—that Jesus Christ was the Messiah of God who died on a cross, returned to life, and was seen alive by them. “And they were willing to spend the rest of their lives proclaiming this, without any payoff from a human point of view. They faced a life of hardship. They often went without food, slept exposed to the elements, were ridiculed, beaten, imprisoned. And finally, most of them were executed in torturous ways. For what? For good intentions? No, because they were convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that they had seen Jesus Christ alive from the dead.” Yes, people will die for their religious convictions if they sincerely believe they are true. Religious fanatics have done that throughout history. While they may strongly believe in the tenets of their religion, however, they don’t know for a fact whether their faith is based on the truth. They simply cannot know for sure. They can only believe. In stark contrast, the disciples were in the unique position to know for a fact whether Jesus had returned from the dead. They saw him, they touched him, they ate with him. They knew he wasn’t a hallucination or a legend. And knowing the truth, they were willing to die for him. That insight stunned me. The disciples didn’t merely believe in the resurrection; they knew whether it was fact or fiction. Had they known it was a lie, they would never have been willing to sacrifice their lives for it. Nobody willingly dies for something that they know is false. They proclaimed the resurrection to their deaths for one reason alone: they knew it was true. - Lee Strobel

Getting at your current “why” – Questions for Self-Diagnosis.... Ask yourself:

What am I most afraid of?

What do I long for most passionately?

Where do I run for comfort?

What do I complain about most?

What angers me most?

What makes me happiest?

How do I explain myself to other people?

What has caused me to be angry with God?

What do I brag about?

What do I want to have more than anything else?

Who do I sacrifice the most for in my life?

If I could change one thing in my life what would that be?

Whose approval am I seeking?

What do I want to control/master?

What comfort do I treasure the most? (David Powlison)

Pastor Samuel Sutter // sam@BBCCOnline.org

‍