from Gary Hamrick
... Senior Pastor of Cornerstone Chapel

... The empty tomb reminds us that God’s power is greater than our sin, our fear, and even the grave itself

Matthew 28:6 NKJV (devotion translation)

When the women came to the tomb early on the first day of the week, they expected to find the body of Jesus. Instead, they heard the words that changed history forever: “He is not here; for He is risen.” The resurrection of Jesus Christ is not merely a comforting idea for troubled people. It is the central truth of the Christian faith.

The disciples had watched Jesus suffer and die. Their hopes seemed buried with Him. Yet God was accomplishing His eternal plan through the cross. Jesus willingly gave His life as the sacrifice for sin, and three days later God raised Him from the dead in victory over sin and death. The empty tomb declares that Christ’s sacrifice was accepted by the Father and that death does not have the final word.

Scripture teaches that every person stands in need of this Savior because every heart is marked by sin. The world often tells us that we are fine as we are, but God’s Word reveals our true condition so that we might also understand His mercy. In love, God provided what we could never provide for ourselves. Jesus took our place so that through faith in Him we might receive forgiveness and eternal life.

The resurrection also gives believers confidence for daily living. Christ is alive today. He is not distant from His people, nor powerless to help them. Because He lives, we can walk through suffering, uncertainty, and even death itself with hope rooted in truth rather than emotion. Our faith rests on the risen Lord who keeps His promises.

Lord Jesus, thank You for dying for my sins and rising again in victory. Teach me to live each day in the hope and assurance of Your resurrection life. Amen.

• Isaiah 53:5-6 - Jesus bore the sins of many as the promised suffering Savior.
• Psalms 16:10 - David foretold that God’s Holy One would not remain in the grave.
• John 11:25-26 - Jesus declared Himself to be the resurrection and the life.
• Romans 4:25 - Christ was delivered for our sins and raised for our justification.
• Romans 6:4-5 - Believers share in Christ’s resurrection life and walk in newness of life.
• 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 - The gospel centers on Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection according to the Scriptures.
• 1 Corinthians 15:20-22 - Christ’s resurrection guarantees victory over death for those who belong to Him.
• 1 Peter 1:3 - Through Christ’s resurrection, believers are born again to a living hope.
• Revelation 1:17-18 - The risen Christ holds authority over death and the grave.