When the Tomb and the Womb Are Empty
My daughter brought home
a plastic, yellow Easter egg from school. She showed it to me, holding it
in her hand, open and empty. I asked her what had been inside, assuming
it had been some sort of candy that had immediately been eaten because that is
usually what happens at our house. She said: “Nothing was inside because
Jesus’ tomb was empty on Easter.”
Ah…the empty tomb. The resurrection. The conquering of
death. Jesus’ friends and disciples all assumed his body was still inside
the tomb. That is where they had left him. Why wouldn’t He be
there? Let’s face it: Jesus was especially good about not doing
what people expected, even after He had told them it would happen! Aren't
we all naïve?!The next day, I found a picture of myself from springtime two
years ago. I started to think about how empty my womb had felt after we
lost our baby then. The open expanse of hollow, negative space. The
loud echo of life's sadness within my soul. That had been where my child
was. I knew God put him there. But life doesn’t always turn out as
we expect.
What do the tomb and the womb have in common? That which was
once dead inside is now alive! 1 Corinthians 15:20 states: “But Christ
has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have
fallen.” If it were not for the empty tomb, my womb would not be
redeemed, my baby would not (right now, in fact) be in Heaven, and I would not
be able to one day meet that child. My baby, born into Heaven, is loved
by God more than I can imagine…more than I could ever love that child on
earth…and all because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Romans 5:8-10
states: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still
sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his
blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if,
while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his
Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his
life!” Death and life… good and bad…lost and found...summed up in Jesus’
sacrifice. The dichotomy between the simplicity of the cross and the
complexity of the cross are exposed on this day…the good, the bad, and the
spiritual face off in the ultimate war that was won by Christ who overcame
death.
If it wasn’t for the empty tomb, I would not have had any hope
when I had an empty womb. Just like Easter, we know that spring is coming
when all things will be brought back to life. The rejuvenation happens
once again. The dead plants bloom, the grass becomes green, the trees
produce leaves and fruit. No, I don't have a toddler running around, grabbing Easter eggs this year. But I will meet him in Heaven one day. So if you find yourself with an empty “Easter
egg” today in whatever area of life you are facing right now, know that God will
fill it, if not in this life, then in the next with His lovingkindness and His
glory.
