Children's Message Easter 4/12/20

"Empty Isn't Always Bad"

Easter is a day of celebration. We celebrate that Jesus, who died on Good Friday, was made alive on the first Easter. We celebrate with joyful music. We may eat a big Easter breakfast. Our family may gather for an Easter dinner. Sometimes you collect eggs into an Easter basket. Today I would like to talk about an Easter gift.

Imagine there was a big box beautifully wrapped with colorful Easter paper. There is a great big bow on it with a tag bearing your name. Would you be excited to open it? Sure you would. You would rip through the paper and take off the lid. You would be surprised to find nothing inside the box. What kind of gift is an empty box? That doesn't sound good does it? But then again, maybe it's not so bad after all.

Let's talk about the word "empty." Can you think of some "empty" things that aren't very good? One thing would be an empty gas tank. You can't go anywhere in your car without gas. Or you want to go out to eat and your dad has an empty wallet. He surely can't buy you food without money.

Now, how about some "good" empty things? Can you think of any? Let me suggest a couple. It is great when your plate is empty because you've eaten all your vegetables at supper. Now mom will serve you some dessert. How about when you have been taking some "yucky" tasting medicine and the bottle is empty? Maybe you won't have to take it anymore!

"Empty" can be good or bad. On the first Easter morning, some of the women who loved Jesus went to find his tomb. They were looking to find Jesus' body which isn't much fun. But instead, they found an empty tomb. Jesus' body wasn't there because he was alive again.

We call that "empty" tomb a big, important word, it's called the "Resurrection." The Resurrection is a wonderful "empty." God raised His Son from the dead. It's a great and marvelous gift from God to us. Because the tomb was empty on Easter morning, God accepted Jesus' sacrifice for the sin of the whole world. Because Jesus lives we also will live with God forever. That gift of the "empty tomb" is the best gift there can ever be.