Mission: Possible – Empty Tomb. Living Proof.
- Zaressa Richardson
- 2 days ago
- 8 min read
Key Scripture: Luke 24:6–7 (NIV) “He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’”
Welcome back to The Fine Print. This is part three of our journey through the teaching series entitled Mission: Possible. If you’re just joining us, we’ve been reflecting on how Jesus literally puts the super in supernatural.
The power of God is unmatched. And I pray it never becomes so common to us that we forget the weight of the God we serve.
This power is still relevant today. That’s what we’ve been keeping our focus on.
Today, we’re turning our attention to the empty tomb, which is the reflection of living proof.
Because here’s the truth, friend. No human can defeat death. No one can bring themselves back to life. And if you want to get technical, we can’t even wake ourselves up. We can set the alarm. We can make the plans for tomorrow. But when sleep hits, we are not the ones sustaining our own breath.
For it is written, “I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.” Psalm 3:5 Even waking up is grace. Thank you Jesus!
So imagine the weight of the resurrection.
The empty tomb is living proof that God can do what man cannot. It is heaven’s receipt that the payment was accepted. It is God’s announcement that sin didn’t win and the grave didn’t get the final word.
And Luke puts it plainly. The angel said:
“He is not here; he has risen!”
And y’all, there’s a thin line between religion and relationship.
Religion can reduce the cross to an event and the resurrection to a holiday. But relationship remembers it was a decision. He chose nails. Look at your hands. Can you imagine 5-9 inches nails going through your hands?
The thought of that makes me want to weep.
He chose the grave. He chose to get up. Not to impress the crowd, but for YOU AND ME. And that fact changes everything. I don’t want to just know facts about Him. I want to know Him.
So hear me. Your season might feel like a tomb, dark, quiet, and heavy. But God is not intimidated by sealed doors or silent spaces. He specializes in the places where man runs out of answers.
And if He can roll a stone off a tomb, He can roll heaviness off your chest. If He can raise Jesus from the grave, He can call you out of whatever has been holding you hostage.
So today, we’re going to walk this out together. We’re going to look at the posture of our hearts, what the empty tomb is really declaring, and what Scripture shows us our next steps are. Not just celebrating that the tomb is empty, but living like it’s empty. Living like we’re the evidence. Living like resurrection left a mark on us.
Acts 2:24 (NIV)
“But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.”
Lord, ignite in us today a fresh fire for Your resurrection power.
Let it be a fire that sparks change from the inside out revealing any place in us that does not reflect who You are. Search our hearts and transform us.
Open our ears to hear from You in a fresh way. Stir our spirits to respond with obedience and boldness.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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The Heart Posture
The heart is mentioned roughly a thousand times in the Bible. The exact number depends on the translation, but the point I want to make is:
God cares deeply about the heart. Not just that you have one, but the condition of it.
Scripture makes this clear. “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23
And here’s something to think about. Can a person live without a heart? Technically, yes. But the condition of their life changes completely. They need a replacement. Some kind of artificial device to keep them going. And once that happens, everything has to be monitored, supported, sustained.
So let me ask you this. What are you doing to take care of your heart?
Because if you really want to know the condition of your heart, pay attention to what’s coming out of your mouth. Jesus said it plainly: “For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” Matthew 12:34
So check your words. Not to beat yourself up. To be honest. Your words are a report. They reveal what’s been stored, what’s been wounded, what’s been feeding you, and what’s been shaping you.
And here’s the next question. Is there a “replacement device” in your heart spiritually? Something you’ve leaned on to survive, something that’s functioning like support, but it’s affecting the health of everything connected to you?
Because when the heart is off, the life will feel it. And God doesn’t just want you functioning. He wants you whole.
Spiritual Defibrillator Shock Waves
I want us to treat the Word of God like a spiritual defibrillator today. Not to harm us, but to revive us. To reset what’s been off. To bring our hearts back into rhythm with Heaven.
When I did a little research, I learned that congestive heart failure can be silent, often missed until it becomes serious.
And I want to be clear. I’m not saying this is us. But I am saying we’re going to be wise. We’re going to play offense, not defense. We’re going to destroy the plans of the enemy in prayer, and we’re going to stay sensitive to the Spirit.
So in the spirit, we’re not waiting until it’s obvious. We’re not waiting until we’re numb. We’re not waiting until we’re drained. We’re going to do exactly what Scripture tells us to do guard the heart and let God search the heart.
Today, we’re taking our spiritual vitamins. We’re declaring the Word of God over our hearts. Not because we’re afraid, but because we’re serious about staying healthy. We don’t want hidden buildup in our spirit. We don’t want quiet compromise. We want a heart that stays soft and responsive to God.
Because our heart posture will shape how we see the empty tomb. When the heart is clean, the tomb is not just a moment in history. It becomes a message for right now.
And as a byproduct, we don’t just talk about resurrection. We start living like the tomb is empty.
Shock Wave 1
Hebrews 4:12 (NIV) “For the word of God is alive and active… it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
This first shock wave is about awakening.
The Word of God is not passive. It is alive. It is active. It doesn’t skim the surface. It goes straight to the source. It judges the thoughts we think and the attitudes we carry.
So we receive this wave by saying
Lord, let Your Word wake up what’s been quiet in me. Judge my thoughts. Check my attitudes. Bring my heart back into alignment with You.
Take that in. That’s your first vitamin of faith.
Shock Wave 2
Psalm 139:23–24 (NIV) “Search me, God, and know my heart… See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
This second shock wave is about examination.
David didn’t ask God to search his actions. He asked Him to search his heart. Not his image. Not his routine. His heart. This is the moment we stop asking God to bless what we built and start asking Him to inspect what we’ve been carrying.
So we receive this wave by praying Search me, God. Show me anything in me that doesn’t reflect You. Lead me out of what’s unhealthy and into Your everlasting way.
That’s your second vitamin of faith. Honest. Humble. Healing.
Shock Wave 3
Ezekiel 36:26 (NIV) “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”
This third shock wave is about transformation.
God doesn’t just expose. He replaces. He doesn’t just point out what’s hardened. He promises a new heart. A heart that feels again. A heart that responds again. A heart that beats in step with His Spirit.
So we receive this wave by declaring God, I receive the heart You promised. Remove anything in me that has grown hard. Give me a heart that is alive, responsive, and filled with Your Spirit.
That’s your third vitamin of faith. Renewal. Restoration. Resurrection.
And now, with our hearts awakened, examined, and renewed, we’re positioned to see the empty tomb clearly. Not just as a miracle that happened then, but as living proof of what God is still doing now.
Living Like the Tomb Is Empty
Take a deep breath. That breath cost something. Scripture tells us that God Himself breathed life into man, and every breath we take is sustained by Him. You and I were created for such a time as this, not just to exist, but to testify.
We are called to tell the world that the tomb is empty. And if someone asks you, “How do you know?” you don’t just point to history. You point to yourself.
Think about Mary Magdalene.
She came to the tomb carrying grief, early, while it was still dark. Her heart had been heavy before she ever met Jesus. Scripture tells us she had been delivered from much, yet she stayed. She looked again. And she was the first to notice He wasn’t there.
The angel said, “He is not here; He has risen.” Luke 24:6
Her heart had been healed enough to see what others missed. And because of that, she didn’t just witness the empty tomb. She became a messenger of resurrection.
Jesus told her to go and tell the others. And she did.
Friend, that matters.
Because the breath in your lungs is not for reckless living or self centered survival. This life is for the Kingdom of God. It is for pointing others to Him. It is for being living proof that resurrection changes people.
Today, your heart has been recalibrated to the rhythm of Heaven. Scripture says God gives us a new heart and places His Spirit within us. That is not symbolic. That is promise.
And no matter what you walked in feeling today, heavy, numb, tired, or unsure, know this by faith: resurrection power is still at work in you. When your heart is aligned, you don’t just believe the tomb is empty.
You live like it is.
The Call to Action
First, guard your heart daily. Scripture doesn’t say occasionally. It says above all else. Pay attention to what you allow in, what you sit with, and what you keep replaying. Don’t ignore the small things. Everything flows from here.
Second, stay responsive to the Word. When Scripture convicts, don’t resist it. When the word of God exposes something, let it heal it. A responsive heart stays healthy.
Third, walk in the confidence of the resurrection power. Because it is. The same power that raised Jesus from the grave lives in us. We don’t live defeated or hopeless. We move differently. We don’t move like culture. We forgive. We trust. We love.
And finally, live like the tomb is empty.
That’s the mission.
Mission: Possible.
Prayer
Lord, thank You for being so wonderful. Thank You for the empty tomb. Because of the empty tomb, I am living proof of Your saving grace.
Let this truth produce a deeper reverence for Your holiness and take my worship to another level. I want to see another side of Your glory.
Lord, help me walk as living proof of Your power. Create in me a clean heart, and let my heart reflect You. Break my heart for what breaks Yours.
Holy Spirit, lead me into all truth and guide me in the way everlasting.
In Jesus name amen!
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