There is No Tomb - Lent 2020
Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.
Acts 2:29-33
In Native culture, there are a lot of “Davids,” friends, family, and great leaders who have died and left their tombs with us on earth. For the Jews, David was a great leader (chief).
My tribe had great chiefs like Crazy Horse, Red Cloud, Sitting Bull, and Spotted Elk - all leaders we greatly respected. But just like King David, these great Indian leaders are dead. All we have left are the lessons they taught us and the tombs which hold their lifeless bodies.
Jesus’ followers, however, are set apart from all the other people of the world. Our great leader, our Savior, Jesus Christ, has no tomb. He walked out of his!
As Christians, our faith stands on the truth that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. We know this truth and believe it because of the work of his Holy Spirit in us, and by living our lives based on this great truth, we can and should be bold in our faith - not only at Easter but every day.
Be bold in telling the world our Lord has defeated death and a tomb for us in order that we may live eternally with Him!
Lord God, thank you for proving to us you were God in the flesh by rising from the dead. I ask that you empower us to carry this message out to the students at Haskell, and beyond our campus borders, with love and grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.