Ernest Hemingway once wrote one of the shortest stories ever. He wrote this:
Baby shoes for sale. Never worn.
In those six words you see facts, but you also feel pathos. The idea expressed in those six words is that someone bought some baby shoes, expecting to give them to an infant. But something happened. The writer did not say the shoes were new. He said they were never worn. Perhaps the baby never came; it was either stillborn or aborted. Maybe the baby died, or was born without feet. The reader never knows for sure, but there is a sadness associated with this story. You feel for the person who is now trying to sell the shoes--there is an over-arching sense of loss. And even though you never find out what happened or why, the story is complete. There is nothing left to be said.
As Christians, we have a happier story to tell, and we can tell it in just seven words:
Here lies no one. Jesus was here.
This phrase reads like an epitaph, but it stirs up joy and hope. This grave was meant for the dead, but the Giver of Life made it unnecessary. This plot was purchased and dug out so that the earthly remains of a loved one could be interred; but my Savior had a different plan. This tomb was intended for Jesus, but He didn't need it.
Imagine seeing this sign on the grave of Lazarus. His sisters had sent for Jesus when their brother was sick. Jesus got the message in time, but delayed his coming. The disciples wondered why. Jesus told them it was so God's will could be made manifest to all. The disciples didn't understand. Wasn't it God's Will that none should perish? He could have prevented the death of Lazarus. So why didn't He?
Upon reaching the grave site, Jesus was overcome with emotion. The Bible says "Jesus wept." That's a pretty powerful short story by itself. Jesus was present at the creation of the universe, and yet he felt sorrow upon the death of his close friend. Even though He had the power to break the curse of Death itself, it still made Him sad. Gathering Himself, Jesus gave the command, "Lazarus, come out!"
Jesus raised others from the dead, as well. The daughter of Jairus. An unnamed widow's only son. And probably others that were not even mentioned in the Bible--remember what Jesus told John's disciples when they came to ask Him if He was the Christ? He said, "Go and tell John what you see here--the blind can see, the deaf can hear, and the dead are raised to life."
Jesus even had power to raise Himself from the dead. Isn't that what the angel of God told Mary when the stone had been rolled away? "Why seek the living among the dead? He's not here; He is risen." That's another way of saying the same short story written above: "Here lies no one; Jesus was here."
In fact, the essence of the Gospel is that Jesus lived here on Earth, He died, and He rose again. Greek scholars have a word for this short message. They call it the kerygma. It basically means the Good News in a nutshell. Theologians use this term to describe any instance in the Bible where a person explains that Jesus lived, that He died, that He rose from the dead, and that this fact was witnessed by men. It's another word for a short story--the entire story of Salvation in one short statement.
This happens seven different times in the book of Acts:
"This man (Jesus) was handed over to you by God's set
purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of
wicked men, put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross.
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." --Acts 2.23-24 (Peter)
"The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our
fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus. You handed Him
over to be killed, and you disowned Him before Pilate,
though he had decided to let Him go. You disowned the
Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be
released to you. You killed the Author of Life, but God
raised Him from the dead. We are witnesses to this."--
Acts 3.13-15 (Peter)
"Peter and the other apostles replied, 'We must obey God
rather than men! The God of our fathers raised Jesus from
the dead--whom you had killed by hanging Him on a tree....
We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit,
whom God has given to those who obey Him.'"--Acts 5.29,
30, 32
"We are witnesses of everything He did in the country of the
Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed Him by hanging Him on a
tree, but God raised Him from the dead on the third day, and
caused Him to be seen."--Acts 10.29-40 (Peter to Cornelius)
"Though they found no proper ground for a death sentence,
they asked Pilate to have Him executed. When they had carried
out all that was written about Him, they took Him down from
the tree and laid Him in a tomb. But God raised Him from the
dead, and for many days He was seen by those who had
travelled with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now
His witnesses to our people."--Acts 13.28-32 (Paul)
"As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on
three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise
from the dead. 'This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ!'
he said."-- Acts 17.2-3
"I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said
would happen--that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to
rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and
to the Gentiles....I am convinced that none of this has escaped
your majesty's notice, because it was not done in a corner. King
Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do."
--Acts 26.22-23, 26-27 (Paul).
Jesus' tomb is empty, and now Heaven is accessible. He was here, and everything changed, just as the scriptures predicted. Everywhere that Jesus passes, you can see evidence of His presence. God changes hearts. He changes minds. He even changes old, sinful habits. The first phrase of my short story could mean that after Jesus came to see me, I can only tell the truth. No one can tell a lie in the presence of Holy God. He can see right through us. He knows what is in our heart. So on the day of Judgement, when you stand before the throne of God, you cannot tell Him you were a good person; He knows better. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." You cannot tell Him you did enough good works to earn His favor; His word disputes that. "Their righteousness is as filthy rags." You can only rely on His grace; He will only accept you into heaven if you accepted Him into your life here on Earth.
Does He live in your heart? Don't you want to have victory over sin and death? Heaven is eternal life; Hell is eternal death. You can choose today where you will spend eternity. Ask Him to save you, and He promised He would.
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