Years ago, while still pastoring a local church, I was preparing a message to preach on Easter morning. During the week as I studied, the Spirit spoke a profound sentence to me that became the core of my Easter message then and continues to this day. “The Cross is empty. The Tomb is empty, but the Throne is occupied.”

While both the empty cross and the empty tomb play vital roles in our salvation, the throne was the destination Jesus was ultimately heading towards. It would be from His throne that all His enemies would be placed under His feet. Ephesians tell us we were also raised and seated with Him. The same enemies Christ overcame are now under our feet as well.

Easter is not only about the victory of Jesus over death, it is also a day to celebrate our victory over death. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where O death is your victory? Where O death is your sting? (I Corinthians 15:55). The Message reveals the verse this way, “Who got the last word, oh, Death? Oh, Death, who’s afraid of you now?”

Today, we remember the power of God’s love. The love of God expressed in Jesus Christ overcame the greatest challenge that all humanity will eventually face – the fear of death. Because of Jesus, those who place their trust in Him will live forever. The grave has no victory of finality and death has no sting of fear for those who are in Jesus, the resurrected and enthroned Lord of all. 

He is Risen!