What We Can Learn from the Empty Tomb

The small town I grew up in is home to Cathedral Caverns, a natural wonder. The cave invites me to explore with an expansive entrance, the largest among commercial caves.  A walk down the one-mile path reveals many feats of nature, including “Goliath,” the world’s largest stalagmite.

At the end of that one-mile walk, a park ranger directs visitors to gather around him. He has his finger on the light switch. Once all are near and still, he turns off the lights. It is the darkest dark I have ever experienced. There, in the belly of the earth, with a mountain resting atop my head, I know what it is to be absolutely void of light.

We each have a cave of sorts in our own souls—a long pathway full of fears and wonders we have yet to explore.  In his book Coming Clean, Seth Haines describes its dark side: “The cave—this is the interior soul-place where my anxieties gather, where they take shadowy form, where I can hear them feeding on bones. It is the place of electric fear.” This fear is palpable in the belly of the caverns, where darkness swallows light. Fear crouches in the corner of my own soul, where I try to keep my broken pieces hidden from the light so no one will find them.

The walkway inside Cathedral Caverns is illuminated, its special features accentuated with spotlights.  The path is safe and smooth, with railings to keep visitors from danger. Like the beautiful wonders of the caverns, we have joy, peace, and hope in our cave-soul. This is the part of our soul we don’t mind sharing with others. It is safe and easy.

We also hide things in our caves. We pack in our anxieties, our bitterness, and our shame. We place them in the dark, hoping no one sees—not even God. The secrets in our caves threaten to define us. They can separate us from God.

I keep my secrets hidden in the dark corners. My fear causes me to wrestle control of my life from God’s capable hands. The lie that I am not enough whispers from the shadows, causing me to overcompensate with prideful behavior or sit paralyzed by self-doubt. These secrets limit my ability to fully realize the power of God.

Jesus’ body was laid in an empty cave by Joseph of Arimathea. It was a new cave, one that had not yet been filled with dark secrets and dead men’s bones:

“When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away.” (Matt. 27:57-60 ESV)

It is in this empty tomb that Jesus’ resurrection power is revealed.

[Tweet “Secrets hidden in the darkened corners of our souls leave little room for Jesus.”] They may seem small and insignificant—a little insecurity, a little shame. But left to rule in the absence of light, these things become restricting. Our faith reaches a limit, leading us to believe God’s power also has a limit.

Just as Cathedral Caverns required a tedious and careful renovation to reveal its majestic wonders, our souls need the same careful examination and attention. In order to experience the resurrection power of Jesus Christ in our own lives, we must expose the dark corners of our souls to the power of the light. God’s light can redeem and transform the very things we hide from him.

As we explore the tombs of our souls and seek to remove fear, anxiety, bitterness, and shame, the same power that brought Jesus back to life will also bring us to life. Fear becomes confidence. Anxiety is replaced with faith. Bitterness is broken by forgiveness. Shame is defeated by redemption.

Unlike the utter darkness in the depths of the caverns, the believer’s soul is never void of light. “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5 ESV).

Through the light of God’s Word, we can begin to work through those things we would rather keep in the dark. We have a gentle and faithful Father who works with us to remove our secrets from the shadows, exposing them to the truth of his light.

Will you allow your secrets to be exposed to the light of Christ? Draw close to him in prayer; spend time reading his Word. Our Lord can reveal his power and bring to life what was once dead.

Kelly Smith is a small town girl who married a small town man 17 years ago. She has three energetic blessings, ages 1 to 11. Her favorite indulgences are coffee, reading, writing, and running. Kelly believes we are created for community and loves to find ways to connect with other women who are walking in the shadow of the cross. She blogs at mrsdisciple.com.