The Empty Tomb That Made a Difference

by Fr. Tony Okolo C.S.Sp., V.F.  |  04/05/2026  |  Weekly Reflection

Beloved Parishioners,

We have every reason to be joyful today because the tomb that contained the body of Jesus courtesy of the goodwill and generosity of that rich man, Joseph of Arimathea, is empty! The stone was rolled away, the grave clothes were neatly folded and left behind, and the tomb stood empty — not because someone had taken Jesus’ body, but because He is risen! Death has lost its sting!

We rejoice because the empty tomb isn’t just a miracle to admire but a reality that changed everything about our history and indeed our faith!

The empty tomb is more than a symbol of resurrection — it’s the turning point of history. It marks the defeat of death, the validation of Christ’s divinity, and the beginning of the Church and new life for everyone who believes. Theologians like Hans Kung attest to this. For them, the Church as we have it today, dates from the resurrection of Jesus because it was the resurrection event that completed Christ’s Paschal mystery and conferred on the historical Jesus the validity of being the Christ of faith. Thus we can say that the empty tomb made a difference because: it proved that Jesus is who He claimed to be — the Son of God, the Savior of the world; it gave hope that death is not the end — for those in Christ, it’s only the beginning; it transformed broken, ordinary people into bold witnesses — carrying the Gospel across the world.

Our hope would have been of no gain had Christ not broken the prison bars of death and rose victorious from the underworld. Come to imagine the fear and despondency hanging tensely in the air of that upper room where the disciples locked themselves away for fear of the Jews. Now imagine how everything changed when they encountered the risen Jesus. Joy and new confidence welled up in their hearts and swallowed up their fears and worries. Fear gave way to boldness. Doubt turned into unshakable faith. Grief was replaced with joy. That empty tomb breathed life into a dying world. We can never deny that Christ is the source of our confidence and every Christian should radiate this joy and confidence in their everyday life.

Since Christ has risen from the dead and won for us our salvation, we owe him one thing — an intimate friendship and fellowship with Him. Nothing should sever us from desiring to know Christ who loves us and be one with him. Paul in Philippians 3:10-11 states this desire more explicitly: “That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” Here, Paul speaks for all of us when he expresses his deep desire to truly know Christ— not just intellectually, but experientially through a personal relationship; to know the power of His resurrection (the life- giving, transforming power of Christ); to share in His sufferings (identifying with Christ in hardship); and to be conformed to His death (dying to self and sin, living for God).

That empty tomb still makes a difference today. Every struggle, every loss, every sin — all of it meets its match at the mouth of that empty tomb. Because He lives, we have purpose, peace, and the promise of eternal life. The question isn’t whether the tomb is empty — history and faith declare that it is. The question is: Has it made a difference in your life?