“For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn; Christ the firstfruits; then when he comes, those who belong to him.” 1 Corinthians 15:22-23

“The not so empty tomb,” that must be some kind of April Fools joke, right pastor? After all, we all know that the tomb was empty on Easter morning. We’ve sung the “alleluias” and heard the good news proclaimed by the angels, “He is not here. He is risen, just as he said.”

As I write this, we are halfway through the season of Lent, and the 1st of April brings not an April Fools joke, but Palm Sunday and in quick succession Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday.

We hear the familiar refrains throughout this Holy Week. “Hosanna, hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” “Take and eat, this bread is my body given for you; take and drink, this cup is the new testament in my blood poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins.” “Crucify him, crucify him.” “The women…rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.” “He is not here. He is risen, just as he said.”

Indeed we anticipate the celebration of the resurrection of our Lord with great eagerness. The joy, the wonder, the amazement. He is risen. The tomb is empty.

But………this month I ask you to ponder “the not so empty tomb” the tomb is not as empty as we may think….at least not yet!

Indeed, Christ has risen. His body no longer resides in the tomb. But there are still those residing there. The tomb is “not so empty” after all. Who then resides in Christ’s empty tomb?

We do. You do. I do. Listen again to the familiar words of St. Paul in Romans 6, “All of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death. We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead…we too may live a new life…if we have been united with him…in his death we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.”

Hear the key verbs. Buried into death…as Christ was raised…we may live…we will be united in resurrection. They speak of Christ’s resurrection in the past tense. It happened. He is risen. But the verbs speak of us in the future tense—it hasn’t happened yet, we will rise, we will be united in resurrection. The tomb is not so empty after all.

Of course we live with that reality every day, even though we may not think of it that way. We live in the tomb with its trials and temptations, with disease and sickness, with violence, strife, and especially death all around us.

Yet we are not without hope. Easter hope. As we live in the not so empty tomb we sing “Hosanna, hosanna in the highest,” as we await the return of our King. We receive a foretaste of the feast to come as we eat Christ’s body and drink Christ’s blood and are strengthened and nourished in the one true faith to everlasting life. We ponder the cross. And we wait in Sabbath rest for our Easter, the day when “he (Christ) comes and all who belong to him (are made alive).”

What a day that will be. The Great Easter Day when Christ returns. Then the words spoken of Christ will also be spoken of us. “He is not here. He is risen.” Then finally and forever the tomb; yours and mine—will be empty.

Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia.