The Empty Tomb

A Spoken Word Poem by Katelyn Curran

 I’ve noticed this trend.
That time and time again,
We tend to focus on the cross and not the tomb.
And we can easily start to assume,

That Christ came primarily to die,
To stretch out His arms and yell, “Tetelestai.”

It is finished. It is done.
The battle for eternity finally won.
The veil ripped and barriers removed,
As all of humanity can now stand approved,
Not in holiness bought by good deeds,
But redemption through Adam’s Seed,
Through the blood of a Spotless Lamb,
Fully God and Fully Man—
Jesus.

Through Him, our debt was paid,
The foundations of our identity laid.
Through the cross, we can finally rest.
No longer striving to pass a test,
To prove our holiness, to prove our worth.
No...for through Him, we have a new birth.
He reconciled us, bridging the divide.
So dear one, you no longer have to run or hide.

No longer bound by shackles and chains,
The cross has muted the voice of shame,
Removing our guilt, removing the blame,
And giving us a brand new name.

We are daughters. We are sons.
Beloved. chosen. holy ones.
The sheep that can finally hear,
Jesus whispering, “I am here.”

But here’s my question:
Did Jesus come primarily to die or to live?
Was there more He intended to give?

For they laid His limp body on a slab of stone,
Cold, breathless, completely alone,
Hidden in a tomb not even His own,
As all of humanity continued to groan.

His final move had yet to be revealed,
As He laid in that tomb still completely sealed.
But on the third day, the rocks began to quake.
As Jesus the Messiah began to wake.
Death sting has no hold.
“He is risen,” just as He foretold.

The prophets word’s finally fulfilled.
His kingship finally revealed.
A new order, a new kingdom, a new way,
A new and glorious day!
A kingdom not rooted in pride or fame.
A kingdom not preoccupied with guilt or shame.
A kingdom not propped up with lies or deceit.
A kingdom not ruled by the religious elite.
But by a King who stoops for the lost,
A King who would personally pay the cost,
A King who reigns with love and grace,
A King who welcomes us, face to face.
A King worthy of endless praise,
For He is the Ancient of Days,
Jesus!

Jesus, the First and Begotten Son.
Jesus, The Righteous and Worthy One.
Fully God and Fully Man,
Lord, help us to understand.

Jesus is worthy not just because of His acts.
But because of these eternal facts:

Jesus was worthy of praise before the cross.
He was worthy of praise before saving the lost.
He was worthy before he came in human form.
He was worthy before calming every storm.
For He is complete and divine perfection,
Eternally worthy of our love and affection.
So how much more should we lift his name higher?
That he snatched us from the enemy’s fire.
How much more should we stand in awe?
That he considered freeing us apart of His call. 
Is He not the greatest of all?

All powerful, all knowing, all love,
The One who could have stayed seated high above.
Yet, came instead to rescue, restore, and renew,
Because of His great love for you.

So forgive us, Jesus, when we praise you only for our freedom
And fail to see that you are King of a Kingdom.

So did He come primarily to die or live?
Was there more He wanted to give?
The cross wasn’t the end. It was the start,
An invitation for us to take part,
In all King Jesus wants to impart.

He died so that we might be free and for others to see,
His resurrection power lived out through you and me.
Inviting the world to stand in awe and wonder, 
Of a King—death itself could not plunder.

So when sorrows and troubles threaten to consume,
When life feel hopeless and fear continues looms,
Pause and remember—not only the cross but the empty tomb.