Frankie Mazzapica - The Empty Tomb Still Speaks
The title of today’s message is «The Tomb Still Speaks.» The tomb still speaks. We’re here to celebrate Jesus coming out of the tomb. I’ve been to Israel; I’ve seen the tomb. There’s a beautiful garden around it, and they’ve done a phenomenal job for generations keeping up the garden surrounding that tomb. It’s beautiful. But even though the tomb is empty, I want you to know that it still speaks. There’s still an echo that comes out of that tomb, and it speaks to two categories of people. These will be my two points this morning.
The tomb speaks to people who long for Him; they want to be closer to the Lord. They believe in Him, but they desire to have a deeper relationship with Him. The second category that the tomb speaks to are people who are having trouble believing that Jesus exists at all. So, we’ll talk about what the tomb says to both of those categories.
The first group is for those who long for more of Him. The first scripture I want to share with you is from 1 Peter, Chapter 1, verses 2 and 3, because it gives glory to God and His Son, Jesus Christ, for the new life that we have because of the resurrection. Come on, let me read it to you: «Praise be to the God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy, He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.» For those of you who have lifted your chin and looked to the Lord and said, «I’m sorry for all my sins, and from this moment forward, I’m going to live for You,» at that moment, you became a new person. Some of us in this room can look back at who we used to be, and it seems like another life ago. Put your hands together if you know what I’m talking about. You can’t even recognize yourself because there’s been a new birth; it’s like a line in the sand where, all of a sudden, the Lord made you a different person.
I want to talk just a little bit about Mary because she longed for the Lord. He died on the cross and was put in the grave, and everybody left—the crowd that yelled «Crucify Him,» the followers, the disciples—they all left. But Mary stayed at the tomb with a broken heart. She was longing for Him; she missed the intimacy she used to have. I’ve been through seasons where I’ve thought, «Lord, You just seem so far away, and I want what I used to have.» I’ve been there, and I’m not talking about a decade ago. I’m there quite often because I’m anointed to preach this, but I have to live it just like everybody else. I just say to myself, «Frankie, you don’t feel like it. Chin up, hands up.» And what I’ve learned is that with the first word, «Jesus,» I feel closer to Him. That’s my challenge for you today: when you feel like there’s a Ziploc bag, like your lips have been sealed and you can’t even get one word out because He seems so far, just say, «Jesus, I love You,» and you will feel your relationship with Him suddenly revived—just one sentence.
But back to Mary: she’s longing for Him. This is in John 20:11. Let me read it to you: «Mary stood outside the tomb crying.» She lingered in her grief, longing to be near Jesus, and He showed up. I want you to know that Jesus does not ignore those who are longing for Him; He shows up for them. He didn’t show up to the crowd first; He showed up to Mary first. She was the one that said, «I refuse to leave this spot. I don’t know what’s going on around me; I am so confused; I am so overwhelmed. I don’t know what’s happening, but I am not going to stop looking towards the Lord.»
It’s interesting because, when you land at the airport and come out of your gate, all your friends and family are waiting for you at the gate—not at baggage claim, if you know what I’m talking about. They’re all at the gate. Some of you were born after 2000, and you probably don’t even know what a newspaper is, but that’s fine. My friend Adam is here—Adam, would you stand up? I love this guy. He’s on our business team. This church has paid off because of his leadership and your giving, and I thank you for it. He’s on assignment to Exxon in Guyana, and his son is looking for an internship, which we’re going to help him with. His son called me up and said, «Hey, my dad told me to call you because you probably have a lot of pastor friends in your Rolodex.» He goes, «I don’t know what that is, but that’s what my dad said.»
Back in the day, a crowd would gather when you came out, but you can’t do that anymore because of what took place on 9/11. But if you fly internationally, you can come out, and there are a whole bunch of people waiting for their friends and family. Oftentimes, you’ll find someone holding up a sign with a person’s name on it. Hundreds of people come through, and they don’t care—they’re looking right through them; they don’t see them. They’re looking for one person. And then all of a sudden, when that one person sees the person whose name is on the sign, the first thing they do is smile so big, and the other one smiles back just as big. The guy holding the sign says, «I’ve been waiting for you,» and the other replies, «I’ve been looking for you.» They are just happy to see each other.
I want you to know that God does not ignore those who linger. He does not ignore us. The Bible says this in Matthew 6:6: «When you pray and shut the door behind you, God, who sees everything, will reward you.» Romans 5:5 says that your hope will not end in disappointment. Keep your chin up, keep your eyes up, lift your hands up when you don’t feel like it—I promise you, you will not be disappointed.
Now for the second category—those who cannot or do not believe: the empty tomb still speaks to you. There’s a message for you, and we know that because it spoke to an unbeliever. It was James—he could not believe that his brother was the Son of God. The Bible says this in John 7:5: «For even His own brothers did not believe in Him.» James looked at Jesus and said, «Are you okay? You think you’re the Son of God? You and I used to have pillow fights growing up. I was asking you to pick up your clothes in the bathroom; you couldn’t find your own sandals whenever you were leaving the house!» Someone’s looking at Jesus saying, «Oh my goodness, bless His heart.»
Now when you go to the North, I used to live in the Chicago area. If you say, «Oh bless your heart,» they’ll look at you and say, «Well thank you.» Here in the South, when you say, «Oh bless his heart,» it means there’s something not quite right with them. But they just didn’t get that there was something about Jesus that was extraordinary. However, the Bible says at the resurrection, all of a sudden, he knew—like he really knew—and he devoted the rest of his life to serving Jesus. He became the pastor of Jerusalem and wrote the Book of James; he still speaks.
I came across a guy on social media talking about how Jesus is truly the Son of God, and he said it in a way that made me want to memorize every word. I wanted to share it with you all on Easter Sunday. I considered trying to say it like him, but I realized there’s an anointing on his life, so I’m just going to play it for you now. You’re going to want to clap, but wait until the end. All right? Take a look at this.
«I don’t know if I’m allowed to ask this question.»
«You’re allowed to ask whatever you want, bro; it’s your podcast.»
«Do you know how you stand on the Lord Jesus Christ, right?»
«Yep.»
«What about Allah? Minister Farrakhan is standing on Islam the same way you’re standing on Christianity. There’s somebody standing on Buddhism the same way. When they say Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, do they mean Allah? Is that just one person?»
«When Jesus was alive on the earth, He made a statement that, to this day, is very controversial. Jesus said—this is my disclaimer—'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No human being can come to God but through me.' This is what Jesus stated: that the only pathway to God was through Him. Jesus also told us that there is only one God who is Yahweh and that there is no other God; any other god is an idol and is not a true god. Jesus taught that—not me, Philip Anthony Mitchell. The whole issue about whether Allah is God depends on whether Jesus was telling the truth or whether He was a liar.
If Jesus is credible, then there is only one God, and the Scriptures give us His name: He is Yahweh, Jehovah. If Jesus is credible, there are no multiple pathways to God except through Him. If Jesus is credible, then the pathway to God is small, narrow, and exclusive. If Jesus is credible, if He’s not credible, then there are multiple gods. If Jesus is not credible, there are multiple pathways to God. If Jesus is not credible, then Allah and Yahweh are the same person. If Jesus is not credible, the decision we have to make is whether Jesus is credible. If a man can be crucified, buried, and put in a tomb, and then supernaturally raised from the dead and seen alive in history by over 400 eyewitnesses, I think that man is pretty credible. Muhammad was a great leader, but he did not resurrect from the dead. Joseph Smith was a great leader, but he was not raised from the dead. Confucius was a leader, but he did not resurrect. All these men were leaders, but they were not raised from the dead. But there is a man in history who is the progenitor of a major world faith who was raised from the dead and seen alive. So now we have to determine if that man was credible. I believe that man was credible, and because I believe He’s credible, I have to believe what He says.
It’s not about my personal opinion—do I believe Jesus was credible? So let me repeat this: if Jesus is credible—not Philip Anthony Mitchell—people are going to need me to death. If Jesus is credible, Nehemiah, then there is only one God who has a name: Jehovah, Yahweh, Elohim, Lord, who has revealed Himself in the pages of Scripture, and that the only way to get to Him is through His Son.»
I couldn’t say it like him—no way. But I want to say that what’s happening right now is the Lord is drawing people to Himself in a way that He hasn’t done in over a hundred years. There’s something that the media has recognized, and they’re calling it a silent revival. Now, what am I talking about? For those of you who attend Celebration Church, you’ve noticed that since the turn of the year, almost every single seat has been filled. I told my wife, «Man, I really think God’s doing something at our church.» And He is. But what’s fascinating is that when I talk to my friends who are pastors, they’re all saying, «I don’t know what happened, but seats are filled in our church; the parking lot is full.» I talked to a friend of mine who lives just outside of London, and he said, «I don’t know what’s happening, but the churches in London are full from wall to wall.»
So the media picked this up and said, «There’s some kind of a silent revival sweeping throughout the country.» Let me show you a graphic from just one media outlet: «Churchgoing is soaring, and people are heading into the churches in remarkable numbers.» This shows the ages of attendees skyrocketing like never before. Across the world, churchgoers show both the highest levels of hope for the future and the lowest reports of feeling frequently anxious and depressed. What’s taking place here? John 6:44 tells us: «No man comes to Jesus Christ unless drawn by the Father.» What’s happening is that people who have never thought about going to church are being drawn to come. People who used to go a lot but then stopped are now being pulled back, and it’s happening all over the world.
The reason I said this hasn’t happened in over a hundred years is that I’ve studied church history. When God lays His hand on something remarkable, it usually is on one church, like the Azusa Street Revival or the Brownsville Revival. But now we are seeing something different; it’s almost like the breath of God has blown throughout the world, and it’s happening everywhere. I want that to be an explanation for you on why, all of a sudden, at the turn of the year, you felt drawn. For those of you who are here today but haven’t been to church in a long time, I hope that this explains why something about this service is drawing you to the Lord. When you come back next Sunday, you’re not going to see a different worship team; we haven’t done anything special; this is what you can expect next Sunday. The reason you feel that is because God’s doing something.
You see, we’re celebrating the resurrection of Christ, and what He’s doing is resurrecting His people. Here’s my challenge today: Jesus went all in for you. He stepped out of Heaven. He stopped walking on the streets of gold so that He could walk this dusty earth with us. He hung on a cross for you. He hung on a cross for me. Someone had to pay the penalty for your sin; you can’t just sin without there being some kind of punishment. But the Lord looked at you and said, «No, no, no, I love you too much. I’m not going to let you be punished for something you did. For something I did, I’m going to take that punishment.» He went all in for you. My challenge to you on this Easter is to go all in for Him. I’m taking that phrase from an event I saw many years ago with the New York Giants, believe it or not, a national football team—because they embraced that phrase, and everything changed.
I want you to take a look at this:
«To understand how the two words 'all in' turned a New York Giants season going nowhere into a trip to the Super Bowl, you’ve got to go back to the night before Christmas Eve. The Giants were 7-7, and they had lost five of their last six. I think there were some empty graves out there that people were digging for the Giants; there was definitely something missing. That night, at a players' chapel meeting, we had a young guy come in and speak. He delivered one of the most timely messages that I’ve had, not only in my football career but in my life. His name is John Paul Gonzalez, a ninth-grade teacher and speaker from nearby Union City, New Jersey. He’s friends with the Giants' team chaplain, who asked him to speak to the team. Were you nervous? Oh yeah, definitely. When you go in a room and see Eli Manning in the front row, and then you see Justin Tuck, and you see these guys, you’re like „Wow.“
Gonzalez turned out not to be just a teacher of kids; he turned out to be a teacher of Giants. He put everything into two words: all in. He gave everyone poker chips, had everyone put their initials on the chips, and advised us to keep them with us. When you have something that you feel can’t be beaten, you know what you do? You throw it all in. The next day, the Giants whipped the Jets 29-14. Hand off to Bradshaw; he’s going to run right through a tackle! Touchdown Giants! Afterwards, we were all in today. „We went to chapel last night, and our speaker talked about all in, and today you could just tell the Giants were all in.“
Before you knew it, „all in“ had worked its way all around the Giants' locker room. It became infectious. Wanting to give more effort, wanting to stay behind and watch more film—it changed everything. Ever since then, all 53 guys, 46 on game day, they’re all in. The next week, they beat the Cowboys, punching their playoff ticket. The New York Giants are the NFC East champions! Then the chaplain again sent me a message saying, „You wouldn’t believe this, but they made towels for the game. It’s not about individuals; it’s just everybody being 100% dedicated to the team.“ They dismissed the Falcons at home in the first round of the playoffs, and a week later they went into no less than Lambeau Field and shocked the 15-1 Packers. The New York Giants have eliminated the number one seed Green Bay Packers!»
«They’re all in. The chip is the chip, but you know it’s our minds that are powerful. What’s going to give you that extra edge? What’s going to give you that extra push? Since you dedicated yourself to 'all in, ' I don’t think I was giving it 100%. I might have been giving it 90%, but now I think, for the last five weeks, I’ve been definitely giving it 100%.»
«The 49ers in San Francisco, the NFC title game—jackpot! The Giants in overtime have won the NFC Championship! All the way down, you know, to the custodians, to the cooks that we have here within the facility. When I say, 'all in, ' I really mean they’re all in.»
«You came up with it. Doesn’t that feel great?»
«It does, but I know it’s a lot of tribute to their hard work.»
«If you win this Super Bowl, what will you do with the chip?»
«I’ll probably frame it, you know, in all honesty, and make sure I keep it with me at all times. I’ll probably keep it next to my Super Bowl ring. Do you think you’ll get a ring?»
«I wouldn’t turn one down.»
Isn’t that cool? Every single person here, when you walk out the doors today, you’re going to get a poker chip that says «All In.» This is what I’m going to ask you to do: at your sink in the bathroom, where you brush your teeth, just remember that you brush your teeth in the morning to keep your friends and at night to keep your teeth. Anyway, I want you to take this poker chip, and I want you to set it right next to the little handles on your sink. I want you to see it every morning, and I just want you to say, «God, I’m all in. I’m all in.»
I didn’t say this to the first service, but it came to my mind during worship. One of the—I think it was the quarterback or something—of one of the teams was being interviewed, and they asked him, «Hey, I hear you’re injured—are you going to be okay?» He looked back and said, «We’re all injured. Every single person in that locker room has ice wrapped around their knees, broken fingers—we’re all injured. But we’re all in.» There are going to be some days where you just feel broken, and your faith is not up. I just want you to know that we’re all fighting that battle. But there’s a silent revival going on; the Lord is lifting up the church; He’s lifting up people. Why is He doing that? Because the Bible says the same power that resurrected Jesus out of the grave is also resurrecting us; He’s also lifting us up.
Can we stand up and give Jesus a standing ovation? Come on! Thank You, Jesus! Come on, let’s give it to Him! Thank You, Jesus! Thank You, Jesus! I know there are some people here that if your heart were to stop beating in the next five minutes, you’re not ready to see the Lord. But I want this day, Easter Sunday 2025, to be the day you go all in for Him. I’d like for everybody to just hold your hands out like this—like you and I want—and I want every single person here to repeat after me: «Jesus! Come on, say it real loud: Jesus! Thank You for dying for me. Thank You for rising out of the grave. There’s only one God, and that’s You. There’s only one God. I’m sorry for my sins. From this day forward, I will serve You. Give me the grace and the mercy to serve You with my whole heart. In Jesus' name, Amen.»