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Mt. Zion Church
Gather at the Empty Tomb (Easter 2026)
On the first Easter morning, they came expecting something familiar—something contained, something explainable, something wrapped up. Instead, they were met with an empty tomb. The stone was moved, the grave clothes were folded, and Jesus was gone. What they discovered wasn’t a polished religious moment, but a raw, undeniable reality: if Jesus has truly risen, everything changes. The empty tomb refuses to let us stay casual. You can stand at the entrance and observe from a distance, or you can step in—but stepping in means facing the truth that Christ is alive, and that truth demands a response. The resurrection is not just a past event to admire; it is a present power to receive. As Scripture declares, the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead now lives in us, bringing new life where there was once death. This is the message of Easter: our faith is not built on tradition or sentiment, but on a risen Savior. And through Him, we are not only forgiven—we are brought into unity with God and one another, filled with His life, and sent as living evidence to the world that Jesus is alive.
Locations & Times
Mt. Zion Church
1643 Churchville Rd, Bel Air, MD 21015, USA
Saturday 5:00 PM
Sunday 9:00 AM
Sunday 11:00 AM
John 20:1-8 (CSB)
The Empty Tomb
1 On the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark. She saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. 2 So she went running to Simon Peter and to the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said to them, “They’ve taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they’ve put him!” 3 At that, Peter and the other disciple went out, heading for the tomb. 4 The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and got to the tomb first. 5 Stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then, following him, Simon Peter also came. He entered the tomb and saw the linen cloths lying there. 7 The wrapping(i)that had been on his head was not lying with the linen cloths but was folded up in a separate place by itself. 8 The other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, then also went in, saw, and believed.
The Discovery
A. WRAPPED UP RELIGION
They came expecting something wrapped up… but Jesus had already left that behind.
B. RAW EMPTY TOMB
The empty tomb isn’t polished—it’s raw… and it refuses to let you stay casual about Jesus.
C. THE COST OF STEPPING IN
You can stand at the door and observe… or you can step in—but once you step in, you can’t walk out the same.
II. Evidence of the Risen Christ
A. BIBLICAL
B. EXTRA- BIBLICAL
Romans 8:11 (CSB) 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead(t) lives in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through his Spirit who lives in you.
III The Power: The Resurrection Today
1 Corinthians 15:13-15 (CSB)
13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised; 14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is in vain, and so is your faith. 15 Moreover, we are found to be false witnesses about God, because we have testified wrongly about God that he raised up Christ — whom he did not raise up, if in fact the dead are not raised.