Heed The Word

Empty Tombs Speak Louder Than Words

• Pastor Ken Davis • Season 2025

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Jesus offers undeniable evidence of His divinity through the sign of Jonah—His death and resurrection, providing proof that exceeds the wisdom of Solomon and the preaching of Jonah. The empty tomb stands as history's most compelling testimony to Christ's claims and offers assurance that His message of salvation is true.

• Jesus promised only the sign of Jonah to those demanding proof
• Jonah's three days in the fish foreshadowed Jesus's three days in the tomb
• The Queen of Sheba traveled far to test Solomon's wisdom and was amazed
• Jesus possesses superior wisdom as the Creator of all things
• Unlike Jonah's message of destruction, Jesus offers escape from judgment
• The disciples wouldn't die for what they knew was a lie if they had stolen the body
• The empty tomb remains the most compelling evidence for Jesus's claims
• No other religious leader in history has conquered death


Speaker 1:

You're listening to Heed the Word with our pastor and teacher, Ken Davis. Pastor Ken is the senior pastor of Calvary Chapel, Southwest Metro in Burleson, Texas. Please join us as we study the Gospel of Luke verse by verse.

Speaker 2:

The scriptures tell us that Jesus is the light of the world. Jesus bears witness to the fact, not that destruction is coming, but to the fact that destruction can be escaped, not to the fact that there's going to be judgment, but that there is a way, through Jesus, to have the judgment that was to be laid upon us laid upon him instead.

Speaker 1:

The Gospel of Luke is the third account in the Gospels of the life and teachings of our Savior Jesus Christ. As believers, there are few studies that will benefit us more spiritually than studying the life and teachings of the Master Jesus, the Son of God, the Prince of Peace. The Word made flesh came to this earth to make a way for us. Now, through his shed blood, we can have access to the Father. All of mankind is offered salvation through Jesus, but not all will accept it. We can choose to believe and obey, which promises blessing, or we could go our own way, which leads to destruction. Don't forget to stay with us after today's message to hear more information about Heed the Word, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching.

Speaker 2:

But for now, please open your Bibles to the Gospel of Luke, chapter 11, verse 29, as we join Pastor Ken. Now, that word condemn is to convey the idea that, by their good example, they have made it more evident that these others were wicked. You see, not that they would rise up and pass judgment, for we know that there's only one judge and that is God, but that, rather, because of the example of the queen of the south, the queen of sheba, that she came to solomon and heard his wisdom and that she believed, and because of the people of nineveh who, when they heard the preaching of jonah, they repented and believed because of their good example, that, at the example of solomon and at the preaching of jonah, these others, these gentiles, in both cases, believed that their right action would, by its example, condemn those of this generation who had the benefit of the witness of Jesus Christ, one who was greater than Solomon, one who was greater than Jonah. They had asked for a sign and Jesus said okay, fine, I'll give you a sign. The only sign you're going to get is the sign of Jonah. Well, what was the sign of Jonah? In Jonah 1.7, we read the verse that says now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Speaker 2:

Now we remember the story of Jonah. It's short enough that I could probably read it this morning and I will read a portion of it in a moment. But you remember that God was sending Jonah to Nineveh right To proclaim judgment upon the city. But Jonah knows that God is a merciful and a just God and he knows that if he goes and he preaches there, that the people of Nineveh will in all likelihood repent and that God will then relent and not destroy them. And Jonah really would prefer that God does destroy them. He doesn't want the mercy of God on the people of Nineveh. Nineveh, they were hated, you know, and Jonah wanted them to be judged and so, rather than be obedient to the Lord and go where the Lord told him to go, he jumps on a boat and heads off in the opposite direction as far as he can possibly go.

Speaker 2:

Well, we know the story of how the Lord brought this huge storm and that everybody was freaking out on the boat saying you know what's going on, what's going on. And the captain finds Jonah sleeping there and he says what are you doing? Sleeping, you know, pray to your God that this might stop. And of course, after the casting of lots, they discover that it was Jonah's fault, because he was fleeing from God, that this storm had come. And they say to Jonah what do we need to do to you to make this storm stop? And you know, jonah, the smart thing would have been to have said turn around and head for Nineveh, and the storm will stop, because that's where God wants me to go. If I get back in line with his will, we'll get where we're going, won't we? But no, jonah says throw me overboard. And what he was saying was I would rather die than obey God. I would rather die than do what the Lord wanted me to do in the first place. And so they throw him overboard and, sure enough, the storm stops and all of these men sacrifice and make vows unto the Lord. They worship God because of the amazing thing that's happened there. Isn't it amazing how God can even use our disobedience to glorify his name, as was the case in Jonah's life at that time? So can you imagine Jonah's thoughts as he's sinking down through the waters there and he's thinking it's over, I won, I didn't have to go to Nineveh and all it cost me was my life. But little did he know that God wasn't through with him yet and I have to tell you, some of you here this morning might think that you're done, but God isn't through with you yet. God had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah and Jonah was in the belly of the fish we're told in Jonah 1.17, for three days and three nights Amazing. And Jesus said you want a sign? Fine, I'll give you the sign of Jonah. And what he was saying was that the son of man, jesus, the son of God, would be in the belly of the earth for three days and that even as Jonah was brought back from that place, so he would be as well.

Speaker 2:

Let's turn to Jonah, chapter two, and let's read just briefly what that was like for Jonah there in the belly of the whale. Jonah chapter 2 really consists of just one thing, and that is Jonah's prayer to God. It's interesting that it took three days in the belly of a fish to bring about the results that we see here. But praise God, those results come. Then Jonah prayed to the Lord, his God, from the fish's belly and he said I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction, and he answered me.

Speaker 2:

I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction, and he answered me. Out of the belly of shale, out of the belly of the grave. In essence, I cried and you heard my voice, for you cast me into the deep and into the heart of the belly of the grave. In essence, I cried and you heard my voice, for you cast me into the deep and into the heart of the seas, and the floods surrounded me. All your billows and your waves passed over me. Then I said I have been cast out of your sight. Yet I will look again toward your holy temple. The waters surrounded me, even to my soul. The deep closed around me. Weeds were wrapped around my head. I went down to the moorings of the mountains. The earth with its bars closed behind me forever. Yet you have brought up my life from the pit. O Lord, my God, when my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord and my prayer went up to you and your holy into your holy temple. Those who regard worthless idols forsake their own mercy. But I will sacrifice to you with the voice of thanksgiving. I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.

Speaker 2:

So the Lord spoke to the fish and it vomited Jonah onto dry land. Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you. So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now, nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey in extent, and Jonah began to enter the city on the first day's walk. Then he cried out and said yet 40 days and Nineveh shall be overthrown. So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them. Then word came to the king of Nineveh and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and ashes, and he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles saying let neither man nor beast herd nor flock taste anything, do not let them eat or drink water, but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth and cry mightily to God yes, let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hand. Who can tell if God will turn and relent and turn away from his fierce anger so that we may not perish. Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way and God relented from the disaster that he had said he would bring upon them. And he did not do it. The people of Nineveh heard the message of Jonah 40 days and destruction cometh right. That's a real hope-filled message, isn't it? It really gives you a lot of encouragement that maybe there's some way out of this. But you know what? They heeded the message, they listened and God forgave them, he restored them and he withheld judgment from them.

Speaker 2:

In Romans, chapter 1, verses 1 through 6, paul writes that he, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, was called to be an apostle separated of the gospel which he promised before through his prophets. In the holy scriptures, concerning his son, jesus Christ, our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and he declared to him to be the son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead, jesus said that the sign that he would give them was the sign of Jonah. What was that sign? What was the sign that Jesus told that generation would be given to them that they might know that the things that he was telling them were true. It was the sign of his death, burial and resurrection.

Speaker 2:

If you examine the various religions of the world, you will find in them a myriad of moral laws. You will find in them teachers who say things like remember my teachings, do the things that I've taught you to do. But what we find when we examine Christianity is that Jesus didn't say remember my teachings, did he? Jesus said remember me, my teachings, did he? Jesus said remember me Because, though his teachings are true and though they are holy, and though they are righteous, it is not the teachings of Jesus that save us. It's the death of Jesus that saves us and it's his resurrection that gives us hope, because in that we find life and that life is the promise that he has given us.

Speaker 2:

Now he also referred there to the queen of the south. Turn to 2 Chronicles, while we're here in the Old Testament, chapter 9. 2 Chronicles, chapter 9, starting in verse 1. Now, when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with hard questions, having a very great retinue, camels that bore spices, gold and abundance and precious stones. And when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart. So Solomon answered all her questions. There was nothing so difficult for Solomon that he could not explain it to her.

Speaker 2:

And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, the food on his table, the seating of his servants, the service of his waiters and their apparel, his cupbearers and their apparel, and his entryway by which he went up to the house of the Lord, there was no more spirit in her. She gave up the fight. She's like man I give. You really are all they say you are. Let's read on.

Speaker 2:

Then she said to the king it was a true report which I heard in my own land, about your words and wisdom. Now, the interesting thing is, when she first heard it, she didn't believe it. When she first heard about the wonders of Solomon and his kingdom and his incredible wisdom, she wasn't buying. And it says there, as we look back in the earlier part of chapter 9, that she came to test him. Right, she's like well, let's see just how wise this guy really is.

Speaker 2:

Let's read on in verse six and see what she said. However, I did not believe their words until I came and saw with my own eyes, and indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me. You exceed the fame which I heard. Happy are your men and happy are those your servants who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom. Blessed be the Lord, your God, who delights in you setting you on his throne to be king for the Lord, your God, because your God has loved Israel to establish them forever. Therefore he made you king over them to do justice and righteousness. And she gave the king 120 talents, of gold spices in great abundance and precious stones. There never were any spices such as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. Also, the servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon who brought gold from Ophir brought algum wood and precious stones, and the king made walkways of all the algum wood for the house of the Lord and for the king's house. Also harps and stringed instruments for the singers, and there were none such as these seen before in the land of Judah.

Speaker 2:

Now, king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all she desired, whatever she asked, much more than she had brought to the king. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants. So the queen of Sheba comes and she's like hey, I've heard some incredible things about you, let's test them. Let's test you and find out if these things are true. And once she sees everything he's done and once he's answered all of her questions, she acknowledges the fact that not only was everything she had heard true, but there was twice as much that's true that she hadn't even heard and that he was even more wonderful than his reputation. Let on and she gave him gifts, rich, wonderful gifts. But by the time she left, she had received back from him even more than she had offered. And Jesus said that the queen of the south, the queen of she, came all the way to Jerusalem to see Solomon, and yet one greater than Solomon is here with you now, and yet you won't believe. He said so that in the day of judgment, she's going to stand up and she, this Gentile woman, is going to condemn you, the leaders of Israel, by her good example.

Speaker 2:

Let's turn back to Luke 11. Jesus had greater wisdom than Solomon. Solomon was able to answer all of her questions, wasn't he? Because Solomon knew about everything, because it was the wisdom of God that he had been given. And yet Jesus was wiser. Well, how do we know that Jesus was wiser? Look at the testimony of John 1, 1, which says that in the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and the word was God. He was in the beginning with God and all things were made through him, and without him nothing was made. That was made In him was life, and the life was the light of men, and the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. Now, solomon may have known about all things, but Jesus created all things. So who knows more, the author of life or the one who did the book report? The author knows more. Jesus was wiser than Solomon. It says that Solomon gave gifts to the queen of Sheba that were in excess to the gifts that she gave him. Is there anyone here that would argue that when we come to Jesus and give him all that we are and all that we have, that he doesn't give us even more in return than we have given him? Solomon gave good gifts. The gifts that Jesus gives are even greater. Romans 6.23 tells us that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus, our Lord. So he was wiser than Solomon. He gave greater gifts than Solomon.

Speaker 2:

Well, how does the comparison to Jonah hold up? Let's see. First of all, jesus was greater than Jonah. How do we know that Jonah was the representative of God? Wasn't he? But Jesus was the representative of God? Wasn't he? But Jesus was the representation of God.

Speaker 2:

Jonah spoke the words of the Lord, but when people looked at Jesus, it could honestly be said that they had seen the Father. In John 14, 8 through 11, we find these words Philip said to him, said to Jesus Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us. Jesus said to him have I been with you so long and yet you have not known me, philip, he who has seen me has seen the Father. So how can you say show us the Father? You see, jesus was the very embodiment of God. Jesus was God in the flesh. So it is an easy thing to say and to know that he was greater than Jonah. But he also preached a greater message than the message that Jonah preached. What was it? Jonah said 40 days and destruction cometh. That's a real uplifting message, isn't it? That's a real word of encouragement. Thank you, jonah. I appreciate that.

Speaker 2:

In John 10, 7 through 17, we find the message that Jesus preached. He said most assuredly I say to you I am the door of the sheep. All whoever came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy. But I have come that they might have life and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd and I know my sheep and am known by my own, as the father knows me. Even so, I know the father and I lay down my life for the sheep and other sheep I have which are not of this fold. Them also I must bring and they will hear my voice and there will be one flock and one shepherd. Therefore my father loves me because I lay down my life that I may take it again.

Speaker 2:

The scriptures tell us that Jesus is the light of the world. Jesus bears witness to the fact, not that destruction is coming, but to the fact that destruction can be escaped, not to the fact that there's going to be judgment, but that there is a way, through Jesus, to have the judgment that was to be laid upon us laid upon him instead. So not only was Jesus greater than Jonah, but his message was greater than that of Jonah's, and yet they wouldn't receive it. Why they have the sign of Jonah? You have the empty tomb. Can I tell you there is no greater testimony to the veracity of the scriptures and to the message of Jesus Christ than that empty tomb, not one. That empty tomb was a sign, not just to that generation, but to every generation that would come after it. Because, guys, let me tell you something, if that tomb hadn't been empty, then mark my words those priests would have gone down there themselves and, religious restrictions about hanging onto dead bodies aside, they'd have grabbed hold of him and drug him through the street saying look, he is not risen. Here is his body.

Speaker 2:

Now you might say, well, yeah, sure, I understand what you're saying, but you know, maybe those disciples went over there and stole that body while the Roman soldiers were sleeping. Can I tell you, roman soldiers don't sleep when they're on duty. Because you know what happens to Roman soldiers who go to sleep when they're on duty they get killed, they die. There was a Roman seal set upon that stone and it was upon penalty of death that anyone would go in there and do that. But you know what? Let's assume for a moment that they did fall asleep and that as the disciples rolled the stone away, they didn't happen to wake up. Even if the disciples were strong enough to do it, I doubt they'd have been able to manage it in silence. But let's assume for a moment, even beyond that, even beyond that, that they did sleep through it and that the disciples were able to take that body and hide it somewhere where nobody would find it right.

Speaker 2:

Then why would these men, who only days before had run in fear, now be willing to lay down their lives for something that they knew was a lie? Because had they stolen the body, they would have known that it was a lie. These guys didn't profit from the message of the gospel. They died for the message of the gospel. They were martyred, some of them horrible, horrible deaths, and if Jesus was not raised, then every one of those men was a liar. Now, men will die for a lie, but only if they think it's the truth.

Speaker 2:

These men died for something that they knew to be true, because if it were not true, these men would have known that it was a lie. That alone bears witness to the fact that Jesus Christ rose from the grave. No other religious leader in the history of our world has done that. He is unique. He's the son of God and yet, in spite of the fact that he was wiser than Solomon, in spite of the fact that he was greater than Jonah, in spite of the fact that there was the sign given that he would die and be dead in the tomb for three days and then rise again, in spite of all of that, many of these very people who saw the miracles he performed refused to believe and, what's more, many of them still refuse to believe to this very day. There are those in our world who, in spite of all the evidence you can muster, in spite of irrefutable evidence, refuse, refuse to believe. And I ask again the question why? Well, jesus answers it.

Speaker 2:

Luke 11, verse 33,. No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand that those who come in may see the light. Now we know from scripture John 8, 12 specifically that Jesus is the light of the world. He said it himself. He said I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life. John 1 bears testimony to it as well. As we look at John 1, starting in verse 1, it said, as we read earlier, in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.

Speaker 1:

Truly, these are some of the most difficult times that many of us have ever seen. The economy is bad, work is sparse and there's no shortage of strife throughout the world. But as believers in Jesus, we've been given many great and precious promises. For instance, listen to this verse taken from our current study but the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear. Therefore, you are of more value than many sparrows. You see, it doesn't matter how bad things get. God has promised to take care of us.

Speaker 1:

Today's teaching was only part of a full-length message taught by Pastor Ken Davis on a Sunday morning at Calvary Chapel, southwest Metro, burleson, texas. To hear this message in its entirety, log on to heatthewordorg. That's heedthewordorg. Once you're there, select the Listen Online page. Or if computers aren't your thing, that's okay, you can always call us. That number to call is 817-447-5675. That's 817-447-5675. Even if you're not ordering a copy of today's study, we'd love to hear from you. Knowing that God is using heed the word for his glory and to encourage his saints is one of our greatest joys. So call us. Today. This study through the gospel of Luke has been a real eye opener. Maybe you've been challenged in some areas in your walk with Jesus. Well, we want to exhort you not to just hear God's Word, but to do it. Begin to walk in obedience to the things you're learning. From all of us here at he the Word, we want to say thank you for tuning in and may God richly bless you as you seek His face.