Copyright 2022 by Joseph P. Martin III
Foreword Copyright 2022 by Tim Tebow
Jacket design by Darren Welch. Cover copyright 2022 by Hachette Book Group, Inc.
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First Edition: February 2022
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Prayer at the end of chapter 6 is taken from They Turned the World Upside Down by Charles Martin. Copyright 2021 by Charles Martin. Used by permission of Thomas Nelson. www.thomasnelson.com.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. | Scripture quotations marked ( NIV ) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc. Scripture quotations marked ( KJV ) are taken from The Authorized (King James) Version. Rights in the Authorized Version in the United Kingdom are vested in the Crown. Reproduced by permission of the Crowns patentee, Cambridge University Press
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Martin, Joby, author. | Martin, Charles, 1969- author.
Title: If the tomb is empty : why the resurrection means anything is
possible / Joby Martin and Charles Martin.
Description: First edition. | New York : FaithWords, [2022] | Summary: "The Son of God was crucified, died and buried. Doornail dead. He lay in the tomb for three days. Until God the Father, through the Spirit, raised Him to life and He walked out shining like the sun. The Son of God lives and reigns, right this second. In a culture in which history is erased or rewritten at will, the existence of an empty tomb matters. Why? Because if the tomb is empty - then anything is possible. In his first book, Joby Martin, pastor of Church of Eleven22, one of the fastest growing churches in the country, dives deep into scripture and traces the story of salvation by highlighting the seven mountains throughout scripture where God manifests himself. As he describes each encounter with God, Martin shows us how the interaction on each mountain laid the groundwork for the sacrifice of Christ on Calvary, and shows what God revealed about Himself in the process. He illuminates even familiar passages, unveiling how God's plan for Christ's sacrifice is threaded throughout scripture, and shows why Christ's resurrection - impossible, unbelievable - means that nothing is too hard for our God. Ultimately, he asks readers, Do you live every day of your life as if the tomb is empty...or as though Jesus is still hanging on that cross? Written with New York Times bestselling author Charles Martin-a member and elder of Joby's church-If the Tomb is Empty is an insightful and spiritually rich yet accessible examination of what the miracle of Christ's resurrection means for all of us"-- Provided by publisher.
Identifiers: LCCN 2021041420 | ISBN 9781546001508 (hardcover) | ISBN
9781546001546 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Jesus Christ--Resurrection. | Mountains--Religious
aspects--Christianity.
Classification: LCC BT482 .M37 2022 | DDC 232/.5--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021041420
ISBNs: 9781546001508 (hardcover), 9781546001546 (ebook)
20211221-DA-NF-ORI
For Gretchen, JP, and Reagan Capri.
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Almost all direct Scripture quotes in this book come from the English Standard Version. In some cases Ive simply paraphrased instead of quoting directly from a published translation; in these cases, the Scripture will be set in italics.
That I may know him and the power of his resurrection.
Paul
By Tim Tebow
Proverbs 11:14 says, Where there is no guidance the people fall, but in an abundance of counselors there is victory (NASB). Over the years, I have asked several pastors around the country to speak life into me and give me wise counsel as I consider important decisions. One of those men is Pastor Joby Martin from my hometown of Jacksonville, Florida. Thankfully, he looked past the fact that Im a Gator and hes a Bulldog fan, and he agreed. We tend to talk a lot about Jesus and a little about college football. Weve grown so close since that time, and there are not many big decisions I make without first calling him to seek wisdom and discernment.
Pastor Joby has a gift for taking complicated sections of Scripture and breaking them down in a way that is authentic to Gods Word. He also continually helps me see how Scripture is even more applicable to my life and the lives of those around me. God uses Joby to help me understand His Word and speak to me through it. Not only that, but as I have spent time with him and his family, I have learned he is the real deal. He loves his wife, Gretchen, and he considers it one of the highest honors of his life to get to be the father of his children, JP and Reagan. Joby loves the Lord with everything he has, and he is so passionate about his calling to preach the Gospel with authority and clarity. Joby is one of the best communicators I know. Whether he delivers eye-opening insight, captivating life stories, or hilarious one-liners, or draws you in with his unapologetically southern accent, he tells the truth with great love.
Out of that love, he leads this movement called The Church of Eleven22. (The name probably has you wondering, and you can read more about that inside these pages.) By intently listening to and boldly answering Gods call on his life, Joby has been a vessel whom God has used to build a thriving ministry, which has helped thousands discover and deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ.
Im so excited Joby accepted the mission to write If the Tomb Is Empty. What a powerful reminder that because of that truth, anything is possible. My hope as you read these pages is that you will understand how God meets us in our everyday liveswhether on the mountaintop or in the valley. No matter where your foot lands, He has already been there.
In my own life, Ive found this to be true. Ive known the highs of great success and the lows of dark valleys. Im grateful for the successes God has blessed me with because theyve given me a platform to give all the glory to Him. Im also grateful for the lows in my life because theyve given me a testimony to point to Gods faithfulness in the hard times. But one thing that is unchanged and not dependent upon my circumstances, emotions, successes, or failures is the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He is with us and He is for us, always.
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