Who Will Roll The Stone Away?
Text: Mark 16: 1-6
Mark 16:1-8
16:1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3 and they asked each other, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?"
4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.
6 "Don’t be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ’He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’"
8 Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.
NIV
Both Marys and Salome had purchased spices to anoint the body of Jesus. This was the custom and while making their way to the garden tomb, they probably discussed the events of the past few days. Possibly crying still in despair and mourning the loss of Jesus. They must have become distraught once they realized they had made no arrangements to have the stone moved from the entrance of the tomb. In their distressed state of mind they had completely forgot about the stone covering the door. We know they knew of the stone, because Mark 15: 47 tells us that the two Mary’s had watched Joseph of Arimathaea place the body of Christ in the tomb and roll the stone over the door.
Mark 15:45-16:1
45 And when he knew it of the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph.
46 And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre.
47 And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid.
KJV
They came to the sudden conclusion that there was no way they were going to move that stone. They were going to need help. "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?" They asked. They were beside themselves! They were not thinking very clearly, because instead of making some arrangement to have the stone moved, they kept going to the tomb. As they approached the tomb it must have been a tremendous relief to discover the stone rolled back from the door. They must have asked themselves "who moved the stone? They would not understand the significance of this, until they stepped inside to administer the spices. Once inside they were astonished to find a young man dressed in white. Could this be the one who moved the stone? Who was this young man in white raiment? According to Matthew 28:1-6 he was the angel of the Lord.
Matt 28:2
2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
If you understand the Old Testament, you know that the Angel of the Lord is a manifestation of God Himself.
What a glorious thought that God, who just a few days earlier had to turn away from His son because of the sin He had taken upon Himself, stood at the entrance of the tomb and by a mighty earthquake moved the stone that had been keeping His son in the grave. Jesus could have moved the stone for He was just as divine, but God Himself chose to move the stone to demonstrate His love for Jesus. Jesus could have moved the stone from the tomb; however, you and I cannot even begin to move some of the stones that have rolled into our lives!! A man (Joseph of Arimathaea) had placed the stone in front of the tomb of Christ; however, God moved the stone so Jesus could rise again. Satan has placed stones in our lives that have caused us to become entombed, yet God stands ready at the entrance of our entombed lives ready to "Roll and Rock". Ready to roll the rock right out of our lives that we might be resurrected to newness of life!!
Let me elaborate for a moment about some of the stones that have us trapped in tombs.
I. Stone of Disobedience: The Angel in Matthew 28:7 had instructed the ladies to "go quickly and tell".
Who were they to tell and what were they to tell? They were to tell the disciples that Jesus had risen!!Think for a minute about what would have happened had the ladies chose to stay at the tomb. Had they disobeyed the disciples would never had known that Jesus was alive. We who are saved are to be telling the world Jesus saves and is alive and well. If we disobey then how will others know who Jesus is? We must ask God to remove the Stone of Disobedience in our lives so that others can be resurrected from their tombs.
II. Stone of Fear: The Angel in Matthew 28:5 and 8 allays their fears. He tells them "Do not be afraid".
Fear is the one stone in our lives that can literally kill us. Fear will freeze you, prevent you from acting at the very moment you must and in some situations this will kill you. If you had to jump from a sinking ship into the ocean but became fearful to the extent you stayed on board then you would die as the ship went under. Notice that the angel wants them to "go and tell", but how can they if they are frozen in fear. The Angel then speaks in such a manner that their fear is relieved and they leave the tomb according to verse eight " afraid yet filled with joy,". We must allow God to remove our fear if we are to ever become effective witnesses for Him. Then we can run "afraid yet filled with joy" for all the lost souls that will be saved.
III. Stone of Salvation: Matt 19:25-26
25 When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
KJV
The rich man wanted to know if he could buy salvation! Jesus was telling him that salvation comes through the grace of God which is given freely to all men who ask. God stands ready at the door of the tomb of your life ready to roll back the stone for salvation to come unto you. You cannot save yourself! You cannot stand inside the tomb and release yourself from its confines! Max Lucado says "and unless somebody does something, you don’t have a chance of going to heaven." God said it was impossible, No chance, No way!! You have to have help from the outside and the only one who can move the stone of salvation is God!!
Max Lucado "God does not save us because of what we’ve done... only a great God does for His children what they cannot do for themselves."
God never intended for us to attempt to save ourselves that is why He stands at the entrance of our entombed lives ready to roll the stone of salvation so we can walk from the tomb free.
IV. Stone of Unbelief: Matt 28:17
17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.
KJV
Mark 16:9-14
9 Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.
10 And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept.
11 And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not.
12 After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.
13 And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them.
14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbeliefand hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.
KJV
Luke 24:11
1 And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.
KJV
Luke 24:40-41
40 And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.
41 And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?
KJV
John 20:24-28
24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
27 Then saith he to Thomas, reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
KJV
The final stone is actually the first stone in your life that must be removed by God in order to allow the power of resurrection to occur in your life. This is the stone of unbelief or doubt. Jesus cannot be resurrected in you until the stone of unbelief is rolled away.
Who will roll the stones away from the entrance of the tomb in your life?
