The Trophy-The Stone Rolled Away

The Stone Rolled Away – The Trophy

April 15, 2001

Matt 28:2

2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.

As the holy women went towards the sepulcher in the twilight of the morning, desirous to embalm the body of Jesus, they recollected that the huge stone at the door of the tomb would be a great impediment in their way, and they said one to another,

Mk 16:3

"Who shall roll us away the stone?"

i. In man’s path of happiness lies a hug rock, which completely blocks up the road

ii. Who among men can remove the barrier?

iii. Generation to generation…man have buried their dead…the sepulcher (grave), becoming their prison of no escape

iv. The women

1. The Three Difficulties

A. The Stone was huge, it was stamped with a seal of the law and it was guarded by the representatives of power

a. To man, there are also 3 difficulties…

b. Death itself is a huge stone that no one could move

c. That death was evidently sent of God as a penalty of offense against, His Law

d. The red seal of God’s vengeance was set upon that sepulcher’s mouth – how could that seal be broken?

i. Who could roll the stone away?

B.

2. Let The Stone Preach

A. First, the stone rolled must evidently be regarded as the door of the sepulcher

Removed

a. Death’s house was firmly secured by a huge stone…the angel removed it

b. AND THE LIVING CHRIST COME OUT OF IT

c. The massive door was taken away from the grave…it wasn’t just merely pushed open…but it was unhinged, flung aside, rolled away

i. That means from that day on…death’s prison-house is without a door

ii. You and I will may pass in, but WE SHALL NOT BE SHUT IN

Judg 16:3

(Samson)… took hold of the doors of the gate of the city and the two gateposts, pulled them up, bar and all, put them on his shoulders, and carried them to the top of the hill that faces Hebron.

2A. The Grave Exposed

a. He left the Philistine stronghold open and exposed…and so was with

Jesus…that rose from the dead…took hold of the prison bars of death and

tore them apart

b. It is an outward picture of Jesus plucking up the gates of the grave

- Removing post, bar, and all – and exposing death and hell and leaving it as a city stormed and taken

3A. The Freed Hostage

a. Remember, Jesus was committed to the grave as a hostage

1 Cor 15:3

Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

b. Like a debt they were imputed (charged) on Him

c. He discharged the debt of obligation due from us to God, on the cross

i. He suffered to the fullest – and was confined in the tomb as a hostage until His work should be fully accepted

ii. His coming forth was the evidence of acceptance…and that coming forth would become our justification

Rom 4:25

25 who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.

4A. “It is Finished”

a. If He had not full paid the debt He would have remained in the grave

b. If Jesus had not made effectual, total, final atonement, He must have

continued captive

c. But It was done…when the words left His lips, “It is finished”…Jesus was set free…and defeated death and hell…the stone was rolled away

d. The work of salvation is perfect…the prison doors are no more

B. It was a Trophy Set Up

a. The world loves to honor men by building monuments for them

- Washington Monument, Lincoln memorial

- They love giving trophies – MVP

b. But the greatest monument…the Greatest Trophy is the stone rolled away

c. It is a monument of Christ’s victory over death and hell

i. And it becomes us to remember that His victory was achieved for us

ii. And the fruits of it is ours…We have to fight with sin, but Christ has overcome it

iii. We are tempted by Satan: Christ has given Satan a defeat

iv. As we struggle through a trial…a storm…we need to remember the stone rolled away…the trophy that displays Christ’s victory for us

C. The Third use of the Stone, observe that here is a foundation laid

a. This is our faith…this is the Gospel…this is our salvation…this is our

foundation

b. This is the key-stone of Christianity…take that away and there would be

nothing

c. If He had just died on the Cross, then…

1 Cor 15:17-18

17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!