A Trip to the Tomb
Jerry Watts
Mark 16:1-7
* We are a ‘traveling people.’ This means we like to take trips. After living here for over 7 years and having lived on the coast for 13, I find it almost humorous about the destinations which are appealing. Those on the coast seem to love the mountains. Those around here (with the mountains so close) love to go to the beach.
* This morning let’s take a ‘trip’ of sorts to the tomb of Jesus. On crucifixion day, Jesus was mercilessly & barbarously killed. A rich man named Joseph asked for & given the right to bury Jesus. Surprisingly to some, Nicodemus (of John 3), assisted Joseph in the burial and from scripture several of the women (I.E. Mary Magdalene, Mary-mother of Joses, etc) followed, watched, and made sure they knew where Jesus was buried. Scripture tells us that because of the upcoming “Sabbaths” they could not do all they wanted in preparation of His burial, so they quickly buried Him & planned to return after the Sabbath to finish.
* Consider what they must have felt as they walked away from the tomb & lay their heads down to sleep knowing their loved one was not done right. I suggest their spirits must have been low. Jesus, the one they loved, listened to, and learned from; the one who had brought them so much hope was now dead & not properly buried.
* Have you noticed the time lapse in the Bible between crucifixion day and resurrection day? Passover was a high and holy time. It was when the nation remembered God’s death angel passing over their ancestors while exacting judgment on the Egyptians. It was a celebration, a party, and NOTHING IS WRITTEN in scripture about that particular Passover. Know why?
* Because no span of time, no holiday, and no life, is worth anything without Jesus. Jesus was in the tomb – & for His friends all seemed lost. The only mention of this time was when the Romans Rulers & Soldiers sealed the tomb to make sure it wasn’t disturbed.
* Personally, I’ve often wondered if the real reason the soldiers & leaders who witnessed the death of Jesus sealed that tomb was to keep people out. Perhaps they were hoping to keep HIM in! Either way, it didn’t work.
* But for the next few minutes consider the women in this story. They were determined to honor Jesus’ death by the ritual of anointing His body, so, Sunday morning, three days after His death; they got up by daylight and were heading to the tomb. As they made their way to His tomb with their spices and oils in hand, we hear them ask what I call;
1. A Pertinent Question – This question is found in verse 3 & it is: “Who will roll away the stone from the entrance to the tomb for us?” Think about the context of this question. Probably 3 or 4 ladies are headed to the tomb at daylight and they want to anoint Jesus’ body so they His body is adequately prepared for an eternity in the tomb because they have lost sight of His own words that He would rise again. Problem is this; what stands between them & Him is a bolder which weighs approximately 1 or 2 tons. Talk about problem? From a human standpoint their trek to the tomb & question they ask reveal one of the all-time wastes of resources and effort. Here’s why: It will probably take more than 3 or 4 men to move that huge stone away so they can get to Jesus. I confess my carnal thinking as I have often wondered, “What were these women thinking? What was it that drove these ladies to the tomb so absent of the ability to complete their task?” Personally, I believe it was love for the one who had touched their souls so deeply & changed their lives so completely.
* Let us put ourselves in the shoes of these women. Let us take our journey to the tomb of Jesus. We can have everything in our hands & hearts to honor Him & His sacrifice. But, like the ladies faced, there is an obstruction to getting to Jesus. For many, the stone which is sealed in place is our pride. Honestly, we feel like we are doing just fine. We want to see Him, but we don’t really have to. For others, the stone represents that we have embraced other gods in our lives. It matters not what these are (I.E. hobbies, families, schedule, job, money, etc) because they have become our god. They have become our idols. An idol is any good thing which has become the ultimate thing so now they have become bad things in our live. John Calvin said, “The human heart is an idol factory.” Your idol keeps you from Him. Think about the reason you may not pray daily& attend worship regularly.
* I ask you, “What is your stone?” What is it that blocks you from getting to Jesus? I offer the answer to this question in on word – SIN. It is sin that keeps you & I separated from Holy God. Our problem is: “We don’t get to define sin, God has already written the definition.” Our culture tries to teach us about ‘right and wrong’, sad to say, our culture has everything upside down. Not surprisingly, what God calls, “Sin”, this culture calls “a right.” For the record, Sovereign God over-rides the Supreme Court & Creator God has more authority than Congressional Gurus. Don’t base your life on this culture; it will block you from Holy God.
* The ladies asked the question as we ask the question today, “Who will move the stone?”
2. A Powerful Answer – Tradition tells us that Peter told this entire story to John Mark who penned the gospel of Mark. I love the way these two characterize these happenings. Look at verse 4. To paraphrase this verse, “When they got close enough to this very large stone to see it, they were amazed that it has already been rolled away so they had access to Jesus.”
* This is what the suffering, cross, death, and burial was all about; to give us access to the glorified Jesus. It’s all about Jesus. You see, my personal conviction is not that the stone was rolled away that Jesus could get out, but that we could go in meet this living Lord Jesus who has suffered & died in my place for my sin to give me life today & for eternity. The stone was rolled away, the blockage was removed, & the door was open to give us access to Him. The ladies didn’t have to worry about removing the stone because that was already taken care of. Isn’t that just like Holy God? By the way, God ‘had’ the stone rolled away, He didn’t do it Himself. Matthew (28) tells us that God sent an angel who, in front of the Roman soldiers, remove the stone and then sat down on top of the stone. (In my own mind, I wonder if he sat there just to see how those soldiers might react.)
* Don’t miss how this applies to you & me. The stone of our sin blocks us from Holy God. All of good works, good name, and even good intentions will not move this massive stone. Nothing we can do on our own will ever move this stone and give us access to God. However, just like God sent an angel to remove the physical stone from the tomb of Jesus, God sent Jesus to remove the stone of sin from your pathway to God. We can never reach God apart from the work of Jesus in our lives. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, & the life, and NO ONE comes to the Father except through me.” There is only one way to God & that is through Jesus, His only Son. Jesus is the answer for you. The stone is gone, access is granted, and the way is open. Without Jesus, you will die in your sin & spend eternity in a place called hell. With Jesus, your sins are forgiveness & eternal life is your home.
* The question today isn’t “Who will or who can move the stone,” the question is “Who has moved the stone?” It is our Lord Himself. He has removed every obstacle & He calls you.
* As you past the tomb today, the place of death has become a place of life, a place of sorrow has become a place of joy, & a place of hurt has become a place of eternal bliss.
3. A Permanent Solution – To envision the empty tomb is to be reminded that our Lord has once and for all overcome death, hell, and the grave. The old hymn says it, “Death could not keep its prey, Jesus my Savior, He tore the bars away, Jesus my Lord! Up from the grave He arose?” The greatest fear of man is death – few people want to die because we love to live. In fact, we love to live so much that we have decided that we know best about how to live – so we spend hours on end placating our desires. Let me offer a couple of practical thoughts: First to the Students, you only get one shot at life on earth. When you do something, you cannot undo it. It’ll be a part of your life until you die. Next to them & US; this life is very short. It seems like yesterday our son was learning to walk & today he has a son who has learned to run. Years ago, Malvina Reynolds, Harry Belafonte, & later Alan Greene put together a song. The words are;
“Where are you going my little one, my little one?
Where are you going my baby, my own?
Turn around and you’re 2,
Turn around and you’re 4,
Turn around & you’re a young girl going out of my door.
Turn around and you’re a young wife with babes of your own.”
* We do so much to protect this life on earth, and this life is NOT ALL THERE IS. What you do in this life is not a permanent fix. As you pass by the open tomb of Jesus you must understand that, one day, (if God doesn’t call this world to a close), a grave will be the resting place for your remains – but your soul doesn’t rest unless it is that permanent rest.
* Permanent rest (as well as eternal life) is only found in Jesus. Paul wrote, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men – most miserable.”
* As we have traveled to the tomb of Jesus – asked the pertinent question & heard the powerful answer have we embraced God’s solution that is the only permanent possibility? The Bible tells us that we are all sinners and that no sinner gets to God (or heaven) on his own. The good news is that Jesus died for your sin, rose for you to be made right before God, and now the stone is moved giving you access to forgiveness, hope, & eternity. But God requires you to make a decision. If you have never made a decision for God, your decision is against God.
* Pastors, like me, always take it on the chin because – people say – we ‘miss good places to close our sermons.’ Have you ever wondered why that is?
* Here my reason. As I speak the question is always burning in my heart, “If the rapture were to occur this minute, who would be gone & who would be left? And my prayer is this, “God what would you have me to say that might be used by you to change someone eternal destination?”
* Lanny Wolfe wrote these words, “Only one life, so soon it will pass, only what’s done for Christ will last. Only one chance to do His will. Give to Jesus, all your days, it’s the only life that pays, when you recall, you have but ONE LIFE.” Jesus gave His all so that you don’t have to. Access is granted because of His death, burial and resurrection.
* What will you do with what Jesus has done for you?
