We gather here this morning to remember and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The gospel writers put a great amount of time into sharing the details of our Lord’s trial and crucifixion; however, the account of the resurrection is contained in only a few short passages; and yet the resurrection is the basis of the Christian faith, the very event upon which our faith is founded.
In 1 Corinthians 15:16-17, the Apostle Paul declared, “If the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen; and if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!” But Jesus has arisen! And because Christ has arisen from the grave, those who put their faith and trust in Him will be released from the bondage of sin; and we are going to discover and celebrate this morning how Jesus Christ, through the resurrection, has rolled away the enormous stone of sin in our life.
A Stone Must Be Removed (vv. 1-3)
1 Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. 2 Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. 3 And they said among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?”
On the third day after the crucifixion – which was Sunday, “the first day of the week,” according to verse 2 – these women set out to anoint the body of Jesus. He was buried on Friday afternoon; and then arose on Sunday morning.(1) A.T. Robertson notes that “some people are greatly disturbed over the fact that Jesus did not remain in the grave a full seventy-two hours,” because He had said on numerous occasions that He would rise after three days (cf. John 2:19-21).(2) But the phrase “after three days” (cf. Matthew 27:63; Mark 8:31 KJV) is merely an idiom and not meant to represent an exact measure of time.(3) If He had remained in the tomb a full three days, or for seventy-two hours, and then arose after that, it would have been on the fourth day, not the third day.(4)
This Scripture says that this attempt at anointing His body took place “when the Sabbath was past” (v. 1). These women were not allowed to purchase spices or even travel on the Sabbath;(5) and so, as a result, there had not been time to render the last services to the body of Jesus. So, immediately after the Sabbath had passed, as early as possible, they set out for their difficult task.(6) So, how early was it? Well, John tells us that “it was still dark” (John 20:1). Thayer’s Greek Lexicon states that the original word here (proi) “was used of the fourth watch of the night; the time from 3 o’clock in the morning until 6 [o’clock].”(7) Robertson comments that “probably they started while it was still dark, and the sun was coming up when they arrived at the tomb.”(8)
These women awoke to the darkness or night and great sorrow, for they had perceived that Jesus lay cold and lifeless in the tomb. You see, death represents darkness. It also represents loss and separation from our loved ones and from our mortal life; and for those who do not have salvation from their sins, it represents the loss of heaven and eternal separation from God. Death can lead to feelings of hopelessness, despair, and darkness; but the dawning of this Sunday morning was a new and glorious day that would leave these women filled with joy and excitement; and the beginning of this week was to mark the dawning of a new beginning and hope for all humanity.(9)
These women were still grief-stricken as they set out, preoccupied with sorrow, as they gave no forethought as to how they would remove the stone once they arrived. As they made their way to the tomb it finally dawned on them, and they asked among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?” (v. 3). When the word “door” is mentioned, it literally means “an opening.” In front of the opening there ran a groove which was downward sloping, and in the groove, there was a large circular stone that rolled in this track. The women knew it was quite beyond their strength to move a stone like that – one that was so large and heavy, that had to be rolled back uphill.(10) But its size and weight paled in comparison to its spiritual counterpart.
“Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?” (v. 3). There are many people all across the world – and perhaps even in this sanctuary – asking this very same question. The Bible is clear in stating the fact that we are all sinners. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” We have all fallen short of God’s standard of holiness, or the Law; and according to Isaiah 59:2, our sin results in separation from God. In fact, it is even worse than that, for our sin leads to an eternity in hell, which is spiritual death. Romans 6:23 tells us, “The wages of sin is death.”
Charles Spurgeon, who is known as the prince of preachers, tells us that “the stone itself was huge; [and] it was stamped with the seal of the Law.”(11) He elaborates, “Death itself was a huge stone not to be moved by any strength known to [man]. Death was evidently sent of God as a penalty for offences against His Law . . . The red seal of God’s vengeance was set upon that sepulcher’s mouth. How should that seal be broken? Who could roll the stone away? Moreover, demon forces and [the] powers of hell were watching the sepulcher to prevent escape. Who could encounter these and [save condemned] souls like prey from between the lion’s teeth?”(12)
So, let me ask you, “Who will roll away the stone on our tomb and save us from spiritual death?” The stone of sin stands between each of us and eternal life, prohibiting our access to heaven; and it is a stone too heavy to move alone. In John 10:9, Jesus declared of Himself, “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved.” But how can a person enter the door of salvation, and enter heaven, if there is a massive tombstone that stands in the way? The simple answer is that a person can’t – at least not without help. So, is there anyone who can bear the weight of sin on our behalf and remove the heavy stone?
Jesus Must Remove the Stone (vv. 4-6)
4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away – for it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. 6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him.”
The women arrived at the tomb expecting it to be blocked with a large stone; one which none of them could remove. However, we read that “when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away” (v. 4). It was already gone, and none of them expended any effort in removing it! In fact, even if they had tried, there was no way it could have been budged, for we read of its size that “it was very large” (v. 4). And do you know what else is so large that it can’t be removed by human effort? The answer is “our sin.” Spurgeon says that death’s house was firmly secured by a huge stone. The stone rolled away must evidently be regarded as the door of death and the grave having been removed.(13)
So, how exactly was the stone removed from the tomb? In Matthew 27:62-66, we learn of how the chief priests and Pharisees petitioned Pilate to post a guard at the tomb to make sure His disciples did not come by night and steal His body; so, it was not removed by Jesus’ disciples. Did the young man in white – or rather, the angel – take away the stone? No. The answer is that Jesus removed the tombstone. It was already rolled back before the women or the angel ever arrived on the scene. The angel was only there to announce the good news of the resurrection. We need to understand that Jesus can remove the gravestone in our life and save us from sin and spiritual death.
Spurgeon states, “The massive door, you will observe, was taken away from the grave – not merely opened, but unhinged, flung aside, rolled away. And henceforth, death’s ancient prison-house is without a door . . . The removal of the imprisoning stone was the outward type of our Lord having plucked up the gates of the grave – post, bar, and all – thus exposing that old fortress of death and hell, and leaving it as a city stormed and taken, and henceforth bereft of power.”(14)
We cannot save ourselves from sin. Salvation can only be accomplished through Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” To quote Spurgeon: “If you are building upon anything that you have done, or anything that priestly hands can do for you, [then] you are building upon the sands which shall be swept away by the all-devouring flood, and you and your hopes too shall go down into the fathomless abyss wrapped in the darkness of despair. Oh, to build upon the living stone of Christ Jesus! Oh, to rest on Him who is a tried cornerstone, elect, [and] precious! This is to build safely, eternally, and blessedly.”(15)
The Bible says of those who have confessed Jesus as Savior and Lord, and have put away their former life of sin, that (quote) since “we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection” (Romans 6:5). When we decide to put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ, we are saved from our sins, snatched from the tomb and the darkness of death, and resurrected spiritually; thereby, receiving eternal life in heaven to worship in the presence of Almighty God forever and ever.
Through the resurrection “God has decisively answered the women’s question, ‘Who will roll away the stone?’ – not only from Jesus’ grave but also from ours. Jesus’ resurrection destroys the power of death over human beings, which seems to be a huge stone that no one can ever roll away. The message of Jesus’ resurrection transforms a hopeless end into an endless hope.”(16) And that is what we have when we put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ; we have an endless hope! Amen?
We Must Tell of the Resurrection (v. 7)
7 “But go, tell His disciples – and Peter – that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.”
So, what should be our response when we hear the good news of the resurrection; both of Jesus Christ and our own resurrection from sin and death? What is our responsibility? From our passage, we learn that “the women must go to the disciples, who must in turn go to Galilee. This command,” according to commentator David Garland, “is the first time that Jesus’ followers are told to tell something about Him.”(17) He says that the resurrection, therefore, marks a turning point. There is no more need for silence or secrets. Before the resurrection, Jesus commanded secrecy from His followers, and open proclamation was considered disobedience; but now, the opposite is true. Jesus now commands open proclamation from us and secrecy is disobedience.(18)
You see, our responsibility is to “go and tell.” The angel commanded the women, “Go, tell His disciples – and Peter” (v. 7). In the book of John, we read how when Mary Magdalene told Peter about the resurrection that “Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple . . . So, they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first” (John 20:3-4). Whenever we “go and tell,” it results in people “coming to see” – to see the empty tomb and to see Jesus – and to hear the good news that they too can be resurrected from spiritual death into everlasting life.
Some of us will hear the good news today during our Easter worship, that Jesus has been raised, and we will sing hymns praising God. Some of us will then go home to an Easter dinner and go back to the routines of daily life, largely unaffected by the news; being neither filled with awe nor compelled to tell anyone about what we know. Will the account be told by anyone other than Mark the evangelist?(19)
Time of Reflection
Allow me to close by once again quoting Charles Spurgeon. He says, “The stone is rolled from the door of the sepulcher . . . nothing can shut us up in the grave again. The grave has changed its character. It has been altogether annihilated and put away as a prison-house, so that death to the saints is no longer a punishment for sin, but an entrance into rest. Come, brethren, let us rejoice in this. In the empty tomb of Christ, we see sin forever put away. We see, therefore, death most effectually destroyed. Our sins were the great stone which shut the mouth of the sepulcher, and held us captives in death, and darkness, and despair. Our sins are now forever rolled away; and hence, death is no longer a dungeon dark and dreary, the antechamber of hell, but the rather . . . the vestibule of heaven.”(20)
In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, Paul said, “[Let us not] sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.” If we place our faith and trust in Jesus Christ, then one day we will be resurrected just as He was; raised into new spiritual life, to live forevermore in the kingdom. If you have never before confessed Jesus as Savior and Lord, then I encourage today to put your trust in the resurrection of Christ. Romans 10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
NOTES
(1) A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, vol. 1 (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1930), p. 400.
(2) Ibid., p. 400.
(3) Ibid., p. 400.
(4) Ibid., p. 400.
(5) David E. Garland, “Mark,” The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1996), p. 612.
(6) William Barclay, “The Gospel of Mark,” The Daily Bible Study (Edinburgh, Scotland: Westminster Press, 1954), p. 387.
(7) Bible Hub: https://biblehub.com/greek/4404.htm (Accessed March 3, 2025).
(8) Robertson, p. 399.
(9) Garland, p. 612.
(10) Barclay, p. 387.
(11) Charles Spurgeon, “The Stone Rolled Away,” Blue Letter Bible: https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0863.cfm (Accessed March 5, 2025).
(12) Ibid.
(13) Ibid.
(14) Ibid.
(15) Ibid.
(16) Garland, pp. 624-625.
(17) Ibid., p. 614.
(18) Ibid., p. 614.
(19) Ibid., p. 629.
(20) Spurgeon.
