Who Shall Roll Away The Stone?

Who shall roll away the stone?

Shell Point Baptist Church

Pastor Allan H. Kircher

Matthew 28:2,“The angel of the Lord descended from Heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.”

As the holy women went towards the tomb in the twilight of the morning wanting to embalm the body of Jesus,

they recollected that the huge stone at the door of the tomb would be a great barrier in their way.

So they said to one another, “Who shall roll away the stone?”

That question gathers up the mournful enquiry of the whole universe.

“Who shall roll away the stone?”

In man’s path of happiness lies this huge rock, which completely blocks the road to eternity.

Who among the mighty shall remove the barrier?

Philosophy and society have attempted at the task of its removal and miserably failed.

So who could move the massive stone and bring life and eternal existence to light?

Generations after generation of men have buried their loved ones and the all devouring tomb had swallowed the multitude.

Who could give hope beyond the grave?

Throughout the centuries there has been the whisper of the resurrection, but men would not believe it.

They dreamed of a future state, talked of its mysterious nature, but never considered the resurrection.

Men continued to enquire, “Who shall roll away the stone?”

To the women there were three difficulties;

1. The stone itself was huge,

2. it was stamped with the seal of the law,

3. and it was guarded by the powerful Roman Legionaries.

To mankind there were the same three difficulties:

1. Death itself was a huge stone not to be moved by any strength known to mortals,

2. Death was evidently sent of God as a penalty for offences against His law,

3. the red seal of God’s vengeance was set upon the tomb’s mouth.

Who could roll the stone away?

The women who loved the Savior found an answer.

They came to the tomb of Christ, but it was empty, for Jesus had risen.

Here is the answer to the world’s enquiry.

There is another life; bodies will live again for Jesus lives now.

Sorrow no longer; Amen. Those mourning at the tomb will know that the dead in Christ shall rise.

Wipe away those tears; for the believer’s grave is no longer a place for mourning, it is the passage to eternal existence with the almighty God.

I purpose, this morning, to talk a little concerning the resurrection of our exalted Lord Jesus.

First of all, may the Holy Spirit bless us to understand that the stone rolled away will preach to you?

And that our thoughts of this matter will be divided into six parts.

First, the stone rolled away is the door of the tomb that is removed.

Death’s house was firmly secured by a huge stone; but the angel removed it, and the living Christ came forth.

The massive door, was taken away from the grave—not merely opened, but unhinged, flung aside, rolled away.

Now death’s ancient prison house is without a door.

Christ’s believers shall pass in it, but they shall not be shut in.

For now, there is nothing to prevent us from coming forth and rising from it in due time.

Just as Samson arose early in the morning and took up upon his shoulders the gates of Gaza—post, and bar, and all—and carried all away, and left the Philistine stronghold open and exposed,

So it has been done at the grave by our Master.

Who, having slept out His three days and nights, according to the divine decree,

arose in the greatness of His strength

and bore away with the iron gates of the tomb, tearing every bar from its place.

The removal of the imprisoning stone was the outward sign of our Lord having plucked the gates of the grave and exposing that glorious light of heaven.

Remember that our Lord was committed to the grave as a hostage.

“He died for our sins.” Like a debt they were imputed to Him.

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

He suffered to the fullest; the great substitution for our suffering, and then He was confined in the tomb as a hostage until His worked should be fully accepted.

That acceptance was His coming forth from the tomb;

and that coming forth would become our justification.

“He rose again for our justification.”

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

If Jesus had not made total final atonement, He would still be captive to the grave.

But HE had done it all.

When He had spoken from His own lips, “It is finished,” the verdict of Jehovah was established and Jesus was set free.