Who Shall Roll Away The Stone

Who Shall Roll Away the Stone?

Study Text: Mark 16:1-8

Introduction:

- Mark tells us that when the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices to prepare Jesus’ body for burial.

- Early on Sunday morning, certain women came to Jesus tomb to anoint His body properly as it was hurriedly done on Friday. But there was a big question on their lips, “who shall help us roll away the stone?”

- When they got to the tomb, the stone had already been rolled away, but not by any manpower. It was God power. An angel of the Lord had rolled the stone away.

- All their worries and concerns over the problem of the stone had been needless. God had things under control.

- Their tears and sadness, doubts and fears had been needless too. Jesus was not dead! “He is risen, just as he said,” the angel told them.

- That same God is active in our lives too. Easter gives us an opportunity each year to revisit the empty tomb and be reminded of the power of God, who is able to do more than we can ask or imagine.

- Satan thought it was over for Jesus and the redemption of Man, but the day became the beginning of victory for Man and a day of great accomplishment for Jesus.

- We shall discuss the topic under three sub-headings:

1. A Progressive Decision

2. A Problematic Distraction

3. A Powerful Dominion

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1. A Progressive Decision

- Thank God that they were women of faith as stated in Hebrews 11: 35, they decided to go and try rather than staying indoors like the men.

- These women, Mary Magdalene, Mary and Salome had followed Joseph as he buried Christ on Friday. They watched as he wrapped the body in the linen. They saw him place Jesus' body in the tomb. They stood there watching as the stone rolled into place sealing the tomb.

- There were no alleluias, no notes of joy in their hushed whispers. They were grieving and devastated. They had seen their beloved Jesus, their teacher, stripped of not only his clothes, but every possible shred of human dignity, murdered in the most horrible way possible, and laid in the garden tomb.

- Sundown and the Sabbath approached quickly; the shops were all closed and so they could not even purchase the proper spices to anoint and honour his body and, in some small way, return to him the dignity that had been so cruelly taken away.

- Their biggest worry this morning was the heavy stone they had seen placed at the entrance to Jesus’ tomb. Who would move it away for them so they could perform the duties of love and honour for their teacher, their friend, their Lord?

- So, they gathered quietly, with their heads down, speaking their few words in hushed whispers. The women knew that all the followers of Jesus were now in grave danger, but Love called them to risk their very lives. The disciples, especially Peter, who had denied even knowing Jesus — they had all run away and were now in hiding.

- As the stone rolled into place it signified for them the end of Jesus' life and his ministry. The stone rolled into place was a symbol of the end of their hopes and dreams for a new life. Finally, the stone sealing the tomb was an obstacle.

- For these women, it prevented them from ministering to the body of Jesus. The stone became a symbol for the end of it all. The stone was such a powerful symbol for them that they discuss it while they are walking. How will they get past the stone? How will they get past this obstacle, this symbol of death and ending, to anoint the body? Who will roll away the stone?

- These women began to walk to the tomb, knowing the stone was there. How would they be able to remove the stone and anoint the body of Jesus? Remember, this was a big stone. The three of them together would not be able to remove it. It was a burdensome stone. If they were to give it their all, they would still be unable to roll the stone away.

- In spite of the difficulty facing them, they began their journey toward the stone. It would have been easy for these women to not even begin their journey. They knew this huge stone was standing in their way, and yet they pressed on. Oh can’t you hear them talking as they walked along the way, “Who is going to move the stone out of our way?”

- Just like the stone over the grave of Jesus was an obstacle to these women, we all have stones which prevent us from reaching out in faith to Jesus Christ. Often times, most of the time, we cannot remove them by ourselves. Like the women on the way to the tomb we are not strong enough to move these heavy stones. But there is someone who can.