Who Will Roll Away The Stone? Series

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’re 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 Needs to 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 on Sunday, the first day of the week) these women set out to anoint the body of Jesus. This Scripture says this took place “when the Sabbath was past” (v. 1). These women were not allowed to purchase spices or even travel on the Sabbath.(1) 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 on their difficult task.(2)

These women awoke to great sorrow, for they had perceived that Jesus lay cold and lifeless in the tomb. You see, death represents loss and separation; 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 and despair; but this particular Sunday morning was a new day and a very special day. “The beginning of this week [was to mark] the dawning of a new beginning for humanity.”(3)

These women were apparently still grief-stricken when they set out, because they gave no thought to how they would move 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 ‘opening.’ In front of the opening there ran a groove, and in the groove a circular stone . . . and the women knew that it was quite beyond their strength to move a stone like that.”(4)

“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 even in this room – asking this same question. The Bible is very clear in telling us that we’re 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; and according to Isaiah 59:2, our sin results in separation from God. In fact, it’s even worse than that, for our sin leads to spiritual death and eternity in hell. Romans 6:23 tells us, “The wages of sin is death.”

So, the big question we have is this: “Who will roll away the stone on ‘our’ tomb, and save ‘us’ from a spiritual death?” And why might we be asking this question? Well, the reason why is because the stone of sin stands between us and receiving eternal life; and it is a stone too heavy for us 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 into heaven, if there is a massive tombstone that stands in the way? He can’t. So, is there any way for the stone of sin to be removed?

Jesus Has to 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.”