The Stone

 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body. 2Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3and they asked each other, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?" 4But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. Mark 16:1-4

I love all the Scriptures dealing with the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but this one has always held a special place. It was the women who followed Him who were on their way to the tomb where He'd been buried, with the intent to anoint and wash His body. such was their love for Him. Yet they knew they would face an overwhelming problem in reaching Him. The tomb had been sealed, and in fact, Jewish religious leaders had asked Roman authorities to do the sealing, which would make it impossible for them to carry out their intent. How would three women without the needed strength, remove a stone far beyond their ability to remove? Can you imagine their amazement when upon arriving, they not only saw that the stone had been rolled aside, but that an angel of the Lord greeted them, telling them that the One, the Christ, they had been seeking wasn't in that tomb, that He was risen, that He was alive. The angel then directed them to go and tell all His followers that Christ the Lord was risen, which they did.

A wonderful, glorious story, and two thousand years later, it remains so, even more so. But the part I never seem to lose sight of, that continues to bless and move me, is the rolling away of the stone. That stone stood for all the obstacles we tend to see in life. Obstacles that we see as keeping us from Him, His Life, Hope, Joy, Peace, and Freedom. The stone that blocks our access to the fullness of His resurrection life, and the power and wonder that comes with it. The stone that the enemy of our souls continually rolls before all our hopes of freedom. Freedom from the penalty of sin, from the consequences of those sins, and from the deathgrip that he continually seeks to hold us. It is a stone that we know, as did the women, that we cannot remove ourselves. It blocks us from entering into the life that He has promised. It makes impossible any idea of self-effort, of doing enough, keeping enough rules, of earning His favor. The stone blocks that all completely. It takes a power, greater than all that of the world, the devil, and our flesh to remove it. And the Father, in and through Jesus Christ, has provided it. The stone that no amount of effort can remove, is removed through simple, believing, saving faith in the crucified, yet risen Christ. The stone has been rolled away. Has it been rolled away for you?

What are the "stones" in your life that are keeping you from encountering and knowing the risen Christ and the resurrection life He offers? They are only immovable stones in your eyes, not His. Whether it be unbelief, fear, open wounds, and a plethora of other things, none may bar the heart that seeks Him. Stop trying to reach Him and His life by your own efforts. You can't. Trust Him to roll every stone aside, and then behold Him, the risen Christ. That stone could not prevent Him from coming to you, and it cannot prevent your coming to Him. It's been rolled aside, so.....come!

Blessings,

Pastor O