The Stone

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. (Matthew 28:1-6 ESV). That first Easter morning was not anything like we might have imagined it to be. There were three ordinary women who had a friend that had been murdered. Soon after his death, they took some aromatic spices and went to his graveside. It was a normal task to be performed. As they walked into the garden where the tomb was, they could not have known on that seemingly insignificant day, they were about to witness the greatest event in history. This event was so significant that it would shake the whole world and eventually every person who ever lived would have to come face to face with its significance. Quietly, the women were discussing whom they could get to roll away the huge stone that had been placed over the opening of the tomb. It was clearly too large for the three of them to push aside. The pre-dawn hush was suddenly broken as a violent earthquake shook the ground beneath their feet. Imagine their fright when, on the heels of the earthquake, an angel appeared. "Do not be afraid", he said, "for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; He has risen, just as He said." It was not for Jesus in His resurrected body that the stone needed to be rolled away. It was for the women, so that they could see the empty tomb. When we ask Him to, God will remove the "stone" that keeps us from seeing and receiving the present and eternal benefit of Christ's death and resurrection. As the children of God, we often miss the significance of His present work. I often tell people that missing the “ordinary” while searching for the “extraordinary” is a grave mistake. We take for granted the miraculous works of our Father in each day of our lives. When I awake in the morning, I know the miracle of God’s grace. When I retire in the evening and sleep overtakes me, I know the grace of His forgiveness and rest in the provision of His promise. There are no more stones to be rolled away. That has already taken place once for all. In that one work, God opened our eyes to the work of the Holy Spirit. It is an extraordinary work of grace! Celebrate that work today… Happy Easter!