Easter Mark 16 " Who will roll away the stone?"

 Easter -Mark 16

"Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." I Cor. 5

Alleluia. Christ is Risen.  Response- Christ is Risen Indeed. Alleluia.

   The women were there to annoint the body of Jesus with sweet spices they had bought.  They did not know a lot of things but they were wondering and said among themselves, " Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?" 16:3

1.  What stones have not been rolled away?

I see good intention here to annoint the body of Jesus with the aroma of the spices, but they were troubled about how they would get into the tomb.   So we too have stones in our paths that have not been rolled away.

We are unable to see inside the tomb just as the women wondered.  We are unable to see where we are going at times.  Our lives are like the mirror that we see darkly I Cor. 13. One day it will all be known face to face.  " I shall know even as also I am known."

 They were "unaware of the deputation of the Jewish rulers, which had gone to Pilate, and secured the sealing of the Stone and the setting of the watch over the Tomb (Matthew 27:62-66)" biblehub.com

What are we worrying about?  We too are like the women going to the tomb before the sun came across the sky, not knowing the obstacles , and seeing many.

We are unable to be on the journey without fear and concern because we too are asking, " Who shall roll away this stone?"

2. But they looked and saw, " the stone was rolled away; for it was very great." 16:4  Was the worry and concern necessary ?  For the stone was rolled away.  Our stones too will be rolled away , if but we wait in patience and love for God to act.  His power can move anything especially stones.

"The usual form of tombs in Palestine was the following: - There was generally an approach to the tomb open to the sky; then a low entrance on the side of the rock, leading into a square chamber, on one side of which was a recess for the body, about three feet deep, with a low arch over it. The stone here referred to by the women would be the stone which covered the actual entrance into the vault. It would probably be not less than six feet in breadth and three in height. This great stone had been rolled By Joseph to the mouth of the tomb" pulpitcommentary

Our stones too can be rolled away if we but patiently and prayerfully ask God for help. 

3.  The Angel

" The angel rolled back the stone not to throw open a way for our Lord to come forth, but to provide evidence to people that he had already come forth.  As the virgin's womb was closed, so that the sepulcher was closed , yet He entered the world through her closed womb, and so He left the world through the closed sepulcher."  Bede 

vs. 5 " And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment, and they were affrighted."

vs. 6 " And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. "

Go, tell his disciples and Peter that He goeth before you into Galilee...there shall ye see him.

They were amazed and trembled and went out quickly. 16:8

"Doris Castle

Ryde, Isle Of Wight, United Kingdom

This hymn was sung by my school , at an outdoor Easter service, at Middlefield School, in the morning Scottish sunshine. When I was about 8-10 years old. The words touched my heart and mind that day, and led me on to Salvation. I'll never forget how it touched me and my life!"

Hymn writer: Cecil Frances Alexander

There is a green hill far away,

outside a city wall,

where our dear Lord was crucified

who died to save us all.

We may not know, we cannot tell,

what pains he had to bear,

but we believe it was for us

he hung and suffered there

He died that we might be forgiven,

he died to make us good,

that we might go at last to heaven,

saved by his precious blood.

There was no other good enough

to pay the price of sin,

he only could unlock the gate

of heaven and let us in.

O dearly, dearly has he loved!

And we must love him too,

and trust in his redeeming blood,

and try his works to do.

Alleluia. Christ is Risen.  Response- Christ is Risen Indeed. Alleluia.