The Stone Was Rolled Away

Matthew 28:2 “And behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angle of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.”
Matthew records just how much the religious crowd was afraid of Jesus. They saw him die. They knew he was buried but they were afraid what Jesus had said just might be true and then what would they do? As is always the case when man goes against God man feels his wisdom and cunning is sufficient to cover up his sin. The chief priest and Pharisees wanted to make sure the tomb would be secure so they ask for Roman protection. Look at their request in Matthew 27:64, “Command therefore that the sepulcher be made secure until the third day…..so the last error shall be worse that the first.” They knew they had made a huge mistake and now wanted Pilate to keep them safe.
After Jesus had died and his body taken down off the cross we find the account of his burial. A great stone was rolled over the door of the tomb as was the custom and the sepulcher was sealed this time with a Roman guard and Roman seal. All is secure and the religious crowd could rest easy. When the women came to prepare the body as also was the custom they were concerned they would need help moving the stone that sealed the tomb. When they got there at sun rise they found the stone had been rolled away the guards were asleep and an angel was waiting for them.
God had smiled and sent an angle and an earthquake not to let Jesus out but to let the women in. The angle spoke to the women “Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”
There may be a stone covering your heart. You may be sealed in a tomb of your own making. It may be sealed with doubt, tradition, pride, selfish indignation, or any number of other stones we place there. Maybe you are like the Pharisees and don’t believe and have asked the god of this world to protect you. God can remove all the stones just as He did that first Easter morning. No stone is too large that God can’t move it. He can move it gently or He can send an earthquake. Once He rolls the stone away we are to do as the women did we are to go quickly and tell others He is risen.
Jesus bore our sins on the cross and became our atonement before God. He is not still on the cross he is not in the tomb He is alive and well and seated on the right hand of God. Do you have a stone that needs to be rolled away?