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. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.
(Mark 16:1-4, NIV)
The women came to the tomb to complete the burial process on Jesus’ body. There was just one problem. A large stone stood between them and what they were to do. It was an impossible dilemma for the women. Or, at least, so they thought.
When they came to the tomb they found the stone rolled away. They also found out that the task they thought they came to complete was really something very different. They did not come to this tomb to prepare a body, they came to this tomb to witness and declare a resurrection.
This week, I was asked a question, “Does God still move stones?” I will admit the first thought that came to my mind was kidney stones . . . yes; my mind works that way some times. Once my mind came back to the actual question I was asked I started to think about what the stones in our life might be that he would move. I think the stones are impossible, immovable situations in our life. As much as we may push, scratch, claw, hammer, and chip away at it, we cannot move the stone. We are stuck in our tombs. We are unable to do what we are to do and unable to reach Jesus.
Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life.” We quickly miss that Jesus said this before he was raised from the dead. Resurrection and life are part of his very character and identity. They describe, in some way, who he is and not just what he experienced.
Jesus is our resurrection and life. Moving stones is part of his very character and being. Whatever the impossible situation in your life is, he can roll the stone away and say to you, “Come out!”
Blessings,
Pastor Stephen