Saturday, April 16, 2022

Easter Dawn

 The Stone Rolled

 

They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, - Luke 24:2

 The big problem for the Easter women was the rolling away of a huge stone to get to Jesus’ body. The body of Jesus had been buried in haste as the Sabbath was approaching. Having rested on the Sabbath they were returning back to the tomb to finish the burial of Jesus. As they traveled, the asked each other “who will roll the stone for us?”   People always face the problem of moving obstacles which seem insurmountable.

 1.       The problem – to do the impossible: move the stone. For the women to get to Jesus they would have to have the stone which was very large rolled away from the tomb.  Just how huge was that stone?  The tombs outside of Jerusalem at the time of Christ had an entrance of between 4.5 – 5 feet.

 A stone to cover such an entrance had to weigh between one – two tones. Yet wonder of wonders Luke will tell us that the stone is rolled away from the entrance of the tomb. The stone is rolled away not for Jesus to get out – but so that the witnesses of the resurrection may enter.

 What they find is that the tomb is empty. “They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.” – Luke 24:2-3 

 2.      There are stones that need to be rolled away to get us to get to Jesus; pride, doubt, religion – non-Christian training (influences) in childhood.  If Christ is to have His way with us in the Easter season such influences must be purged from us.  If Christ is to have His effect in our life all obstacles must be removed so that He can rule in our life. If Christ is to have an impact in our life He must be at the center of that life.

 How is this done? Christ gives us His Holy Spirit. We pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy Kingdom Come.”  The Kingdom of God comes to us…When our heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that by His grace we believe His holy Word and lead godly lives here in time and hereafter in eternity.

This is what we pray for when we ask for Christ’s kingdom to come to us. We ask that God would graciously grant us true faith and a godly life. Says St. Paul, “As you have therefore, received Christ Jesus, the Lord, so walk in Him.” –Colossians 2:6

 As we pray for the Savior’s kingdom to come we ask that He would extend His kingdom of grace on earth through missions and evangelism. What an excellent time for you to share your faith with others. Our message is the same as those early 1st Century Christians.  We simply share with others that “we are witnesses of these things.

We pray that the Savior would hasten the coming of His kingdom of Glory. Our prayers need to be that which is recorded in Revelation 22:20 “Even so, come, Lord Jesus, come even today.”

 3.      The solution – “The stone rolled away” God removes the stone away for the women to enter the tomb to find it empty. So He rolls those stones in our lives for us – this is pure grace! This is the good and gracious will of God. Everything God wants to do for you according to His promises is His will for your life. “God would have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” - 1 Timothy 2:4

 Everything that the Father wants us to avoid according to His will is His intent for you. Says, St. Paul, “This is the will of God, even your sanctification.  -1 Thessalonians 4:3

 Everything that the Father wants us to suffer patiently according to His good pleasure is His intent for you. “Then Jesus said unto His disciples, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow Me.” – Matthew 16:24

As the Father rolled away the stone for the women on that first Easter so He continues to remove those stones in our lives. Thanks be to God who has given us the victory! A blessed Easter in Jesus’ Name.

 

Words-735
Passive Sentences -14%
Readability – 79.6%
Reading Level – 6.0



[1] Easter © Ed Riojas Higher Things


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