Welcome everyone today. There are people that have come from quite large distances and some that have come from short distances, but no matter how far you've come or not travelled a long way, you are very welcome here this morning. We are happy to see all of you and your shining happy faces right now.
Your shining happy— how can you not be joyful? Like exuding joy. Jesus is risen. He is risen indeed. Yes, it's Resurrection Sunday, people.
Get joyful.
And the lights go down. Do you like the title? The original Rolling Stone. I thought you of all people, Scott, would appreciate that. So as many of you know, I have moved around a lot, and what goes along with moving houses are storeys of the moving experience.
And these storeys are always unique to the particular move and always memorable in their uniqueness. But I think that the one that maybe stands out the most for being unusual would be when I moved to the South Shore of Nova Scotia from Saint John, New Brunswick. So the house that I moved into, into Nova Scotia, in Nova Scotia, had in its past also been a business. So it had the house, and then there they would have the business attached to it. But it was, when I moved in, I didn't have a business.
I just used that end as a storage room. So the most recent business that had been in there that had just moved out a couple of weeks before I moved in was a home heating oil company called Payless Fuels. I don't know if you have that out here. We have that out here. Oops, I live here now.
Which had, as I said, just a couple weeks before I moved in, they had moved about a kilometre up the road. So obviously Payless had notified their customers of the move, but as you can probably imagine, it took a bit of time for people to get used to the fact that Payless was no longer there. Despite the fact that all the signs were gone, that Google Maps had it listed as closed, The company's answering machine mentioned their new location, customers still took a bit of time to get used to their change of location. And never was this more clearly demonstrated than when a stranger just walked right into my house right after we moved in. So I was at work and my sons were home in the living room in their pyjamas, of course, because they weren't going anywhere.
No need to get dressed, um, and they were putting together our furniture. And being that it was summer and it was a beautiful day and that we lived in the middle of nowhere, the front door was open. So without a knock or ringing the bell, a woman just walked into the house. And as soon as she came into the front hallway, it was obvious that she had thought that she was entering a different space. The woman was not looking for my home.
She had come searching for someone else, and despite the signs that something had changed, that things were now different, the woman was shocked and confused and bewildered when she didn't find what she expected. So today is Resurrection Sunday, when Christians across the world celebrate Jesus' victory over death. He is risen. The tomb is empty. This is, of course, the very core of our faith.
But what was it like for the first witnesses who arrived at the tomb and found it empty? Like the stranger walking into my house that summer, these witnesses were looking for someone and arrived to find that they weren't there. The person who came into my house failed to notice the signs that things were not what they thought. The signs for Payless Fuels were gone, there were no oil trucks in the parking lot, All these signs could have given the stranger advance notice that something was different. And for the women who were heading to Jesus that morning, there was one big sign that something was up.
Something that they noticed as soon as they arrived told them that everything was not what they assumed it should be. Anybody guess what the sign was? The stone was moved, right. Each of the four gospel accounts all make mention of the fact that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance of the tomb. Matthew's account is a bit different in that it says that an angel rolled the stone away by the time the women arrived.
But in all of the gospels we know that the women notice that the stone has been rolled away, and therefore they know that something is up. So we're going to listen to each of the four accounts, not the entire gospels, It's okay, but just the part about the stone being rolled away. So the first one is Matthew. "After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, and going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it." That was chapter 28, verses 1 and 2.
Now we're going to look at Mark. John 20:1-4. 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 away the stone from the entrance of the tomb?" But when they looked up, they they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. Now Luke 24:1-2: On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.
They found the stone rolled away from the tomb. And then John writes in chapter 20: Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So as you heard, there was a few differences in the accounts, right? Some mentioned 2 women, some 3, some a larger group. And John focuses in on Mary, but not because he's stating that the others weren't there, but because he's highlighting her personal experience.
And there's also some slight differences in timing. Some say it was still dark, others say it was early morning or sunrise, likely reflecting the women setting out in the dark and arriving as the sun rose. Matthew describes the stone being rolled away with an earthquake and an angel present, while the others describe it already having been moved. In other words, Matthew shows us the moment, the others show us the result. And there's a few other small variations—what the women expected and how the angels appear—but all four gospels agree on what matters most: the tomb's empty, The stone is rolled away, the women are the first witnesses, and no one arrived expecting resurrection.
The stone that was rolled in front of the tomb to seal it, which is described in the gospel, matches up with descriptions of burial practises in ancient Palestine. Jesus' body had been laid in the tomb belonging to Joseph of Arimathea, so-called because he was from the town of Arimathea. And so he isn't confused with the other Josephs in the Bible. Joseph was part of the Sanhedrin, the group of Jewish religious leaders who had called for Jesus' crucifixion. However, Joseph was opposed to the council's decision and was in fact a secret follower of Jesus.
Joseph was wealthy and the Bible refers to him as a good and upright man. After Jesus' death, Joseph makes a risky move. And he went to Pilate to ask for Jesus' body. Then being given permission to take the body, he and Nicodemus wrapped the body in strips of linen. Because it was just before the Sabbath and late in the day, they hurriedly placed Jesus' body in Joseph's own tomb, which was located in a garden near where the crucifixion took place.
Archaeological discoveries have shown that the kind of tomb that is described as belonging to Joseph of Arimathea were used by first-century Jews of high rank, which of course Joseph was. These tombs had disc-shaped stones about a yard in diameter that would be rolled down a slanted groove to cover the entrance to keep out animals. And while it would be simple for one person to close the tomb, it would take several people to try and roll that stone back up out of the groove away from the entrance. As the women were the first to arrive at the tomb, they must have been wondering on their journey how they were going to move the stone in order that they could properly prepare Jesus' body for burial. Maybe they had devised a plan of action to move it, and they may have been able to move the stone working together, but it would have been really very hard and heavy work.
But as it turned out, They were spared the effort of moving it. It had been done for them. So the question we're asking this morning is why? Why was the stone rolled away from the entrance by the time the women arrived? Obviously Jesus didn't need to move it in order to get out of the tomb.
Right? If we look ahead to John's Gospel in chapter 20, after the resurrection has been witnessed and the disciples are together trying to fully wrap their heads around what has just happened. We read in verse 19 that on the evening of that first day of the week when the disciples were together with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." So obviously Jesus is not stopped by doors. So I think it's pretty safe to assume that stones aren't going to get in his way either. So why was it moved?
Was he just making it easier for them? Ensuring that they didn't have to go to all that effort of moving the stone just to find him gone? Was he just trying to save them time? All four gospels tell that the rock had been moved, so that must mean it's important for us to acknowledge it.
By moving the rock for them, Jesus leaves the tomb open, and therefore there is nothing blocking them from them seeing the reality of the resurrection. There's nothing holding them up from seeing for themselves that he has risen. Perhaps then it was in order to give them the news he wanted them to know as soon as possible. Kind of makes sense. After all, the resurrection was certainly the most radical event in history.
Look at what Paul says about it in 1 Corinthians 15:2-5. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you; otherwise you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas and then to the Twelve. As Paul told the Corinthians, Christianity stands or falls on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We can only see the significance of the cross and the rest of Jesus' perfect work through the lens of resurrection.
Nothing in history brought more extreme changes than the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Nothing had a bigger or greater or far-reaching impact worldwide. If the resurrection didn't happen, we would still be in sin and everything we believe about God Jesus and salvation would be empty and meaningless. It brought profound changes in our faith, in our purpose, and in our standing before God. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the key that proves who Jesus is.
It demonstrates that God accepted Jesus' sacrifice on our behalf. It shows that God has the power to raise us from the dead. It guarantees that the bodies of those who believe in Christ will not remain dead. But will be resurrected and given eternal life.
So that's pretty vital information, isn't it? So that could be one reason why the rock was moved away from the entrance before any of the women arrived. This world-changing event needed to be proclaimed, and the sooner the better. But maybe there's something more, another reason for that stone being moved. Perhaps seeing in our mind's eye that the stone moved away from the entrance of the tomb, perhaps that can give us an image of how Jesus cleared our path back to the Father by removing all the obstacles that had been separating us until his death and resurrection.
If we see the stone that sealed the tomb We see that as being like the wall of sin that kept us from being able to be right with God. Right? Are you picturing that? Then seeing it moved can illustrate for us that all barriers between us and God have been removed. We are now free to enter into the presence of God through the empty tomb.
No more need of sacrifices or priests. To speak on our behalf. Jesus was the final sacrifice, and with his resurrection and later his ascension, which took him back to the Father, he now sits and intercedes on our behalf. So no need for priests to speak on our behalf. Jesus allows us direct access to the Father through himself.
We can have a mental image of that by picturing the stone rolled away from the empty tomb. God has made the way clear. He has rolled away the stone. But now what? How do we react to seeing the open and empty tomb?
Well, let's look at the first witnesses, how they reacted first, and see if we can relate to any of their experiences. So let's start with the women. In more than one account, we read that their first reaction was fear. Afraid, alarmed, trembling, bewildered, frightened are some of the words used to describe their reaction to finding the tomb empty. Understandable in the circumstances, really.
Right? They arrive at the tomb and the body of their beloved Jesus was gone.
However, even though their initial reaction was fear, the scriptures tell us that they also felt joy and that they couldn't wait to share the good news. So, are you like these women at the tomb, able to find joy in Jesus even in times of fearfulness, in situations when you are facing the unknown or experiencing great difficulty or distress? Are you willing and eager to share the good news of the resurrection and what it means to those who may not have heard? Are you able to do so even when you're in the midst of feeling overwhelmed? With what else is going on in your life?
The women at the tomb had just had their world turned upside down. They had no idea what to expect next, what was going to happen. Yet even in the fear of the unknown, they were able to find joy and were able to push past their fear to share that joy with others. In Matthew, we find that the women hurried away from the tomb afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell the disciples. And suddenly Jesus met them.
'Greetings,' he said. They came to him, clasped his feet, and worshipped him. Are you able to worship Jesus even when your world has just been flipped upside down? Are you able to find Jesus and hang on to him, worshipping him, when life feels chaotic?
Or Do you relate more to Peter? According to Luke, after the women came and told the 11 what they had seen, the men didn't believe them. Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away wondering to himself what had happened. So do you have to experience things for yourself in order that you can believe?
If you're already a follower of Jesus, perhaps hearing The gospel from someone was not enough for you to accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. Maybe you needed to read the scriptures for yourself. You needed to have an experience of the Holy Spirit that made it all real for you before you could make that decision. Or for those who are not yet believers, perhaps listening to friends or family members who are followers of Christ makes you think, well, that's okay for you, but if God wants me to believe all this about Jesus, he's going to have to show me something tangible. Give me a sign that I can understand.
Like Peter seeing grave clothes in the tomb. Seeing those let him know that the body had not been moved or stolen. Grave robbers wouldn't stop to remove the linens before taking the body. Seeing those linens gave Peter the sign he needed to believe that Jesus had done what he would say what he said he would do. He had risen from the dead.
Hearing it from someone else wasn't enough for Peter. He needed to see it for himself. Perhaps John is the one you find most in common with. In his Gospel account, John writes that he and Peter took off running for the tomb to look for themselves to see if what the women told them was true. John passes Peter on the way.
Notice that John's writing it too, but He passes Peter on the way to the tomb and he gets there first, but then he hesitated. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there, but hesitated before entering the empty tomb.
So do you feel as though you're at the edge of the empty tomb? You're close, but hesitating to make a commitment to fully accept the invitation. That that empty tomb offers? Do you find yourself still wondering if this whole Jesus thing is true?
Do you know that God is giving you signs or putting people in your path to point you in his direction, but yet you find that you need some more time to think it through and process before committing? You just need some more time before stepping into a relationship with Jesus. Or what about the guards? Matthew's Gospel tells us, "While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, 'You are to say his disciples came during the night and stole him away while you were asleep.
If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.'" So the soldiers took the money and did what they were instructed. And this storey has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day. The guards, who were Roman officers, were placed at the tomb by Pilate, who wanted to make sure that the disciples didn't come and steal the body and then claim that Jesus had risen from the dead. We don't know how much they witnessed on resurrection day. Apart from seeing the arrival of the angel who rolled the stone away and who caused them so much terror that they became like dead men, We don't know if they heard what the angel said and realised that the body was missing from the tomb and had risen.
But we know that they must have realised something extraordinary had happened because they were willing to report it to the Jewish authorities. We cannot know for sure what their motives were, but we do know they accepted bribes to agree to saying that they had fallen asleep on duty, which carried the harshest of punishments. Not to mention how lame their storey would sound, because if they were asleep, how would they know that the disciples had stolen the body?
The guards didn't deny that Jesus' body was missing from the tomb. Their main concern was coming up with an alternative explanation. And for some today, they, like the guards at the tomb, find it easier to try and find an alternative option for the empty tomb It's easier to do that than accepting that resurrection really happened.
One of my own family often says that the reason he doesn't believe is because nobody comes back from the dead. To which I'm always, "That's the point. That's why we know." Right? Pardon? Well, yes, like, thank you for proving my point of my faith, yes.
Somehow it's easier to overlook the fact that neither the Jews nor anyone else ever found the body of Jesus, because the other option means accepting that all that Jesus did and said is true. And there will be some who simply do not want to accept the reality of the resurrection because they don't want to accept the truth that is Jesus. So if you remember back to the storey I was telling you at the beginning of the message, you'll remember that I left off with a strange woman in my house. So how did that all work out? What did she do once she figured out that she was not where she expected?
Well, I wouldn't want to leave you on a cliffhanger, so I'll finish the story. She came into my front hallway, looked around in shock, that she had entered into a place that she didn't recognise in a situation that she wasn't expecting. And like the witnesses at the tomb, she could have reacted in one of several ways. She could have, in her shock and bewilderment, run away. Or she could have hesitated, looked for evidence that she was where she had intended to go.
The lack of signs, the two young men sitting in the living room putting furniture together would have been a big hint that something had changed. But she could have just refused to believe what she was seeing. Or she could have accepted that things had changed and made a decision to tell others that news. "Hey, guess what? That's no longer there.
It's all different." I will leave you all guessing as to which one actually occurred. But a choice is what awaits us at the door of the empty tomb. Do we step in and say, "This is not what I expected, so I'm out of here"? Or do we step in, look around in wonder, and fall to our knees in worship? Because surely to goodness we don't need any more signs.
Jesus already left us the only one that we need. The tomb was empty. Let's pray.
God, we thank you for the cross. We thank you that you willingly went and suffered and died for us.
But then we thank you that the tomb was empty. God, nothing more miraculous has ever happened in the world, in history. And yet there's still some that struggle to believe the truth.
And so, God, as we, we come here today and we worship with the joy that we know the truth of the resurrection, we know the truth of the whole Easter storey is just the way that you decided to show your immense love for the world. But we pray for those who are resisting that truth, who are just afraid to step into that empty tomb, who are just holding themselves back from experiencing that amazing love and that unbelievable forgiveness that you give to anyone. It is open to anyone. All we have to do is step into that empty tomb. And believe.
So God, we pray for those who are not there yet. We pray that they will take that step, that they will enter that empty tomb and they will look around in wonder and believe. And then in the meantime, God, may each one of us be out there sharing the joy of the resurrection in everything that we do every day that we are here.
May we serve those around us with the love that you love us with. May we be the light that shines peace and hope that is so desperately needed in this world today.
And may we just always be able to hang on to your feet, clinging to you Knowing all that you did for us, all that you continue to do for us, has given us everything that we can ever need. So God, just be with us as we continue on in worship here. We are so thankful and we love you so much. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
