GOD STILL MOVES STONES!

(This is an abridged version of the sermon preached at Epworth Chapel, Baltimore on 4/8/12)

Mark 16:1-8

Over twenty centuries ago, in the darkness of a sealed tomb, in an obscure corner of the Roman Empire, an event occurred that would turn the world upside down.

The Scriptures tell us that it was early one Sunday morning, and three women (Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome) had set out to go and minister to the dead body of Jesus. The women’s intent was to anoint the Lord’s body with spices, and prepare it for a “proper” Jewish burial – to offer some dignity to the undignified circumstances surrounding the Lord’s crucifixion.

We recall that at the crucifixion on Good Friday, Jesus had hung upon an old rugged cross for some three hours. He had suffered, bled and died a sinner’s death. And late on Friday evening, the Lord had been buried hastily, abruptly and unceremoniously.

At the Lord's death, there was no fanfare… no funeral service… no singing… no praying… no obituary… no eulogy… no casket… no hurst… no motorcade… no graveside service… and no repast. The Lord’s body was simply wrapped in linen cloth, carried outside the city, and placed in an empty, borrowed tomb. And then a stone was rolled against the door of the tomb.

The Scriptures also indicate that the stone was very large and heavy. There is no record of anyone picking it up… all they could do was roll it. And the three women who had come to anoint Jesus wondered among themselves who would roll away the stone so they could get to the Lord’s body. It was a large and heavy stone.

It seems that the stone had been placed at the tomb for security purposes. If we can imagine, the stone may have been placed there so that no one could get into the tomb, and see the mutilated, broken and bloodied body of Jesus – this man who had gone about claiming to be God… claiming to be the King of the Jews… this man who had the audacity to claim that he was the “Resurrection and the life"… he who had dared to challenge Scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees in the streets and in the temple.

This was a scandalous, unjustified, merciless, despicable death that the Lord had endured. Pitiful and shameful, horrible and gruesome, horrendous and disgraceful was the Lord's crucifixion – and no one was to see the end result – the dead corpse of the Lord.

And so, the stone was large and heavy. And the women wondered, “who” would roll away the stone?

As the three women arrived at the tomb, to their utter amazement and bewilderment, they looked up and realized that the stone had already been rolled away. And even more amazing, was the fact that as they entered the tomb – they received word from an angel that Jesus was no longer there. He is risen indeed! Hallelujah!

In these first eight verses of Mark’s 16th chapter lies the good news of the Resurrection. The stone has been rolled away!

The image of the stone here is intriguing. Here it is – a large object and difficult to move. The stone – an obtrusive force – an unmovable object – an obstacle. An obstacle is something that stands in the way of something else. I’ve come to discover that there are several ways to deal with an obstacle. You can go under an obstacle... or you can go over an obstacle... or you can go around an obstacle... or you can chip away at an obstacle... or you can attempt to go through an obstacle... or you can attempt to pick up an obstacle and move it... or you can wait and hope that an obstacle will remove itself... or you can wait for some help in moving an obstacle.

The stone – the obstacle - that the women encountered was very large and very heavy. Isn’t lie like that? The stones – the obstacles of life often become difficult to move. Problems seem impossible to solve. Situations and circumstances stand in our way. Obstacles often seem insurmountable.

We find unmovable, difficult situations all around us. At home, on our jobs, in our churches, in our schools, in our communities, throughout our world – obstacles abound. Broken marriages and tattered relationships, difficulty with our children, difficulty with our parents, money problems, ethical dilemmas, the stones (obstacles) of life abound.

The good news of the Resurrection is that as the women arrived at the tomb, wondering about who would remove the stone, the stone had been rolled away! And just as God removed that stone, the same God can remove the stones form our lives. God still moves stones!

It is the power of God that can remove the stones from our lives. Living He love me… dying He saved me… buried He carried my sins far away. Rising He justified… freed me forever… one day He’s coming back … glorious day! God still moves stones!