The Stone was Rolled Away    

“Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it.” Matthew 28:2 NLT

You possibly may have heard it said when Jesus rose from the dead, ‘the stone was rolled away not to let Jesus out, but to show the tomb was empty.’ Indeed, it was. Jesus rose in His new glorified body and had no need for a door to be opened for Him. Matthew tells us an angel descended amid a great earthquake and rolled away the stone, and just in time for Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James, had just arrived at the tomb. The women were discussing along the way how would they move the stone away to anoint Jesus’ body which they had intended to do. (Mk.16:3) There was a barrier of a large stone between them and Jesus that needed to be moved. But as they arrived, the stone had rolled away.

Is there a stone in your life that needs to be rolled away that is creating a barrier between you and the Lord? Your busy work schedule is causing you to lose all interests in the things of God, the things of this world are winning the battle to be on top of your priority list, or perhaps it’s some besetting sin that is continually reoccurring that is the stone needing to be rolled away. So, what do you do?

Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James, met Jesus on the road while running from the tomb. The stone had been rolled away and Jesus wasn’t in the tomb but stood before them alive. The stone has been rolled away to show you that Jesus has risen from the dead. He is alive, ready, willing, and able to forgive your stones of sin and break down that barrier by rolling those sins away and placing them under His blood to be remembered no more. Ask Jesus to place those sinful stones at the foot of His cross by confessing and repenting of them, and He will. The stone was rolled away for our benefit. Jesus is not dead, He’s our living savior ready to forgive.

Read: MATTHEW 28:1-15 NLT – The Resurrection – Early on Sunday – Bible Gateway