The gospels all have a slightly different spin on the
resurrection story.
This is not unusual. Take three reporters, place them at a major breaking news
event. And, the stories the reporters write all will be different.
The central truth at the core of the story will be the same but perhaps the reports from
witnesses, how they describe the scene, will vary according to the writing skills,
observational abilities and overall creativity of the writer.
Things were not much different at the time of Jesus resurrection. Each had the
core of story right...Jesus no longer was in the tomb, what varied where the details
that surrounded the big story not only of that day but of our day.
Mary Magdalene was central to all of the resurrection stories. In one narration she
was accompanied by Mary, mother of James and Salome. In another she was by herself.
There is not questioning the presence of Mary Magdalene since she was
mentioned in two sources.
Nor does it change the core of the story...Jesus was no longer in the tomb, the stone had
been rolled away.
In one of the tellings, Mary ran to get the male disciples. They then all returned
to the tomb to witness what Mary had already seen, the tomb was empty. Jesus was no
longer in the tomb, the stone had been rolled away.
In the other telling, that had all three women at the tomb, they entered the empty tomb
and saw a young man dressed in white, who told them to go tell his disciples and Peter
that He has been raised.
So there is little question that when the empty tomb was discovered, the disciples were
told of it being employ. Either by Marry singular, or Mary Magdalene singular or
Mary in the company of the other two women.
And regardless of who tells the story, it does appear Mary Magdalene was the first
to see the risen Jesus. He appeared to her while tears yet were streaming down her
cheeks. He asked her while she was weeping.
Mary already had mourned the death of Jesus, but now she was crying for she feared
someone had stolen his body. First they killed Him and now she worried they had
desecrated what little she had left of her Savior. They did not even leave her
a body to care for.
Although Mary first thought it was a gardener she was talking to , when Jesus called her
by name, she quickly recognized Him.
Jesus then sent Mary back to tell the disciples that He had arisen from the grave and
would soon be ascending to the Father, who also was their father.
When you compare the two tellings, and work your way through the details, you actually get
a more complete story of what happened that magnificent day. If you want the best
depiction of any news event, watch a couple of television stations, read a couple of
newspapers and then as a topper, get the next week's news magazine, Time, U.S. News and
World Report, any of them, and then you get the benefit of someone looking back on the
event, after having a week to digest all that went on and to fill in the details. And all
the stories said, the stone had been rolled away.
Sometimes, when a news event is fresh, some of the little details are missed in the
eagerness to get the big story out.
I wish today we had a magazine version of the resurrection so I could get one little
detail solved in my head.
Who Rolled Away the Stone.
In the Biblical story featuring three women, their big concern was how they were
going to roll away the stone so they could anoint Jesus' body. But when they
arrived, they found the stone already rolled away.
In the other telling, the first thing that is mentioned is the awareness that the stone
had been rolled away.
The stone is the central physical piece in the entire resurrection story.
Pilate had it placed there for security. Since Pilate is not here to be
interviewed, we do not know if he had the stone placed to keep Jesus in, or His
disciples out.
Pilate did not what Jesus' body moved. He know prophecy and He did not want it
fulfilled by a grave robber. Someone taking Jesus' body and then saying He had
arisen.
So he had a heavy, big, bulk stone...probably a boulder, placed in front of Jesus'
borrowed tomb, and then placed soldiers there to guard it.
But when that third day came...the stone had been moved...Who had rolled the stone
away...inquiring minds want to know.
The stone was what stood between Jesus and the Disciples.
Mary, Mary and Salome worried they could not get to Jesus because of the stone.
The disciples fretted because there was a stone between them an their savior.
But when the third day came, Who rolled away the stone.
Even after Jesus arose from the grave, Christians have allowed stones to be rolled between
them and their savior, some of us have bigger stones than others, but we all at one point
or time in our lives have had stones between us and Jesus. Something that kept us
from getting to our Savior.
One of the first stones we all had to remove is ignorance. We do not instinctively
know who or what our savior was. We had heard the name of Jesus but we had to know
the man name Jesus. Some has to tell us the story of salvation. We have to
understand for ourselves. Who rolled away the stone.
Then we had to learn to rid our selves of the bag full of pebbles that when piled
atop one another were as big as a boulder. Selfishness, ego, materialism, not loving
our fellow man, the list could go on an on. Some of those pebbles may be weighing us
down today. But who rolled away the stone.
The biggest stone was our accepting Jesus as our Lord and savior and repenting of those
sins we have committed. That was a big stone in our life. It is hard to yield
to Jesus, giving up control, placing your life in His hands. Allowing the savior to
us you as He would have you to be used. It was a major stone but it moved. Who
rolled away the stone?
There is a story about a man who lived in a cave. One day he awakened and
there was a massive stone blocking the entrance way.
He prayed to God to deliver him from his dilemma. God told him to go and push as
hard as he could against the stone and the stone would be removed.
Every day the man pushed at the stone, he strained until you could see the veins in his
body popping up. He pushed and pushed and yet the stone did not seem to yield an
inch.
He did this for a week, several weeks, a month, then several months. He was making
no progress the stone still was blocking his way.
He prayed again for deliverance from his situation.
God told him he already had been delivered.
How the man asked?
God told him, look at your arms and legs. Look how muscled and strong they are.
By pushing at that stone every day, you have developed strength you never had
before. And you have endurance. Every day you have become a better man for
your effort.
"But the stone never moved," the man said.
"It moved when you started pushing in faith" God explained, "There has yet
to be a stone made that will keep me from thee. Now, I will roll the stone away, but
once you started pushing, it was a hindrance but it no longer was a barrier for you. All
you have to do is keep pushing. And I will roll the stone away."
Mary pushed to see Jesus, even though she thought He was dead, Who rolled the stone away?
God had rolled the stone away. He will not allow anything to stand between us
and our savior.
When you are going through bad times, and it seems to be a mountain of boulders between
you and our savior, keep on pushing, get stronger in the Lord, God will roll the stone
away.
When its seems even bigger than a stone, when a mountain sits between you and your savior,
just have faith the size of a mustard seed, then say move mountain, and the mountain will
tumble into the sea.
It was you pushing that gave you the insight to persevere, but it was not your saying
move, that made the mountain crumble, it was God hearing your faithfulness and Who rolled
the stone away? God pushed that mountain right into the sea.
When you are deep in despair, down so low the only way to look is up, Who will roll that
stone of depression away. Just keep on pushing, God will strengthen you and He will
roll that rock away.
Do you have stones in your life today. Boulders that keep you out of the fellowship
with Jesus. Barriers that keep you from getting close with Jesus. Keep on
pushing. Do not fret when they do not seem to move. Every day you push you are
getting stronger. Everyday that you push you are getting more endurance. Every
day that you push you are showing more faith in God. Keep on pushing, and the stone
will roll away.
Who will roll the stone away.
God will roll the stone away. He will not let anything stand between us and His son
Jesus Christ.
God will roll our stones away.
