Roll Back the Stone

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. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. Matthew 28:1-4

Let me ask you to think about a simple question this morning: What if the stone had never been rolled back so that the Marys could see inside the empty tomb? What if the angel had never appeared on that Sunday morning? What if Mary and Mary had never gone in to see where Jesus’ body had been laid?
If those things had not happened, we would not be gathered here this morning to remember what Jesus did on our behalf. Without the empty tomb and witnesses to the empty tomb, we would have no hope of resurrection or eternal life. The apostles and early disciples would never have preached the message of Jesus Christ, they would have never endured the persecution they endured, they would not have done all the things they did… Peter, Andrew, James and John would have gone back to fishing. Matthew would have gone back to his tax collector’s booth. Simon would have gone back to scheming ways to overthrow the Romans. And you and I would have never heard about the Son of God coming to earth.
We gather this morning because the stone was rolled away from the entrance to the tomb. We gather this morning because the Lord is risen. We gather this morning because he will come again.
So as we eat this bread and drink this cup, let us remember the hope that he has given us. Let us remember the power we have through him. Let us remember the calling we have received to be his people and continue the mission of reaching out to those in this world who need to know of the risen Savior.