Jesus is Risen, Alleluia; He is truly risen, Alleluia!!
A Happy Easter to one and all. What a glorious Sunday morning it is!
On this Easter morning I was thinking about that stone. You know the stone I'm thinking of, the stone that was rolled across the tomb where they had laid Jesus. Scripture scholars have concluded that this was no small stone. A tomb, hewn out of rock, on the side of a hill, would require a large stone. Such a large stone that it was estimated that 15-20 grown men would have to roll such a stone to the tomb in order to properly seal it. And consider this, the stone would be in place in such a way that to roll the stone away from the tomb, you would be rolling that stone uphill.
In the Gospel of Mark we may recall that the women, who were preparing to go to the tomb, were discussing who will roll that stone from the tomb for them. Perhaps the women already knew how many Roman soldiers were assigned to guard the tomb of Jesus. Perhaps they knew there would not be enough men. Surely the Romans did not assign an entire contingent of guards, normally 16 soldiers, to guard the tomb of a dead man. In the Gospel of Matthew, we hear of a powerful earthquake that did the job and the stone was moved from the entrance of that tomb. This morning, we hear in John's Gospel that simply, the stone was already removed!
How wonderful that the stone was removed for when the women see this they run and tell the Apostles. John and Peter run off to see, John arriving first but waiting for Peter. It was Peter who entered the tomb and found Jesus gone, the burial cloths left behind. At this point did they realize that Jesus indeed has risen from the dead? Scripture tells us that when John entered the tomb as well, they believed! Not really understanding previously about rising from the dead, they now believed. And now we believe that Jesus Christ is risen today, Alleluia!
As people of faith, on this Easter Sunday, we need to think about our own tombs, our own stones, and will we let that stone be rolled away. I'm not speaking of our physical death here; no I'm speaking of the spiritual death when we allow sin and wordliness to overtake our lives. When we succumb to sin, we are allowing ourselves to be placed in a tomb. And the world simply wants to roll a stone across that sin, and trap us in a world that rejects faith, rejects hope, rejects love. But there is good news here, if we allow it; for there indeed is someone who will roll away our stones, there is someone who will lead us out of our tombs, there is someone who will bring us out of darkness into His light. Jesus Christ, the Risen Lord, will roll away our stone. Dear brothers & sisters, it does not matter why we are in our own tombs, why those stones are rolled across our paths. Perhaps the sin is a terrible sin, perhaps it's been a long time we have persisted in sin, perhaps sinfulness has even led to despair and depression, even a physical addiction. But there is one who has risen from the dead far superior to sin, far superior to despair and depression, far superior to addiction. There is one who brings joy and hope, their is one who brings faith and love; there is one, and only one: Jesus Christ, He who is Risen! Alleluia!
There is no tomb so deep and dark that He can not enter and lead us out, there is no stone so large and massive that He can't roll away, to break all of our obstacles to end a life of no hope and lead us to a life of all hope, there is no sin He cannot forgive, there is no despair or addiction He cannot cure.
Jesus Christ rose from the dead for you and for me, Jesus Christ rose from the dead to roll away our stones.
You know it is so easy today, perhaps even for the next few days to be an Easter people. For all of us here this morning, for all who may hear or read this homily, the key is to always remember we are an Easter people. The key is to ask Jesus always to be the Savior He came to be in our lives, in our hearts. In the week ahead, we celebrate Easter every day. Easter is an octave which means it is Easter Sunday all week. In the week ahead, can we perhaps commit to asking Jesus to roll away the stone that keeps us trapped. Can we perhaps pick up our Bibles and read the account of that first Easter morning in all the Gospels? It won't take long, but read them and let's place ourselves in the story when arriving at the tomb. Pray to Jesus directly, roll away my stone Lord, lead me out of my tomb, help me to break away from my sin, from my despair, from my addiction. Lord Jesus, help me see that because of You, I am an Easter person, I am a person of faith, hope and love.
No more stones, no more tombs. We are an Easter people, and because we are, we can Rejoice and Be Glad!
Jesus Christ is risen Today, Alleluia! Alleluia!
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