THE STONE HAS BEEN REMOVED

MARK 16:1-5

Mark 16:1–6 NASB 2020

1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might come and anoint Him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. 3 They were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone from the entrance of the tomb for us?” 4 And looking up, they noticed that the stone had been rolled away; for it was extremely large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed. 6 But he said to them, “Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; see, here is the place where they laid Him.

Illustration:

There is an old legend of a benevolent king who had his men place a great heavy stone on a certain roadway over which all his subjects would have to travel. He then hid himself to see who would try to remove the stone. No one stopped to try to remove the stone, but all worked their way around it, loudly blaming the king for not keeping the roadway clear. Finally, a poor peasant farmer on his way to town with a load of vegetables which he hoped to sell in the marketplace came to the blocked roadway. He laid down his load and with considerable effort and loss of time managed to move the great stone to the side of the roadway. Then, turning to leave, he spied a purse which had been under the stone. He opened the purse and found it to be filled with pieces of gold, with a note from the king indicating that it was all to be the property of the one who would remove the stone.

Context of the Text

After our Savior’s crucifixion, His body rested in a tomb carved out of a solid rock. A colossal stone was positioned at the entrance, sealing it shut.

The last couple of days in the Life of Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Salome, and the rest of the followers of Jesus had been hard to endure because all they could think about was how He had suffered, bleed, and died. They recalled the last thing they saw: The closing of the grave where his body was laid. At any other time they would have been at the tomb the very next day, but they were hindered by the fact that it was the Sabbath.

The text begins by stating “When the Sabbath was over.” That is when the deterrent of the Jewish religious restriction was lifted, Mary Magdalene, Mary the Mother of James, and Salome made their way to the graveyard with spices to anoint Him (Lk 23:55-56). They had prepared spices and perfumes to anoint His body in an attempt to preserve it and keep to prolong the process of decay.

This was the third day since his crucifixion, death, and burial and his body was approaching decomposition. When Lazarus died, Mary and Martha told Jesus that he had been dead for 4 days and his body was probably stinking. Time was of the essence, but they were constrained.

How many times have you found time to be an obstacle keeping you from moving forward? And how many times have you pressed the gas when you should have pumped the breaks. Sometimes we just have to wait on Time! Maybe it is God trying to teach us that waiting on time can be a profound practice. It involves patience, trust, and surrender.

CENTRAL IDEA

This text today is about “the removal of an obstacle.” Obstacle is defined as a thing that blocks one's way or prevents or hinders progress. For the women that morning it was “The Stone.”

This stone carries profound significance today because, In a manner of speaking, all humanity lays helplessly in the grave crying out “who will roll away the stone from the entrance of the Tomb for us? Let’s look at the significance of the stone.

THE WEIGHT OF THE STONE (SIGNIFICANCE)

Divine Justice:

The weight of sin, like the stone, separates us from God. Just as the stone barred entry to the tomb, sin erects barriers between humanity and divine grace. Only God can remove this burden.

Obstacles and Struggles:

The stone embodies life’s challenges—the doubts, fears, and limitations we encounter. It stands as a testament to our collective struggle.

Foundation of Faith and Rest:

As the stone sealed the tomb, it also became the foundation for our faith. Jesus’s burial was not the end; it was the groundwork for resurrection.

God’s Power to Remove Barriers:

Despite the guards and the massive weight, an angel effortlessly moved the stone. It symbolizes God’s ability to remove any obstacle in our lives.

Triumph Over Death:

When the women arrived at the tomb, they found the stone rolled away. An angel declared, “He is not here; He has risen!” Jesus conquered death, and the stone’s removal signaled His victory over darkness and evil.

CONCLUSION

The women who came that morning encountered the stone as an obstacle that threatened their goal of getting into the tomb, but the whole of humanity has seen the stone as an obstacle of getting out of the tomb.

The stone at Jesus’s tomb holds layers of meaning: from sin and obstacles to victory and divine intervention. Its removal signifies hope, redemption, and the promise of eternal life