Roll away the Stone (2)

Introduction: Have you ever been lost in the Dark?

Transitional Sentence: Those wandering in the darkness, lost in their trespasses and sins are trapped behind a stone in a tomb and there is only one way out.

The death and raising of Lazarus

Lazarus is in a tomb behind a giant stone

John 11:38 NASB95

38 So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it.

b. Roll away the stone.

Why roll away the stone? So Lazarus can get out.

Who rolls away the stone?

John 11:39–41 NASB95

39 Jesus said, “Remove the stone.” Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” 41 So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.

Family, friends and neighbors roll away the stone. Jesus could do it but He wants us to participate in the process.

c. Lazarus leaves the tomb. He rises at the sound of Jesus’ voice.

John 11:44–45 NASB95

44 The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” 45 Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him.

Lazarus is once again alive with Christ Jesus. And many witnessed the glory of God just as Jesus said they would.

One week later Jesus is crucified and is laid in a tomb Himself.

2. Is the death of Jesus the end of the story. Of course not but:

a. Jesus is trapped in a tomb behind a giant stone.

Luke 23:50–53 NASB95

50 And a man named Joseph, who was a member of the Council, a good and righteous man 51 (he had not consented to their plan and action), a man from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who was waiting for the kingdom of God; 52 this man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53 And he took it down and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid Him in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had ever lain.

Now Jesus is trapped in a tomb behind a giant stone.

b. So now another stone has to be rolled away.

The stone must be rolled away to let Mary see inside.

An Angel rolls away this stone. The hand of God.

Luke 24:2–3 NASB95

2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

c. So Jesus rose and left the tomb.

Luke 24:4–5 NASB95

4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; 5 and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead?

He defeated sin and death. He is alive.

This is important because He is still rolling stones away from tombs and calling people out of the darkness and into the light.

3. He is still raising the Dead.

a. Those who do not know Christ Jesus are lost and they are walking in darkness, trapped in a tomb behind a stone. They are the spiritually dead.

Ephesians 2:1 NASB95

1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,

That is the state of the lost. Dead in their trespasses and sins.

Remember what Mary said about Lazarus’ tomb? There’s a stench. The trespasses and sins of the lost create a stench inside the sealed up tomb that is their life.

There’s only one way to get rid of the stench and that is to -

b. Roll away the stone. Let some fresh air and the light shine in.

When the stone is rolled away we can see in and they can get out. Only those who leave the tomb will enter the light. Many see the light, but many choose to stay in the darkness even though the stone has been rolled away.

Who can roll away the stone? We can and Angels can.

How do you roll away the stone? The Gospel Message.

Romans 10:8–10 NASB95

8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, 9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

What happens when the stone is rolled away?

c. The dead will be alive with Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:4–6 NASB95

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

When the stone is rolled away and the dead walk out of the tomb there is rebirth. God makes the dead alive with Christ Jesus. New life in the spirit. A new life that will spring up to eternal life with Christ Jesus. This body will die, but that doesn’t have to be the end of the story. Only those who never see the light and exit the tomb will find true death. All those who believe in Christ Jesus will be saved.

Exit: Everyone starts out in utter darkness. But only those who never leave the tomb will never enter the light.

Romans 15:13 NASB95

13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Now may the God of Peace be with you all.