"The Stone Rolled Away"

Sunrise Service

Mark 16:1-10

Welcome & Pray…

Song #225 “Worship Christ the Risen King”

The resurrection of Jesus changes everything…the darkness and despair of what happened on the Friday is turned into a beautiful sunrise of hope and new life.

“The resurrection of Christ changed…

…the midnight of bereavement into a sunrise of reunion;

It changed the midnight of disappointment into a sunrise of joy;

It changed the midnight of fear to a sunrise of peace.” Billy Graham

Story of Greg Laurie…every Easter…reminds of son Christopher (2008)

Song #216 “Christ Arose”

Song #217 “Christ the Lord is Risen Today”

Song #220 “He Lives”

Introduction…

As we gather here on this early Sunday Morning…as we have done for many years…there are many in the world that would like to know why.  Why do we and countless others around the world…gather at daybreak 7am? To sing our songs in rain, snow or sleet? What is so important that those crazy Baptists would get up so early anyways?  

Maybe you are asking that this morning, what on earth am I doing here? have asked the same question.

What is it about the Easter Sunrise Service?  What makes it so important that we have to get up so early? 

Every Easter Sunday Morning is important because of what happened on that early Sunday morning over two thousands years ago…it is the cornerstone of our Christian faith.

And it is because the stone was rolled away…and the body was not there. It was the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead that Sunday morning… that gives us the assurance that one day we too will rise and it’s because the stone was rolled away that we could testify that He lives.

Read: Mark 16:1-10

Subject “The Stone was Rolled Back!”

Mark 16:1-2 “Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.”

Even though these women were still grieving we see some beautiful features in the narrative that deserve to be mentioned:

1. Their COMMITMENT to the Lord Jesus…

These women were AT THE CROSS when Jesus was crucified: Mark 15:40 There they were looking on from afar …near Jesus as He was suffering on the cross. Near to their Lord and Master. You have to ask: Where were the disciples? They were hiding in fear. We know that John was nearby because Jesus told him: “Behold your mother.” And to Mary, Jesus said “Behold your son”. But apart from John there is no record of any other disciple being anywhere near the cross. But these women stayed at the cross until He died.

They were there AT HIS BURIAL when He was buried.

Mark 15:46-47 

These women were there when Joseph and Nicodemus took Jesus down from the cross. Their commitment to Jesus took them to the burial site of Jesus.  Because they were so close to the Sabbath day they did not have time to properly prepare Jesus’ body for burial.  We are told they “…took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb…” They were committed to see that Jesus was properly buried.

So very early on that first Day of the Week they arrived early at His Grave. See: Mark 16:1-2

Remember they thought He was dead….yet their commitment to Him had not changed.  We need that same kind of commitment today. 

If they could be committed to Jesus when they thought He was dead…how much more should my commitment be to Him because because I know He lives.

Not only do we see their commitment; we also see their Responsibility…

2. Their RESPONSIBILITY to the Lord Jesus Christ…

Mark 16:1“…they bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him…”

As we had noted earlier, because they did not have time to properly prepare Jesus body for burial. It had been rushed because of the Sabbath. And they did not want to be doing all the work on the Sabbath.

Mark 15:42-46

It is interesting to note here…that down through the centuries many skeptics have attempted to challenge the Christian faith by questioning if Jesus really did die on the cross….they say stuff like: “Maybe Jesus didn’t really die…maybe He was feigning/pretending or had simply passed out.”

But in this passage we have the testimony of both Pilate…and the centurion of His death.  Note in v.44 “…Pilate marvelled that He was already dead: and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had been dead for some time.  So when he found out from the centurion he granted the body to Joseph.”

BTW…Neither Pilate nor the Centurion would risk their credibility on a spurious death. They would want to make certain that the one they executed was truly dead.

And Jesus had truly died and they did not have time to properly prepare His body for burial so the women went and got everything ready.

See: Luke 23:54-56 

Mark 16:1 When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might go and anoint Him.

These women were COMMITTED and came with a RESPONSIBILITY…but they also faced a major OBSTACLE…

3. THE OBSTACLE Facing the Women… Mark 16:3

“And they said among themselves, Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?”

They recognized that they could not remove the stone on their own.  We are told in Matthew 27:66 that the chief priests and pharisees had made sure that the tomb was secured…tamper proof.

Matthew 27:66 “So they went, and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone, and setting the guard.”

They sealed the stone in front of the tomb and they set guards around the tomb.  The obstacle facing the women was how to move the stone away so that they could anoint Jesus. 

BTW…when you are committed to serving Jesus and fulfilling your responsibility God will remove any challenges. 

God sent an angel to move the stone.

Matthew 28:2 And behold there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.”

The Angel rolled back the stone not to let Jesus out…Jesus did not need that stone removed to exit…but that stone was rolled away to enable the women to go in and see for themselves…and when they went in the Bible says: Mark 16:5 “And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.”

WRAP UP…

We are here this morning to CELEBRATE & REMEMBER

Not because of what they saw in the tomb but what they did not see.  They did not see the body of Jesus.

We are here to celebrate the message they received from the angel that morning. What a great message!

Mark 16:6  “But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here!. See the place where they laid Him.”

We are here to celebrate because when the stone was rolled away, Jesus of Nazareth, which had been crucified was not there, He had risen just as He had said.

The women that came to the grave mourning and weeping left the tomb rejoicing and with a new message.

Matthew 28:7-8 “And go quickly and tell His disciples that he is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you. SO they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word…”

CHALLENGE…Tell three people today that Jesus is alive! And that you live for Him!

Because the stone was rolled away we have a charge today. 

That is our challenge to leave this Sunrise service this morning and go and tell someone.

I serve a risen Saviour; He's in the world today:

I know that He is living, whatever men may say;

I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer,

And just the time I need Him, He's always near. He lives He lives, 

He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!

He walks with me and talks with me along life's narrow way.  He lives He lives salvation to impart, You ask me how I know He lives?  He lives within my heart.

#213 “Because He Lives”