Rocks have a hard time of it - HAPPY EASTER!

This is just a crazy Easter thought. Don’t take it too seriously otherwise my pastor will go nuts with me :o)

I was singing Easter songs to myself the other day, at least ones that I could remember from Sunday School [which weren’t that many]. As one of the choruses drifted in and out of my memory I began to think about the angel rolling the stone away from the tomb entrance, putting the resurrection victory out on display.

Then I thought to myself. How does anyone know that the angel actually rolled the stone to one side? No-one saw it. Yes Matthew said that it had been rolled and that angels were present, but that it not to say that one did the other.
But what if the stone moved itself when the angel arrived!?

It’s just a playful thought. Entertain me just this once :o) It’s nonsense but enjoy the thought.

Rocks get such a bad press, I thought to myself. More often than not they are mentioned in connection with stonings etc. or various sayings that utilise their unfavourable qualities (coldness, hardness etc). But surely there is more to them than this.

Stones can be tasty
Right at the beginning of his ministry Jesus was tempted to turn the rocks around him into bread so that he could eat after his 40 day fast. This was only a temptation to him because he could have done it (if Jesus knew that he couldn’t do it he wouldn’t have been tempted to try). Therefore, now in resurrection glory, Jesus could have easily turned the stone covering the tomb entrance into bread and eaten his way out. After all he would have probably been hungry after 3 days in the grave!

Stones don’t get in the way
More than that Jesus didn’t actually need to move the stone.
Later on the Gospels we read that Jesus just appeared in rooms with his disciples even though they where meeting behind locked doors. So did he really need to move the stone at all? Couldn’t he have just appeared somewhere else?!

Stones can sing
We also read elsewhere in the Gospel story that Jesus himself said that if the Pharisees had tried to hold back the praises of the people then the stones would cry out God’s praise! If God had not been given His worth then these rocks would have gladly stepped in to start singing!
So rocks are quite excitable things really, longing for hope to be revealed. So why couldn’t it have just rolled itself to one side unable to keeps its delightful surprise a secret any longer?! Perhaps at the sight of the angel coming down it couldn’t contain its excitement any longer and the earth shook.

Hope on show
When the stone moved [whoever had a hand in moving it] God was revealing His hope; salvations victory.

‘The Passion’ movie ends with the resurrection morning. The camera pans along a body wrapped in grave clothes [Jesus’ obviously]. The body suddenly vanishes and the grave clothes gentle deflate. The camera continues to move until it settles on Jesus in resurrection glory getting up as the stone is rolled away; light floods into the tomb.
The fact is the opposite actually happened. At Christ’s resurrection light flooded out of the tomb illuminating hearts, lives and history with hope; a new and eternal hope.

I hope you weren’t offended by my crazy ideas (they mean nothing) but one thing is true and worth remembering and celebrating…

HE HAS RISEN – JESUS IS ALIVE!