Who Moved The Stone ?

Amen. Let's hear the Word of God

reading today from Matthew chapter 27, verse 57 right

Matthew 27:57

through to chapter 28, verse 8. Let's hear the Word of God

reading of course from the King James Bible, Matthew chapter 27

Matthew 27:57

verse 57. When the even was come there

came a rich man of Armothea named Joseph who also himself

was Jesus disciple. He went to Pilate and begged the

body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body

to be delivered, And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped

it in a clean linen cloth and LED it in his own new tomb,

which he had hewn out in the rock.

And he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre and

departed. And there was Mary Magdalene and

the other Mary sitting over against the sepulchre.

Now the next day that followed, the day of the preparation, the

chief priests and Pharisees came together on the pilot, saying,

Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet

alive, after three days I will rise again.

Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the

3rd day, lest his disciples come by night and steal him away, and

say unto the people, He has risen from the dead.

So the last error shall be worse than the first.

Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch, Go your way.

Make it as sure as you can. So they went and made the

sepulchre shore, sealing the stone and setting a watch.

In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first

day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to

see the sepulchre. And behold, there was a great

earthquake. For the Angel of the Lord

descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from

the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like

lightning, and his raiment white as snow.

And for fear of him, the keepers did shake, and became as dead

man. And the Angel answered and said

unto the woman, Fear not, for I know that you seek Jesus, which

was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen

as he said. Come, see the place where the

Lord lay, and go quickly, and tell his disciples that he has

risen from the dead. And behold, he goeth before you

into Galilee. There shall you see him, LO, I

have told you. And they departed quickly from

the sepulchre with fear and great joy, and did run to bring

His disciples. Word Amen.

We know God will stamp with His own approval and blessing this

reading of His own precious and infallible Word.

Amen. Now my text today, this Easter

Sunday morning, is found in Matthew chapter 28 and the verse

Matthew 28 · chapter mention

2. And behold, there was a great

earthquake, for the Angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and

came and rolled back the stone from the door and sat upon it.

Now beloved, this is Easter Sunday and today, like in other

Lords days, millions of professing Christians around the

world are celebrating and praising God for the empty tomb

of the Lord Jesus. Together we rejoice.

On the third day after his horrible death by crucifixion,

Jesus Christ literally, bodily and tangibly rose up from the

dead. Now let me be clear.

He didn't rise merely spiritually as some teach or as

some allege, but He arose physically, bodily, and tangibly

in the very same body that He was put to death in.

And after His bodily resurrection, He appeared to

many of His dear followers, beginning with the woman.

And then forty days after, He ascended up into heaven from

Galilee. And he lives now in the power of

an endless life as the king of glory on our behalf.

Now, I want you to ponder this scene.

Think of this with me. It's very early in the morning,

just before the dawn of the first day of the week.

Darkness is just beginning to lift.

Two faithful women are making their way to the garden tomb of

Joseph of Armathea. Their hearts were heavy, their

hopes seemed buried. They had seen their Lord

crucified and put to death. They had watched that most

horrible form of execution. And as they walked, one question

filled their mind. In fact, it troubled them.

In the Gospel of Mark chapter 16 and verse 3, we read and they

Mark 16 · chapter mention

said among themselves, Who shall roll us away?

The stone from the door of the sepulchre.

Notice in Mark 16, verse 4, the description of the stone for it

Mark 16:4

was very great, about two tonne in weight.

These women asked a very practical question, a very

pressing question, a deeply painful question, and they found

no answer. Now when they arrived at the

garden tomb, for they knew and observed, for the body of Jesus

Christ had been LED, they discovered that their question

had already been answered. For the Bible tells us.

For the Angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came

and rolled back the stone from the door and sat upon it.

So this morning I want to answer a very profound question, and

the question is this Who moved the stone?

You see today, many atheists and agnostics and even some

professing Christians asked the question, is that what really

happened on the first Easter morning?

Did the Lord Jesus physically, literally, tangibly, bodily rise

from the dead? What happened to the body of

Jesus? Are there not other possible and

possible explanations for the empty tomb?

Now to answer the gain Sayers, the Christ rejecters, and the

truth deniers. This morning I answer this.

There is no other possible or plausible explanation for the

empty tomb. Why?

The evidence for the doctrine of the bodily resurrection of the

Lord Jesus from the dead is overwhelming.

It is very persuasive. You see, the doctrine of the

bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus is the truth, the whole

truth, and nothing but the truth.

Paul emphatically stated this in First Corinthians chapter 15.

1 Corinthians 15 · chapter mention

Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how you

say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead.

But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not

risen? And if Christ be not risen, then

is our preaching vain? And your faith is also vain?

Yeah, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we

have testified of God that He raised up Christ whom He raised

not up. If so be that the dead rise not.

For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised?

And if Christ be not raised, your faith is being ye are yet

in your sins, then also which are fallen asleep in Christ are

perished. If in this life only we have

hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable.

But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first

fruits of them that slept. See today, this Easter someday.

I'm aware that many non Christians are sceptical.

They're asking for evidence. And the evidence I present to

them to every atheist agnostic. Is this the evidence of the

empty tomb? And this is not a question for

the university professor. This is not a question for the

scholars to split hairs over. No.

This is a doctrine that lies at the heart of the gospel.

This doctrine is the keystone of the whole Christian faith.

And the key facts are indisputable.

You see, according to the Bible, the Lord Jesus died at 3:00 PM

on the day of the Jewish Passover, exactly when the

Passover lambs would have been slain in the temple.

And because even was approaching and the next day was a high

Sabbath, Joseph of Armathea requested from Pilot the body of

Jesus. Once Pilot ascertained that

Christ was dead, he gave Joseph of Armathea and Nicodemus

permission to get the body of Jesus down from the cross.

They wrapped the body in a linen cloth and placed it in Joseph's

own new tomb, human, out of solid rock.

And they did it before 6:00 PM that evening, because that's

when the High Sabbath would have started.

And Christ rested in the tomb for three days and three nights.

And at the behest of the Jewish authorities, a Roman so guard

was placed in the tomb. The stone was sealed.

And then on the third day, miraculously, wonderfully,

powerfully, Christ arose bodily from the dead just after sunset

on the Saturday, as the first day of the week began to dawn.

And early Sunday morning, these two women, when they came to the

tomb with the question, who will move the stone for us, they

discovered the stone was already rolled away and the tomb was

empty. Something happened to those two

women as they witnessed that scene.

And we're today, just for a few minutes, going to ponder that

question. Who moved the stone?

What really happened to the body of the Lord Jesus?

Three things very quickly. Bear with me.

The problem that the woman faced.

You see, the stone was no small obstacle, it was real and

visible. Mark chapter 16 verse 4.

Mark 16:4

For it was very great, approximately about two tonne.

It stood like an immovable barrier.

It stood between the woman and the body of the Lord Jesus.

It stood between their access to Him and their devotion toward

Him, of putting more spaces on the body.

It stood between their love and their loyalty to Him.

You see, it was a pressing problem they couldn't solve

themselves. They had prepared their spaces,

but they had no strength to move the stone.

They had love, but they had no leverage.

They had a desire to see the body, but they had no means of

delivering access to the body. Now, is that not like many today

in Northern Ireland? How many today have very great

problems in their lives? Problems like a great stone,

problems that are a huge obstacle?

What about the stones of sin that are unrepented of?

What about the stubborn refusal to admit that you're a vile,

guilty, hell deserving Sinner before God?

What about the stone of guilt for some sin that concerns us?

A sin that's unparted, a sin that's not under the blood, A

sin that eats away at you, that that consumes you.

Some past deed of thought, of word or of deed.

What about the stone of fear? Many are full of fear this

morning. Fear of the present, fear of the

future. What about the stones of

challenges and circumstances and situations that we can't change

in and of ourselves? You see many this morning are

devoted to Christ. They love the Lord Jesus, but

they even though they're devoted to Christ, they are sadly

defeated in their lives. It appears that they're stuck.

They have neither late nervation.

Now think of this. These women came with spaces,

two women committed to do a task to anoint the body of Jesus, but

they're confronted with a huge stone that they could not move.

So I asked simply, is that a picture of your life right now?

You see, this stone was more than just a physical object.

I believe it was a picture spiritually.

A picture of sin sealing men and women away from a relationship

with God. A picture of death that seals a

tomb that declares the end of hope.

A picture of despair shutting out expectation.

Whenever the Lord Jesus died in the cross, he cried.

It is finished, meaning the work of securing eternal redemption

was complete when Joseph put that big stone over the tomb

that sealed the tomb that shot in the body that was then sealed

by the Romans. Whatever the seal was, it said

to everyone, Christ is over. And yet the word of God

proclaims a wonderful message. Psalm 100 and 1822.

The stone which the builders refused rejected has become the

head of the corner. Men rejected that stone, but God

exalted Christ. Man sealed that stone in, but

God sent his Angel to open it, not to let Christ out, but to

let the woman in. Now the religion of the world

cannot deal with the stone of sin in our lives, can't deal

with the stone of guilt, can't deal with the stone of fear,

can't deal with the stone of despair.

Human effort cannot shift it. Time will not erode it.

And if that stone is to be moved, then only God can move

it. So I ask again, here's the

problem that the woman faced. A stone separated them between

them and Christ. Is that true of you this

morning? Do you need God to move the

stone of sin and guilt and fear and despair in your life?

Only He can do it and of course you have to want Him to do it.

You have to ask them who'll take this away for us?

Who will move the stone for us? The problem that the woman

faced, have you faith in Him as your trust in Christ?

The second thing I want you to discover is this the proof that

the woman find we read in verse 2 and behold there was a great

earthquake for the Angel of the Lord descended from heaven and

came and rolled back the stone from the door and sat upon it.

You see that move stone was proof that the tomb was empty,

that the Lord Jesus was written physically, bodily, literally,

tangibly from the dead. Today, again, many ask, what

really happened to the body of the Lord Jesus?

See, that's a good question, isn't it?

But the stone rollback was wonderful proof that the Lord

Jesus was truly and really dead and yet truly and readily bodily

risen again. They they think with me of the

Garden Tomb. At the behest of the Jewish

authorities, the enemies sealed the tomb.

The soldiers guarded it. The big stone was meant forever.

The big stone spoke of a finality.

Christ is finished, it is all over.

And yet God sent 2 angels. One of them we read Roll back

the stone. As I've said, not to let Christ

out, He's already risen, but to let the woman in, to let the

disciples in, to witness this tremendous event.

God used the ruled backstone as a testimony.

I believed the doctrine of the bodily resurrection of the Lord

Jesus. This is not a feeble folks.

This is not the stuff of fairies tales.

No, this is factual. It is founded on solid and

concrete evidence. You see today many atheists,

agnostics, know what they tell us.

I don't believe that. They go even further.

I won't believe it. Who knows what really happened?

I don't really care about the evidence.

Well, I care about the evidence. I know the facts.

Listen to this. A man by the name of Frank

Morrison think he lived in the early 1900s.

He was a sceptic. Exactly what I'm saying.

I don't believe it. I won't believe it.

I don't care what really happened to the body.

Well, he set out to write a book to disprove the doctrine of the

resurrection of the Lord Jesus. For nine months he examined the

evidence. He carefully studied the gospel

records. He weighed up all the facts of

the death, burial, empty tomb of the Lord Jesus.

He literally followed the evidence and as he followed it

and followed it honestly, the evidence didn't lead him away

from Christ. Guess what?

It led him to Christ. And the Abuki intended to write

against the resurrection became a a defence of the resurrection.

It came to see that the stone was not moved by men, but only

by God himself who sent his Angel.

And you see, here's the problem today far too many professing

sceptics, professing atheists and agnostics, you know what

they do, They refuse to examine the evidence.

So today I want to throw in a challenge to them, all the hard

boiled atheists and Carrie Duff and beyond all the philosophical

minded agnostic. You bring your best explanation.

You tell us in the Christian community what you think

happened. You present your alternative

explanation because I want to tell you if you look at the

evidence seriously, you'll find the proof that the woman find.

And what was that proof? An Angel rolled back the stone.

See. What are the atheists and

agnostic and deniers of Bible believing Christianity?

What are their best explanations?

What's their alternative to what happened to the body other than

what we read in the Bible? Let me suggest very quickly what

about the temporary tomb theory? Joseph of Armathea moved Jesus

body to a different tomb. Joseph of Armathea was a wealthy

man according to John 1938 to 42.

He was very courageous in asking Pilate for the body of Jesus.

Pilate ascertained that Christ was dead.

Joseph of Armathea Nicodemus took the body down from the

cross, wrapped it in linen, and placed it in his own new tomb.

Matthew chapter 2760 says he laid it in his own new tomb,

which he'd tune out in the rock, and he rolled a great stone to

the door of the sepulchre and departed.

We've already read that Matthew 27 and in the verse 60 now in

John 1942, because the Sabbath day approached.

Remember, it was a High Sabbath. It was the Passover time.

The Lord Jesus died at 3:00 PM that day.

The Sabbath day would begin at sunset, at 6:00 PM, according to

the Jewish time. Jewish people would not work

after the Sabbath day. And this temporary tomb theory

says that sometime Joseph of Armathea returned and removed

the body to a different tomb. The first tomb was only

temporary. That's why it's called the

temporary tomb theory. John 20 and two, remember when

the woman Mary Magdalene ran to Peter and John, she said they

have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not

where they have laid him. Now we're going to ask the

question, when did Joseph of Armathea do this?

Why did Joseph of Armathea do it?

You see, it doesn't really hold up when you think about it.

In court it would be knocked down.

In court it would be said it doesn't really hold water.

Why? Because if Joseph of Armathea

came at the end of the weekly Sabbath day, not before, the

time would be 6:00 PM be dark. It would be the Saturday night.

Are we to suppose he removed the body by lamplight between sunset

and sunrise? I really suppose that he and a

few others carried a heavy body of Jesus grown and aged 33,

carry at some distance and put it in a a different and do it

all in the dark. He certainly couldn't move the

body without pilot's permission, without pilot's knowledge.

We get asked the question, what about the guards?

What about the Roman seal that needed to be broken?

What about permission to remove the body?

As I've said, it involved Pontius Pilate.

And then of course, you would have to have time to remove the

grave clothes and leave them behind and, and we're really

suggesting them carrying a naked body in the dark.

And if he got permission of the guards, then why was the guards

still at the tomb when the woman came?

And if Joseph of Armathea took the body and would say when he

didn't come between sunset and sunrise, he came in sunrise, he

came near the dawn, then he would have met the two women and

route to the Garden Tomb. And there's no record of that

meeting. There's no sign of both groups

at the tomb. So.

So we'll ask the question then. Did he carry it out in daylight?

Surely there was no great urgency.

Joseph of Armathea was delighted to ask for the body of Jesus

from Pilate. He placed it in his own new

tomb. I'm sure he was proud of that.

Where's the body of Jesus? He's in my new tomb.

So why would he want to move it? So we asked when we asked, why

would he want to move it? You see, it doesn't really hold

water very quickly. Listen to me.

Secondly, here's another alternative explanation from the

atheist agnostics. And those are deniers of Bible

believing Christianity this morning.

And that is the legal theory. The ruling authorities moved the

body. Is that true?

Who gave the order? Was it punch it?

Pilot? Had Pilot any real interest in

the dead body of the Lord Jesus? No, it wasn't the Roman

authorities, it was the Jewish authorities.

All right, well, remember what we read in Matthew chapter 28,

Matthew 28:11

verse 11. Listen to the word of God.

Now when they were going, that's the woman, the disciples.

Behold some of the watch. The watch means the guards came

into the city and showed unto the chief priests all the things

that were done, And when they were assembled with the elders

and the taken council notice this, they gave large money unto

the soldiers, saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night and

stole him away while we slept. So why add this if the Jewish

authorities legally removed the body of Jesus from the tomb?

They had said to the guards, when this comes to the

governor's ears, we'll persuade him.

We read here in verse 15 that was commonly reported among the

Jews that the disciples came and stole the body.

You see, it's all connected. So we ask this question about

the Jewish authorities. Why pay this money if you've

already got the body of Jesus? And why say this message if they

moved the body? And here's another thing.

Seven weeks later, when Jerusalem was an uproar, the

disciples were preaching the doctrine of the literal, bodily

resurrection of the Lord Jesus from the dead.

Christ has risen. Indeed was the proclamation.

If they had the body, then all they had to do was produce the

body. Wasn't that the simple answer?

Jesus has risen from the dead. Hold on, wait a wee minute.

Right, boys? More.

You bring the body out here, we'll put it in the streets of

Jerusalem just before the temple.

Let everybody see Jesus is really dead.

Ha ha. We've got the body.

Didn't happen because they never had the body.

You see this legal theory that the ruling authorities moved the

body, whether it was Romans or Jewish.

Again, it doesn't hold water. Here's the third alternative

explanation, the Swin theory. What does that mean?

It means that Jesus didn't really die on the cross.

It was first proclaimed by a German atheist, Carl Frederick

Bahat. I hope I pronounced it right.

I probably haven't. He preached and proclaimed Jesus

didn't really die. He faked his death.

He only fainted on the cross. He was wounded that badly.

He lost consciousness. He he sort of passed out.

Then he was put into the cold tomb for three days.

And the coldness of the tomb somehow revived him and he

awoke. Remember, he's wrapped in grave

clothes with these spaces. He took off the grue grave

clothes. And he did all this in a dark

tomb, no light, haven't got a torch, no electricity.

So a wounded man and then he moved the stone from the inside.

Now for those of you who know the land of Israel, and I've

been there and I've been in the garden tomb and I saw the big

stone. I saw the channel that the stone

would have rolled up and down on.

And they used a wedge, of course, to help to keep the

stone in place. And that stone wedge would had

to have been moved from the outside.

No way a man could have moved it from the inside.

Also think today the Roman soldiers knew how to put people

to death. They knew how to kill.

They were masters at it. They crucified thousands of

people and when they said Jesus was dead, he was really dead.

And if you want more proof, the centurion took a spear, thrusted

into the sight of Christ and blood, blood and water came out.

And whenever the soldiers examined the body, they didn't

break the legs of Christ. Why?

Because they said John 19 verse 33, he is already dead.

John 19:33

These experts when they examined his body, he he wasn't fainting.

He was certainly wasn't faking. No, he was factually dead.

Who moved the stone? They're arguing through the

swing theory that a weak, wounded man revived a few days

after faking death. It's ludicrous.

It's from the lips of an atheist.

Here's the 4th alternative, which is very popular.

The woman went to the wrong tomb.

Oh dear. Help us.

The wrong tomb theory. The woman's getting complained.

Sorry, ladies. It was dark.

It was light was dim. They they were confused.

They were hallucinating. That we bet.

But the evidence in the book is here.

They followed the Lord Jesus from Galilee.

They ministered unto Him. Look 2355 to 56.

They beheld the sepulchre. They knew exactly where Joseph

Armatheatom was. They knew where the body was

laid. They returned and prepared

spaces. Having rested on the Sabbath day

and upon the first day of the week, these devote followers of

Jesus, Mary Magdalene and and Mary of Siloam and others, they

came to the right town. I'll tell you another line of

evidence. Mary said to Peter, They've

taken away my Lord, and I know not where they've laid him, that

those male disciples, Peter and John, when they came running to

the tomb, did they also come to the wrong tomb?

The answer is no. See, it doesn't hold up.

Here's the 5th explanation very quickly.

The disciples stole the body. This is very popular among the

atheists and the Christ deniers and the agnostics.

It's called the stolen body theory.

Now, now, listen to this. The disciples had to plot to

steal the body. This is what you would have to

believe. The disciples overcome their

natural fear, risking their lives even at the point of death

to steal the body. Remember, they'd left him at the

cross. They had abandoned him.

The disciples, remember, had power.

This is the third thing we're saying to overpower the guards,

all 20 of them. They then broke the Roman seal

upon pain of death, take the body out again, removing it from

the grave clothes, leaving the grave clothes to make it look

real, moving A2 tonne stone tipping around these yards even

if they'd given them something for them to go to sleep, and

then doing it without making any noise.

Here's the fourth thing the disciples preached the

resurrection after Christ arose from the dead.

I really believe they're preaching and teaching was based

on a lie. Why would they want to mount a

mass of deception? When the Lord Jesus died, their

hopes were dashed. They were devastated.

They were defeated. We had hoped he had been the one

to save Israel. Here's another line of evidence.

Bring it into the courtroom. The fifth thing the disciples

endured great suffering and martyrdom for a lie to pretend

that he had conquered death. They were lionhearted witnesses

for the resurrection. Are we to suppose they were

willing to die for a lie? Thomas was absolutely convinced.

My Lord and my God, Peter was changed.

He preached the resurrection at Pentecost.

You see, let me bring this to a conclusion.

These five suggested alternative explanations.

These are the best of the atheist and the agnostic and the

Christ deniers can come up with. They come up with us temporary

tomb theory, this legal theory, this swing theory, this wrong

tomb theory, the stolen body theory.

But not one of them holds up in court.

Not one of them holds up to the facts of sound evidence and

analysis. There's so much evidence I'm

going to ask them not to date. I'm asking them this morning to

stop denying, to seriously examine the evidence, to take it

as seriously as they would any court case in a court of law,

and then to stand in the basis of evidence and say it's either

true or false. If I can help, please don't be

afraid to e-mail, send a text, contact Mark here on the sign

desk. Let me finish this morning not

only the problem that the woman faced and the proof that they

find the empty tomb against these 5 alternative explanations

of the atheist and the agnostic. Let's think as we close the

proclamation that the woman felt.

If you go back to our text, it says at the end, the last four

verse 4 words of verse 2 and sat upon it.

The Angel sat upon the stone. The Angel rested on the thing

that was sealed. Why did the Angel set on the

stone? I believe it was to send it a

message, make a proclamation, the work was finished and the

victory was complete. Remember, the stone wasn't moved

to let the Lord Jesus out. He was already risen.

It was moved to let the woman in, to let the disciples in, to

let the witnesses in, to see. Remember what the Angel said.

He is not here for His risen, as he said, Come see the place

where the Lord lay. What's heaven declaring a

proclamation that the woman felt?

And what was that proclamation? Listen to me as we finish.

Death is defeated, He is risen. The woman asked the question,

Who will roll the stone? And the stone is gone.

The big concern, it was already handled.

Are you here this morning and you're fearful?

Are you worried about the future?

Are you upset with things as they are, your circumstances and

your situation in life? Let me tell you, God's already

there. God is in the present.

And if you're worried about things are going to happen,

God's already at work. He's an absolute sovereign

control. And if this God who moved the

stone from the tomb to let the woman in, he can move the stones

in your life, whether it's sin, guilt, fear, despair, whatever

your circumstances are, there's the proclamation that the woman

felt death is defeated. Victory is complete.

Enter into the victory of Christ and experience resurrection

power and glory in your life. Even now.

Claim it by faith and rejoice and give thanks to God.

May the Lord take this word this morning.

You've been so patient. Thank you for coming.

Thank you for listening and may the Lord bless us and use it for

His glory.