Mark 16:1–8

When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. ²And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. ³And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” ⁴And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. ⁵And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. ⁶And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. ⁷But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” ⁸And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

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In his Gospel, Saint Mark describes the first, never-to-be forgotten Easter morning. It is a picture looking out from inside the tomb; the stone has been rolled away, with the morning sun peeping over the edge of Mount Calvary, illuminating the inside of the empty tomb.  Mark says, “Very early on the first day of the week,” (2) three loyal women are walking toward the tomb equipped to render a last tender service to their Master and Friend.  The silence of their grief breaks when the realization of the massive stone hit them: “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” (3).  With the the question still on their lips, they looked up to see  “that the stone had been rolled back” (4).  Their surprise that the stone was rolled away was eclipsed when they entered and “saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe” (5). The Lord’s messenger tenderly proclaimed the greatest truth of history.  “Do not be alarmed.  You seek Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified.  He has risen; He is not here.  See the place where they laid Him” (6).  That message is huge! It is filled with joy, hope, peace, and truth!  Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is larger than any stone.  No stone could keep Him in!  

We can visit the marble monuments for kings, presidents, warriors, famous painters, poets, singers, or a loved one laid in a cemetery anywhere in the world, they all have one thing in common, not one of those people has come back from their resting place.  Those markers, those gravestones, big or small, ornate or simple, all loom large.  But unlike all other cemeteries where the bodies of the dead lie in silence surrounded by blackness: Jesus broke the bonds of His grave and came forth.  Nothing in this world could ever keep Jesus from His followers.  No stone could keep Him in.  Jesus rose alive from the grave.  No one else has broken the bonds of death, nor will they rise until God gives the signal and when Jesus comes again on the Great Day of resurrection to end all earthly activity and judge all mankind.  

When Jesus returns in glory, the silence and darkness of the grave will be undone.  He will go to the graves of all who have followed Him and will brush their gravestones away like a crumb.  Up from the grave we will rise alive forever.  Eyes to see the beauty of God’s new creation.  Because of what God has done in raising Jesus from the dead, this amazing truth meets us in our lives today.  His resurrection promises us eternal life.  Today and every day until God raises us to the true Easter joy on the Last Day, we can shout this joyous Easter Sunday message that changes everything, “Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified, He is risen!”  He is risen Indeed! Alleluia!

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