Only by the power of Jesus can we be released from our tomb and our stones be rolled away.
I recently attended MOVE, a Christ in Youth High School conference. The speakers talked about how we sometimes live our lives in a tomb (sin) with Satan using things like fear, anger, apathy, loneliness and shame (the rock) to keep us trapped in our tombs. When reading the passages of scripture in the gospels about Jesus’s resurrection my thoughts immediately returned to our discussions a few weeks ago at MOVE in Holland, Michigan.
We all have our sins/tombs that we choose to hide in. More importantly, Satan likes to keep us trapped in our tombs with a large rock. My rock that keeps me stuck in my tomb is fear. I often don’t live my life courageously or share my faith because I allow fear to keep me buried in my prideful tomb. “I can do this,” “They won’t hear me,” and on and on…
I love that God doesn’t expect us to do anything that Jesus didn’t model himself first. That includes his resurrection! I believe that God expects us to live a resurrected life as well! A life fleeing from our sin and running towards Him. In Mark 16, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James were going to anoint Jesus. They were talking fearfully about who was going to roll the stone away from the tomb. When they looked up the stone had been rolled away! Jesus had already done it! We are not able to roll our stones away by ourselves. Only by the power of Jesus can we be released from our tomb and our stones be rolled away.
God also wants us to share the good news of the resurrection. Later in Mark 16, the angels told the women to go and tell others about how Jesus had risen and defeated death. They were again afraid. Then Jesus appeared to them, right where they were and pushed their stone of fear away. They were then able to tell others what they saw. Jesus came to them! That is amazing! Our Jesus loves us so much that he will meet us right where we are, roll our heavy burdened rock away, and reach his arm into our caves and pull us out!
It can be a daunting task to go tell the world. There are a lot of people out there! Where do I start? Who do I tell? At CIY MOVE they asked us to pick a name of someone with whom to share the good news. Start with one! Pray about it! Allow Jesus to roll your stone away. Then go tell someone about Jesus’ resurrection, your resurrection, so that Jesus can begin to roll their stone away, reach in, right where they are, and free them from their sin too. I long for everyone to experience this kind of freedom. A freedom to live a resurrected life that only Jesus can bring.
