Day 3 | Easter Reflections
Who Will Roll Away the Stone
Dear Friends,
Welcome to Day 3 of our Easter Reflections journey. As we continue our journey this Easter, we are reminded of the women who went to the tomb of Jesus, carrying their spices, and asked, "Who will roll the stone away?" They were confronted with an obstacle they felt powerless to move, just as many of us face our own "stones"—barriers that seem insurmountable, whether in relationships, fears, or struggles that hold us back. Yet, even when it seems as though all is lost, the resurrection power of Christ proves that no stone is too great for Him to roll away.
What stones are standing in your way this Easter? How might you trust God to help you face them, even when the path ahead seems uncertain? Just as the women moved forward, so too are we invited to keep walking—toward God and His resurrection power—knowing that He is able to overcome what feels impossible.
Encouraging You in God’s Truth,
P.S. As you read, feel free to share the hope of Easter by inviting someone to join you on this journey. Whether it’s a friend, family member, or someone in need of encouragement, extend the gift of Christ’s peace today.
Who Will Roll the Stone Away?
“On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.” — Luke 24:1
As the women hurried to the tomb carrying the spices with which to anoint the body of their Lord, they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”
Some of us face such a problem this Easter time. We would reach out to a loved one perhaps, but a great stone lies in the way. Between us and that dear one a great barrier has appeared, one so big that our puny desires appear ludicrous beside it.
Perhaps you face a hostile teenager and, with your hands full of good things sweet and special presents carefully prepared, you have hurried toward her only to be confronted with that huge stone of anger or resentment, misunderstanding, or deceit. “Love can’t find a way for me; I know, I’ve tried,” you say.
Jesus’ friends must have known some of our feelings. As the women hurried toward their insurmountable “mountain” of trouble ahead of them, they couldn’t think of anyone in the whole world except Jesus Christ Himself who had the power to roll that stone away; and that was their biggest dilemma Jesus Christ was dead! They had every right to believe He was lying there, sealed into ineffectiveness by the very stone they confronted.
Face Your Immoveable Stone
Now you face an immovable object in fear, an object that you have no strength to move, and you believe that the God you had trusted in is unable to help you. On top of it all, you are overcome with a sense of inadequacy; you may be tempted to give up and run away! But love doesn’t give up or run away. Love always walks on, even when it believes the object of its love is dead.
The thing to do in the face of insurmountable problems is walk right on up to them with every intention of walking right on through them, even if they show no signs of yielding. If you can’t walk through, walk around, and find a way to the Lord, who may or may not move or intervene on your behalf. It’s certain that you’ll never arrive at the other side of your problem by running away from it! So face it; face it together with other believers, if possible. And don’t blame anyone, for that way you’ll exhaust yourself before you ever get there!
I have spent so many years anticipating the stone ahead and practicing rolling it away in my imaginings; I have tried to peer apprehensively around the corner of tomorrow, convinced there are mountains to move just out of sight! “Don’t focus on what hasn’t happened yet,” advised a dear friend as she saw me struggling to move an obstacle that I just knew faced me six months into the future. “Why don’t you wait until you get there?” she asked. I found out that I could spend all my energy pushing away that stone from “long distance” if I liked, but I would probably end up an emotional wreck.
Don’t do that! Instead, wait until you get there, will you? Most of the things we worry about never happen anyway. We may as well be using that energy to deal with the stones that have been rolled in front of us instead of the ones that might come our way.
Face Your Tomb
The women hurried on through that early morn toward that huge rock that separated them from the body of their beloved Christ. They were frightened, yes, but they went anyway. Don’t wait until you are unafraid before you walk up to the tomb. If you can’t walk up to it unafraid, walk up to it being afraid. And maybe, just maybe, when you get there, you will find the stone has been rolled away.
Christ cannot be contained within the tombs of our troubles, inside the sepulchers of our sorrows, or behind the doors of our doubt. No stone can shut Him up or away from His disciples. The stone still stood there in that quiet garden, a reminder of the reality of the problems we all must live with; but Christ had moved it to one side so very easily, demonstrating His resurrection power on our behalf. Rejoice for the stone has been rolled away!
Read:
Reflect:
How can I bring my worries and distractions to God, trusting that He understands my struggles, just as He understood the pain of His Son?
In what ways can I make space in my heart and mind to truly focus on the meaning of Good Friday, even when life feels overwhelming?
How can I embrace the grace of God’s forgiveness more fully, knowing that Jesus' sacrifice has already covered my shortcomings?
Dear Lord, help me to face the stone that is currently in front of me as I lay it at Your feet. Help my unbelief in dealing with insurmountable obstacles and help me to trust in You and Your Holy Spirit to intervene. May I live in the present and not focus on an unknown future. Amen.
As we come to the close of these three days of reflection, may the power of Christ’s resurrection fill our hearts with renewed hope and joy. Just as the stone was rolled away and the tomb was empty on that glorious morning, we too can trust that Christ has overcome every obstacle in our lives. In the midst of our struggles, let us remember that His victory over death brings victory over all that weighs us down. May we walk forward this Easter season with faith, knowing that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in us, and one day, all stones will be rolled away in His glorious triumph.
Happy Easter!
