“A Rock & Roll Resurrection”: Matt. 28:1-10

An Easter Sermon, preached on March 23, 2008

Matthew is the only Gospel that mentions how the tomb of Jesus was sealed with a guard.  On Saturday, the chief priests and the Pharisees go to Pilate and request that a guard be posted at the tomb, so that nobody would tamper with it. The Romans post the guard, seal the rock and guard it through the night. But check it out, the Rock it’s been moved! It’s been rolled away! And the tomb is empty because Christ has risen from the dead!

Today we talk about a Rock & Roll Resurrection. The message today is that “We need to check the rock, watch it roll away and become a part of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.”  Then, the power of his resurrection will change us forever. We will enter into the new and abundant life that God gives in Christ.

The first thing we need to do today is “Check the Rock.”  Check the Rock and you discover that Jesus is not dead!

Perhaps you’ve seen something like this before: In a national park in California there is a rope that has a rock hanging from it. A large sign sits next to it. The sign says, “This rock on a rope is our Weather Station - Check the rock - if the rock is wet it’s raining, if the rock is swinging it’s windy, if the rock is dry it’s not raining, if you cannot see the rock it’s foggy, if the rock has been blown away it’s a tornado."

This humorous illustration has a profound statement in it - "Check the Rock." Many of us today have come to church with questions on our mind. We have come searching for answers and looking for truth.  Life can sometimes be so confusing.  We wonder why life is so hard.  What makes life worth living.

But I think the statement "Check the Rock!" can help us find some answers.  For example:  Are you wondering if all this Christianity stuff is true? Check the Rock!

Are you wondering what Easter is all about? Check the Rock!

Are you wondering how to be set free from your fear of death? Check the Rock!

Are you wondering if God keeps his promises? Check the Rock!

Are you wondering how you receive a new life that will never end? Check the Rock!

Are you wonder what makes life worth living?  Check the Rock!

The pivotal point that sets Christianity apart from all other religions is the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. He was crucified. He died just like he said he would.  The Lord told his disciples several times, ‘The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.’

And the key here is that he was raised from the dead, just like he said he would be.  Just CHECK THE ROCK!

When the women went to the tomb early on Easter Morning, the position of the rock was the first clue that something spectacular had happened.  The rock was moved out of the way to open things up.  This leads us to our second point - We not only need to check the rock, but we need to see that it been rolled away from the entrance to the tomb.

The story of Jesus without an open and empty tomb wouldn’t provide us with much to base our hope on.  In fact, if Christ were still lying dead in his tomb, we would be left with nothing.

I mean, picture the scene on GOOD FRIDAY. Death is all around. Jesus has been killed. The cries of his followers can be heard throughout Jerusalem. Their grief is very real and deep. They know he has been buried and the tomb has been tightly sealed. It all looks so hopeless.

A life with a closed and sealed tomb would provide the same hopelessness for us, especially for those of us who have experienced the death of loved ones and friends. We know what it is like to lose someone close to us. Our grief is very real and deep.

I find it fascinating that Matthew says that the woman went out early on Sunday morning to take a look at the tomb.  In other words, they were doing what we have done many times ourselves, travelling to the cemetery to visit the grave of a loved one, to stand there and look at the headstone and to pay their respects.

We all know what it’s like when a loved one dies and is buried. We know that that’s the end of the story. We will never see them again. All that’s left is a grave or a tomb, a headstone or a marker. There’s no hope when you standing all alone in the cemetery, but only despair!  So it seems…

But wait! There is a different ending this story than we expect! We’ve got to check the rock, roll it out of the way and discover that the tomb of Jesus is empty. That changes everything!

That’s what Easter does. Easter changes the sadness of crucifixion on a Friday afternoon to the joy of resurrection on Sunday morning.

When you check out the rock you discover it has been moved by the power of God. An earthquake shook the ground and an angel of the Lord descended from heaven to roll back the stone and sit on it. (That’s a nice touch I think, the angel sitting on top of the stone. Maybe he was reading People magazine while he waited for the women to show up. Perhaps he was filling his nails as he looked down at the guards who had fainted for fear).

The real point of the angel was the message he delivered to the women: “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen as he said, see the place where he lay.”

Christ has risen, just as he said. He is alive! He defeated death! He kept his promise to rise again and he wants you to walk into the tomb to see that He is not there. That’s why the angel rolls back the stone so everyone could see that Christ is alive!

The Resurrection validates and authenticates the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Its true! It’s real! It’s genuine! And this Gospel can change your life forever.

The rolled away rock proves that our Lord has opened up a door that was sealed shut before. He opens the way to heaven.  When that rock was rolled away from the tomb, all obstacles to eternal life were removed too.

Now the resurrection became possible for us. Heaven and eternal life become a reality.  Our loved ones are not lost, but we will see them again in heaven. These promises of God are unlocked to all who come to the open tomb.  Now that the rock has been rolled away, we can look inside and behold the power of our Lord’s Resurrection.

The Resurrection tells us that with God all things are possible. It shows us that his promises are always true, even when we think otherwise.

An unknown author once made a list that was called "Our Thinking Versus God’s Promises.” This list helps us realize that our thinking is not always correct when it comes to what God can do.

We think: "It’s impossible."  God says: All things are possible.

We think: "I’m too tired."  God says: I will give you rest.

We think: "Nobody really loves me." God says: I love you.

We think: "I can not go on." God says: My grace is sufficient for you.

We think: "I can’t figure things out."  God says I will direct you steps.

We think: "I can’t do it" God says: You can do all things through me.

We think: "I’m not able to."  God says: I will enable you.

We think: "I can’t manage."  God says: I will supply all your needs.

We think: "I’m afraid."  God says: I have not given you the spirit of fear.

We think: "I’m worry too much."  God says: Cast all your cares on me.

We think: "I’m not smart enough."  God says I give you wisdom.

We think: "I feel alone."  God says: I will never leave you or forsake you.

These are God’s promises to us. How do we know he keeps his promises? "Check the rock, observe that it has been rolled away and behold the Resurrection of Jesus!"

Far too many people today are afraid and unwilling to trust anyone or anything. They are fearful of what tomorrow may bring. They are so wrapped up in worry and frustration, their life has no joy. They become so trapped in the material world that when the stock market go down or the economy goes bad, they crash with it.

But here is the key to having a meaningful life – Jesus, your Lord and Savior.

Life is worth living because Jesus is alive and he has given us abundant life. You see, the message of Easter is that Jesus Christ is the Lord of your life, from here on out, into all eternity. You have been raised with Christ. You now belong to him. And he will never leave you or forsake you. He will abide with you everyday. He will give you his strength and power. He will give you rest for your soul. He will give you wisdom and direction and purpose in life.

That’s why Paul says, “Since you have been raised with Christ into this new and abundant life, then set your mind on things. For your old way of life died with Christ on the cross, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”

You life is now hidden with Christ in God. Christ is your life! You’ve checked the rock and have seen how it has been rolled away. The tomb is open and empty! Christ has risen; he has risen indeed. Thanks be to God! Amen!