I read of a hiker exploring the mountains out west whose attention was drawn to a small stone along the trail. It was about the size of a half-dollar with smooth rounded edges. What made it appealing was the way it glistened in the sunlight and mirrored all the colors surrounding it. Immediately, the hiker pocketed the stone as a treasure and arriving home on the East Coast, he placed the stone in a curio cabinet beside some jade and carved ivory. And there, he soon forgot about it.

It was while dusting the cabinet the hiker saw the stone again. Somehow, the stone had lost its luster. Now hard and gray, it looked like any ordinary stone. Disgusted, the hiker picked it up and took it outside to throw in the trash. As he opened the back door, a beam of sunlight struck the stone causing it to glisten is it did when he first saw it. Once again it appeared in his hand as a rare find, a treasure.¹

As I read this story, so many lessons came to mind. The first lesson was this. The single factor determining whether this stone was seen as a treasure or trash was its location. Outside in the sunlight it was a treasure; inside and hidden, it was trash.

Over two thousand years ago a stone sealed the tomb of Jesus Christ and then three days later was miraculously rolled away. If the stone had stayed in place it would have been seen as any ordinary stone and Jesus would have been viewed as any ordinary man. But when the stone was rolled away everything changed. A faith that many had trashed now became a way of life that countless have treasured—all because God changed the location of the stone. Even today your convictions about the location of the stone will determine whether or not you see Easter as an experience you can discard (trash) or one that you dearly treasure.

If you treasure Easter, then you believe God rolled the stone away and Jesus left His tomb alive. And if you have surrendered your life to Jesus Christ, that act of God changed your life. But here’s the second lesson I see in the story of the hiker and the stone. It was when the hiker shelved the stone that it lost its luster. Only when it was placed in the light again did he see it once more as a treasure. There are many who have understood that God rolled away the stone and have surrendered your life to Jesus Christ. However, over time, you have taken that act of God for granted. Like graduating from school, getting married, launching a career, you shelve that experience as if to say, “I’ve been there, done that; now let’s move on.” For you, the significance of the stone has lost its luster and it’s time we put it in the light again.

Matthew 27 and 28 does that. It describes those who live life as though the stone never moved, as well as those who live as though the stone was rolled away. As we look at these two chapters, see where your life is in relation to the stone.

Life with the Stone in Place

Matthew 27 gives two views of life with the stone in place. Strangely, the two views seem to contrast each other. One view is hopeless while the other is hopeful.

Hopeless, “Too Broken to Mend”
Some view life with the stone of Easter still in place. Matthew 27:57-61 reveals how such a view affects your life.

57 As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. 58 Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. 59 Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.

Two women named Mary sit across from the stone as it is rolled into place. Little is known about the other Mary, other than she is the mother of James the lesser, and of Joses. However, we know more about Mary Magdalene. She was the one who had seven demons that Christ cast out. She was believed to be a prostitute whose life Christ cleaned up. Now, the One who freed her and cleaned her, the One who lifted her self-esteem by taking away her sin, lies dead behind the stone. As the stone settles in place, I imagine the look on her face drops. She and the other Mary sit hopeless.

I picture the same look from the widow in John Masefield’s poem, “The Widow in the Bye Street.” He tells of a widow watching her only son hang for his crimes. In the sea of faces, her hopeless gaze stands out. As the trapdoor opens and the rope finishes its work, she realizes she is now alone in the world. She crumbles to the ground and sobs. Someone nearby overhears her say through her tears, “Broken things, too broke to mend.”

Though Jesus died for our crimes against God, not His, I can still see Mary Magdalene sitting across from the tomb of Jesus. There she stares at that stone with the same hopeless gaze. With the stone in place, she feels hopeless … feeling alone in the world… fearing that she might return to the way of life she once knew… thinking that without Jesus in the world, she may once again become “too broken to mend.”

I’ve seen that look on many faces, and I’ll never forget that look on Steven’s face. He was only fifteen years old. His mom and dad had divorced. He had become too much of a challenge for his mom, so she sent him to live with his dad and step mom. They were members of the rural church I served while in seminary. Steven’s dad asked if I would talk with him, so Steven and I spent an afternoon in a pasture behind his house walking and talking. I tried every way I knew to help Steven understand that Jesus died for his sins, rose again, could forgive him of his sins and live within him. Yet Steven refused to surrender his life to Jesus Christ. When I asked him why, he said, “Because I can’t believe He can forgive me of all I’ve done.” He was fifteen years old and already felt too broken to mend. He was fifteen years old and living as though Jesus’ stone was still in place.

If your view of Easter has the stone still in place, you too can feel hopeless. It is the hopeless feeling of being alone, frightened, guilt-ridden, and too broken to mend. What a horrible way to live life.

Hopeful, That the Stone Will Stay in Place
Oddly enough, there are people who want the stone to stay in place. Moreover, they want it sealed so no one can touch it. This first happened in Matthew 27:62-66.

62 The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. 63 “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ 64 So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.”

65 “Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.

If they sealed Christ’s tomb like they did Daniel’s in Daniel 6:17, then they did the following. They fastened the stone to the tomb using cords. Then, the cords and stone were covered with wax and an impression of Pilate’s seal was pressed into the wax. The seal made it clear to all, “If you attempt to move the stone, the guards will kill you.” All this was done because the religious leaders were threatened by Christ’s promise to come back to life.

People today are still threatened by the resurrection of Jesus. They put their seals on the stone to say, “Don’t move it.” One of the most used seals is the one that reads, “My God.” Someone walks up to the stone and stamps it with “MY GOD” to say, “My God would never say that Jesus is the only way to heaven.” Another walks up to the stone and stamps it with “MY GOD” to say, “My God would never say that Jesus and the Bible are the only source of truth.” Others walk up to the stone and stamp it with “MY GOD” to say, “My God would never say that Jesus is the only source of life.”

If I could script how the stone rolled away, I’d write it this way. There would be a violent earthquake. The wax covering the stone would crack and fall off.

As the first cord pops, the voice of Jesus thunders,
“I am the way—there is no other.”

As the second cord pops, the voice of Jesus thunders,
“I am the truth—all else is a lie.”

As the third cord pops, the voice of Jesus thunders,
“I am the life—there is no other source.”

Then as the stone rolls away revealing an empty tomb,
the voice of Jesus thunders,
“No one comes to the Father except through me.”

The stone did roll away, validating Jesus is who He said He was. But many would still rather see it as in place. With the stone in place, they can make God what they want, in order to live and believe the way they want. That was Bob’s story.

Bob was a retired Air Force pilot. He told me how he could fly from his base in the United States to Greenland and be back in time for supper. He said that flying at high altitudes gave him a great respect for God and His creation. When I brought Jesus into the conversation, he politely said, “Mark, I want you to know that I gained a greater appreciation for God once I got Jesus out of the way.” He believed that Jesus was a good man, but not God in flesh. He also believed that Jesus didn’t die on the cross. It was all a well-planned hoax. He further believed that Jesus later married and had several children in Switzerland. For Bob, it was better to live life with the stone in place so he could make God what he wanted, so he could live and believe the way he wanted.

As a result, those who see the stone as still in place will look at it in one of two ways. Some will look at it with a gray, hopeless stare. Like Mary and Steven, you will feel your life is too broken to mend. Others who see the stone as still in place use their eyes as riveting bolts hoping to keep it in place. You believe that if it rolls away, your hopes of making God what you want, and living and believing what you want, are crushed.

Yet, the stone over the tomb of Jesus Christ is not a figment of your imagination. It’s a proven fact in history. It rolled away, which means the place where Jesus lay was not a borrowed tomb but a borrowed room. It was a place for His body to stay three days till He rose again as He promised.

Knowing the Stone is Rolled Away

Some of you may ask, “How can you be certain that Jesus is the ONLY way, the truth, and life, and that NO ONE can experience life with God without surrendering to Jesus” More specifically, you are asking, “How can you be certain that the stone has been rolled away?” The easy answer is the Bible says so in Matthew 28:1-4.

1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

For some, saying “the Bible says so” isn’t enough evidence. That’s why it’s good to look toward historical research and personal experience.

Historical Research
As an agnostic, Josh McDowell sought to discredit Christianity by proving historically that Jesus Christ never rose from the dead. His research led him to confess,

After more than 700 hours of studying this subject and thoroughly investigating its foundation, I came to the conclusion that the resurrection of Jesus Christ was either one of the most wicked, vicious, heartless hoaxes ever foisted upon people, or it is the most important fact of history.²

After pursuing all the theories that had challenged the resurrection of Jesus, McDowell discovered that the theories fell beneath the historical fact that the stone rolled away, and Jesus rose from the tomb. That’s why Josh McDowell surrendered his life to Jesus Christ.

Personal Experience
Countless others, like Josh McDowell, have surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ. The sheer volume of His followers should prove the stone rolled away—especially when their stories are like Ethel Waters’.

As a child I remember hearing about her, but I really didn’t know her story. She was the child of a 12-year-old rape victim, and grew up in the slums and surrounding neighborhoods of Philadelphia. She later confessed, “No one raised me. I just ran wild.” After becoming famous as a singer, dancer, and actress, she attended a Billy Graham crusade in the late 1950’s. There she surrendered her life to Jesus Christ and boldly lived her faith. She was once asked in a television interview, “How do you know you are in God’s hand?” To this she smiled and said, “Honey, I’m one of His fingers.”

When you surrender your life to Jesus Christ you know the stone has been rolled away because you know you are one of His fingers (Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 12). You know you are a member of His family. Romans 8:15-16 says when you confess your sins to Jesus and commit your life to Him you are adopted by God. You become a member of His family.

I have learned through the years that when a loved one dies, the members of the family are notified. If the stone had stayed in place, or if Jesus had died since then, as a member of the family, you would have been notified. Furthermore, it is a large family. Around two billion in the world today claim to be followers of Jesus Christ. If the leader of such a following had died, the media would have covered it. Yet, I have seen nothing on the television or in the newspaper saying “The Stone Is Still In Place” or that “Jesus Has Died.” No, the stone did roll away and Jesus is still alive.

Life with the Stone Rolled Away

Just as Matthew 27 gives two views of life with the stone in place, Matthew 28 gives two proofs if you believe the stone has rolled away. One proof is seen in the way you handle death. The other is evidenced in the way you talk about life.

Handling Death!
Look at Matthew 28:5-6:

5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.”

Before the stone rolled away, there was a fear of death. As it rolled away, the fear of death rolled away with it. Billy Graham was once asked his view of death. He said that though he was uncomfortable over the process of dying, he had a peace about death. He had a calm, peaceful confidence that he’d be in heaven with Jesus.

You can learn a lot about religious leaders by going to their graves. If you go to the graves of the Budda or even Karl Marx, founder of a no-faith religion, the bodies are still there. Their graves tell the world that, through them, at the end of life is death. But if you go to the tomb of Jesus, the tour guide will tell you, “Come on in, look around; He’s not here.” His grave tells the world that through Him, at the end of death is life. That is why people who live life with the stone rolled away view and handle death differently from those who live as though the stone was still in place.

When my dad and mom were purchasing their burial plots, Dad was having fun. He asked the individual selling the plots, “Is there any way we can just rent our space? You see, we don’t plan to use it long.” Then as Mom and Dad were discussing headstones, Dad said, “Janie, can we put this on my headstone, ‘Though the shell is still here, the nut is gone.’?”

The way people handle death reveals whether they are living life with the stone in place or rolled away. I’ve attended funerals of individuals who never experienced life with the stone rolled away. To be kind, I’d say their funerals were somber. Then I’ve officiated funerals of those who lived life with the stone rolled away and their services, like their lives, were celebrations.

Talking About Life!
A second way to know if you are living with the stone rolled away or in place is to listen to your conversations. You hear some of it in Matthew 28:7. The angel speaks to the two women and says,

7 “Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

The difference in the conversations is seen in the verb tense. Those who believe the stone is still in place talk in the past tense, and those who believe the stone has rolled away talk in the present and future tense. For example,

If you believe the stone is still in place: …you talk about what Jesus did. …you talk about what Jesus said. …you talk about His influence in the past. …you say, “I wish I could have heard Him teach.” …you say, “I wish I had your faith.”

If you believe the stone has been rolled away: …you talk about what He is doing. …you talk about what He is saying. …you talk about the way He’s touching lives in the present. …you say, “I just talked with Him today.” …you’d say, “Just believe the stone has been rolled away.”

The Stone Affects Your Life

I believe if you live life with the stone still in place, it is going to bother you until you do something about it. In 1979, Peter Jenkins’ book, A Walk Across America, became a bestseller. It was his account of walking from coast to coast across America. (In the course of his journey, Jenkins surrendered his life to Jesus Christ.) In a television interview, he was asked if there was anything that almost made him turn back. He answered that it wasn’t the bad weather or the bad treatment by others that almost made him turn back. Jenkins said it was the stone that kept getting in his shoe.

There are young people today who are stepping out with friends who aren’t in step with Jesus. They ask you to step with them and Jesus asks you to step toward Him. That conflict in your heart is the stone of Easter. You are living as though it is still in place. Until you are in step with Jesus, there will always be a stone in your shoe.

If you are taking strides at work, whether up or down, but are not stepping toward Jesus, there will be a stone in your shoe. As parents or grandparents, you see your children or grandchildren stepping toward Jesus. You hear it in their prayers, see it in their baptisms, and watch it in their commitment. Yet, you have not made that step. And today, there is still a stone in your shoe.

The stone in your shoe is the stone of Easter. It has been rolled away and you are living as though it is still in place. If you see the stone differently, you will see life differently, live life differently, and experience life differently.

The Stone: A Doorstop or Treasure?

A number of years ago a story appeared which told of a man who picked up a beautiful stone from a North Carolina stream. He took it to his cabin and used it as a doorstop. Years later a geologist was hiking through the area and stopped at the man’s cabin. He noticed the large doorstop and soon recognized it as a large nugget of gold. In fact, it proved to be one of the largest nuggets of gold ever found east of the Rockies.
How you view the stone of Easter will determine the value of your life with God. You may believe that the stone is rolled away and that Jesus is alive. But until you act on that fact by committing your life to Jesus, the Easter stone to you is nothing more than a doorstop. It is holding you back from what your life could be with God. On the other hand, if you have committed your life to Christ, then the Easter stone is a priceless treasure and you are enjoying the dividends from it each day.

How do you view the stone of Easter? Is it in place or rolled away? Is it a doorstop or more valuable than gold? Your view of the stone will determine your experience today.