Walking With Jesus-3-He Still Moves Stones

This is Resurrection Sunday, and we are reminded that He Still Moves Stones.

Pastor's Notes:

TEXTJohn 20:1-10 NKJV

Now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.2 Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.”
3 Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. 4 So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. 5 And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the [a]handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. 9 For as yet they did not [b]know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.10 Then the disciples went away again to their own homes.

INTRODUCTION
Good morning, everyone!
We want to welcome all of our guests that are joining us this morning. Our prayer is that if you don't have a church home, you’d come back next week and find First Assembly, “home”.
Today, we are celebrating the greatest holy day of our Christian faith: The Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
It is without a shadow of a doubt a bloody message.

BACKGROUND OF RESURRECTION
Because of the sinfulness of man and our separation from God, Jesus was sent from Heaven to be born of a virgin, that He might become the perfect, sacrificial lamb to take away our sin.
That is exactly what He did. He came down from Heaven teaching, gathering to Himself twelve disciples that would ultimately change the world.
Jesus’ message was different than any other teacher or Rabbi of His day, and He made some claims.

*He claimed Lordship
*He claimed precedence (before Abraham was, I Am).
*He claimed to be above the law.
*He claimed equality with God
*He claimed sinless
*He claimed to be able to rebuild the temple in three days
*He claimed to be able to forgive sin
*He claimed to be the only way to God
*He claimed He would die and resurrect again.
*He claimed He would come back and judge the world.

As you can see, any Jewish person or Pharisee would take offense at this. However, they didn’t know that their scriptures, the Old Testament, pointed to this coming Messiah. So they did the unfathomable.
They decided to kill him.
He was sentenced and stood before Pilate. Pilate’s wife was troubled by a dream, and warned her husband that this man was innocent, so Pilate did what was allowed, and as the customary law was, one person could be granted pardon, so they brought Jesus out with Barabbas, a murderer.
The hatred was so much toward Jesus, that they chose to let Barabbas go.
The crowd who one day shouted “Hosanna”, is now shouting “Crucify Him”.
Jesus marched up Golgotha’s hill with His cross, as they whipped Him, spat on Him, and scored Him.
They hung Him between two thieves that day. One which reviled Him, and another with recognized His innocence, while at the same time accepting His Lordship.
The soldiers shoved a crown of thorns on His head, and a mocking inscription above Him that said “King of the Jews”.
Every sort of insult you could think of, they did it.
The agony of a crucifixion was like no other. Because Jesus was taking too long to die, they went to break His legs. Yet because of the restraining of the Holy Spirit, they stopped. Psalms 34:20 says concerning His bones, “Not one of them will be broken.”
So they shoved a spear into His side, bursting His heart, causing both blood and water to pour out, with Jesus blood spilling onto the ground. With this, Jesus cried, “It is finished”.
They hurried to take His body off of the cross because of the Sabbath. They placed His body in a borrowed tomb.

TRANSITION
Yet, three days after, Something interesting was found. Any empty tomb.
Our text shows us some interesting things. But in it, Mary makes a statement. In the Mark 16 account, verse 3 tells us what Mary asks “Who will roll still stone away for us?”
What an interesting question!
Scholars tell us that this stone was approximately 1 1/2 to 2 tons! It probably took a whole group of of people to push this stone into place. After all, it was guarded and sealed by the Romans. They didn’t want anyone to steal Jesus body!

BACKGROUND
Yet, early on Sunday morning, they found that an angel had rolled the stone away!
Jesus came out of the grave!
I want to submit to you today that Jesus didn’t NEED to move the stone for Himself? Why? He slipped through crowds, walked through walls, and even walked on water.
I personally believe Jesus moved the stone not so He could get out, but so the disciples could see in.
Did you know that today, He still moves stones?I want to share with you three stones Jesus moved on this day.

APPLICATION

1. The Stone Of Discouragement
- Mary was discouraged- Peter went fishing

2. The Stone Of Doubt
- Thomas didn’t believe it.

3. The Stone Of Death
- The grave couldn’t hold Him!

CONCLUSION