An Easter Revelation, Revisited

I have not been a very good blogger of late; my schedule has been jam packed. That doesn't mean I haven't been thinking about writing, I just don't have time most days to write these thoughts down. As Easter is fast approaching, I have been thinking deep thoughts about all that transpired this week, almost two thousand years ago. I have been in deep thought, but I thought that rather than sharing some rather scattered thoughts, I ought to reprint my Easter thoughts from last year, as they were worth another look:

"I am still reading "3:16 the Numbers of Hope" by Max Lucado. What I read this week just blew my mind, so I have to share.

"Mary, the mother of James, and Mary Magdalene have come to the tomb to place warm oils on a cold body and bid farewell to the one man who gave reason to their hopes." The women think they are alone. They aren't. They think their journey is unnoticed. They are wrong. God knows. And he has a surprise waiting for them." 'An angel of the Lord came down from heaven, went to the tomb, and rolled the stone away from the entrance' (Matt 28:2 NCV).

"Why did the angel move the stone? For whom did he roll away the rock?" For Jesus? That's what I always thought. But think about it. Did the stone have to be removed in order for Jesus to exit? Did God have to have help? Was the death conqueror so weak that he couldn't push away a rock?" I don't think so.

The text gives the impression that Jesus was already out when the stone was moved! For whom, then, was the stone moved?" Listen to what the angel says: 'Come and see the place where his body was' (v. 6 NCV). "The stone was moved--not for Jesus--but for the women; not so Jesus could come out, but so the women could see in!"

This was just such an amazing thought. The Lord was already risen. The tomb was empty. God had conquered sin and death. But no one knew. The angel had to move the stone so that humans could be in on the action! It made me wonder what other stones he has needed to move, in my life, so that I could see what was really going on!