"Who will roll away the stone
for us from the entrance of the tomb?" (Mark 16:3) The
question which troubled the tiny band of brave mourners that first
Easter morning weighs heavily today. The power of death is
terribly real in acts of terror and threats of war, in the
devastations of sickness and hunger, in tragedies both surprising
and all too familiar. The deadly power of sin -- dividing us from
each other and from God is plainly evident in our world, our
lives, and even the church.
Who will roll away the stone for
us? The amazing news of Easter is that the unmovable has been
moved already. Christ is risen! God has raised him up! The power
of the grave has proven no match for the power of grace. Sin's
thick walls cannot restrain the free flight of the Spirit.
Breathing the fresh, open air of
Easter morning makes life both joyful and more serious. For the
love which rolled back the stone has set us free for love. We are
propelled into the world for the sake of every neighbor, for the
healing of the nations.
The stone is rolled back! The risen
Christ is out ahead of us, leading us to life. "This is the
Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes." (Ps. 118:23)
