On Good Friday afternoon, everything seemed so certain. The Lord had died in agony on the Cross, as his mother and Beloved Disciple and the women watched helplessly. His lifeless body was taken down and laid in Mary’s lap, before being carried to the new tomb. A heavy stone was rolled into place. Roman guards stood watch. Death had done its work, the Chief Priests and Scribes and Pharisees had got what they wanted. And all came sorrowfully away.

Very early on Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to the tomb expecting that same reality they had witnessed on Friday. They came expecting death. They came bringing spices, ready to care for the body. They came grieving, hearts heavy with loss and disappointment.

But instead of death, they heard life. The angel of the Lord announced, “He is not here, for he has risen, as he said.” Those words change everything. Jesus had promised this would happen. He told his disciples he would suffer, die, and rise again on the third day. At the time, they didn’t understand. It seemed impossible. Death doesn’t reverse itself. Graves do not open. The dead do not walk out alive. But, “he is not here, for he has risen, as he said.”

That is why the rolled-back stone is so absolutely, life-changingly, earth-shatteringly important. Jesus could’ve passed through the heavy stone blocking the entrance to the tomb, as he passed through the locked door of the Upper Room to appear to his disciples. There was no need for the stone to be moved. The stone was rolled back not so Jesus could get out, but so that the women — and the whole world — could see into the empty tomb. 

The Lord’s resurrection proves that his promises are true. When he said he would pay for sin, he did. When he said he would defeat death, he did. When he said he would rise, he did. And that means his promises to us are also true.

When we feel crushed by the weight of guilt on our conscience, the empty tomb assures us that our sins are forgiven. The Lord’s resurrection is the Father’s declaration that nothing remains to be paid. When grief overwhelms our hearts, the empty tomb assures us that death is not the end. Because Jesus lives, those who believe in him will also live. When fear whispers that God has forgotten us, the empty tomb reminds us that Jesus keeps every word he speaks – and every word he speaks is true.

The stone was rolled back not so Jesus could get out, but so we could see in. The tomb is empty. Sin, death and the Devil are defeated. Our Saviour lives. And because he lives, we have peace, forgiveness, and eternal life. Just as he said.