Sermons
The Stone Cries Out
THE STONE CRIES OUT
Sermon Outline By Terry Siverd
Cortland Church of Christ / April 01, 2018
The resurrection is not an optional postscript to the story of the life of Jesus Christ.
If it is not an exclamation point, then His entire life becomes a big question mark.
One cannot simultaneously affirm the goodness of Christ while denying His resurrection.
It does appear true that Jesus’ disciples were slow to grasp the promise of His resurrection.
In his gospel account of the resurrection, John records: Now on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene
came early to tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already rolled away from the tomb.
And so she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them,
‘They have take away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him. / Jn.20:1-2
The text goes on to tell how Peter and John ran together to the tomb.
John arrived first and peered inside and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but did not enter.
When Peter arrived he too saw the wrappings and the face cloth off to the side, rolled up in a place by itself.
John then entered and he saw and believed.
And then John’s gospel adds this notation (Jn.20:9) - -
For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.
Let me state again, it may be true that the disciples of Jesus were slow to grasp His promised
resurrection, but their lack of understanding was not due to a lack of instruction on the part of Jesus.
= A few of His early teachings were somewhat cryptic and we can see why they may have missed His message.
~ Mt.12:39-40 / An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign shall be given to it
but the sign of Jonah the prophet; for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of
the sea monster, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
~ Jn.2:19-21 / Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. The Jews therefore said, ‘It took Forty-six
years to build this temple, and You will raise it up in this days?’ But He was speaking of the temple of His body.
~ Jn.10:17 / For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again.
= Mt.16:21 / From that time Jesus Christ began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and
suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.
= Mark 8:31 / He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected
by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
And HE WAS STATING THE MATTER PLAINLY.
= Lk.18:31-34 / And He took the twelve aside and said to them, ’Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and
all things which are written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished. For He will be
delivered to the Gentiles, and will be mocked and mistreated and spit upon, and after they have scourged
Him, they will kill Him; and the third day He will rise again.’ And They understood none of these things,
and THIS SAYING WAS HIDDEN FROM THEM, and they did not comprehend the things that were said.
cf. Mt.17:22-27; 20:18-19; Mk.9:30-32 and Lk.9:22
As I stated in my opening comments, one cannot deny the resurrection of Jesus and yet affirm His goodness.
If Jesus did not rise from the dead, He lied and He therefore cannot be considered a good or godly teacher.
Perhaps it is safe to say that Jesus’ disciples heard His words about His resurrection, however
hearing His words and grasping the full magnitude and meaning of His words is two different matters.
After His resurrection they were quick to remember His spoken words.
One scholar argues that the young man in the white robe in this morning’s text (Mk.16:5)
was not an angel, but was actually John Mark. Notice his recollection of what Jesus had said:
After I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee. cf. Mk.16:7 with Mt.26:32.
This pre-crucifixion declaration of His resurrection by Jesus was so prominent that it was “common knowledge”.
Mt.27:62-63 tells how the Jewish leaders consulted with Pilate telling him:
“Sir, we remember that when He was still alive that the deceiver said, After three days I am to rise again.”
It is here, in Mt.27:62ff, that we want to spend the rest of sermon time this morning.
When Jesus approached Jerusalem for the last time prior to His crucifixion, the crowd broke into celebration.
This incident is referred to as the triumphal entry. cf. Lk.19:29ff
Jesus rode into the city of a never-ridden-before colt. The people were spreading their garments in the road.
With a loud voice they began praising God saying, Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord (vs.38).
Vs.39 states, Some of the Pharisees in the multitude said to Him, ‘Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.’
Jesus responded saying, I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out! (vs.40).
I have adapted these words for this morning’s sermon, The Stone Cries Out!
Actually, Hab.2:11 states, surely THE STONE will cry out.
Now, let’s return to Mt.27:62-66 and read the full passage.
“Now on the next day, which is the one after the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees
gathered together with Pilate, and said, ‘Sir, we remember that when He was still alive the deceiver said,
After three days I am to rise again. Therefore, give orders for the grave to be made secure until the third day,
lest the disciples come and steal Him away and say to the people, He has risen from the dead, and the last deception shall be worse than the first. Pilate said to them, You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you know how.
And they went and made the grave secure, and along with the guard they set a seal on the stone.”
This text reveals three critical elements.
A STONE
This was a large slab of stone, large and very heavy, that was rolled against the opening of the tomb.
The tomb itself was most likely a hollowed-out cavity made in the side of hill.
When the women came to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body, their initial concern was,
Who will roll the stone away for us from the entrance to the tomb? / Mk.16:3
The stone was large enough that three women were incapable of moving it.
But when they arrived the stone had already been rolled away.
WHO MOVED THE STONE?
A GUARD
We understand this to be a number of men - - Roman soldiers to be precise.
Mt.28:11 implies there was a plurality of soldiers.
The fact that they were Roman soldiers speaks of their professionalism and their seriousness.
As we saw in our midweek study last Wednesday (Vic Rossi taught from Acts 12),
soldiers who failed to execute their assignment were themselves executed (Acts 12:19).
It is logical to assume that their post was close by and (with eyesight if not abutting the tomb itself.
It is not at all reasonable to imagine that one of them (much less all of them) fell asleep on the job.
Knowing they were accountable (and would likely be executed), these soldiers had no other option except
to follow the command of the chief priests (Mt.28:11-15). So they pocketed a large sum of bribe money and
spread the rumor that the disciples had come by night and stole the body away while they were sleeping.
And then all they could hope was that the chief priests would assuage Pilate’s anger and thereby save their lives.
WHO OR WHAT INFLUENCED THE GUARDS?
A SEAL
The Roman “seal” was some form of “cementing” the stone to the tomb, probably with wax or clay.
Most likely this seal included an authoritative signet of the Romans - - probably from Pilate.
When Daniel was placed in the lions’ den, Dan.6:17 records - -
A stone was brought and laid over the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own
signet ring and with the signet rings of the nobles, so that nothing might be changed in regard to Daniel.
To tamper with the tomb would bring a prosecution resulting in an execution.
WHO BROKE THE SEAL?
Who or what moved the stone? … influenced the guards? … and broke the seal?
Not the Romans!
Not the Jewish leaders!
The last thing they wanted was an empty tomb!
Not the disciples!
They had fled the scene and were in a state of shock and sorrow.
Mt.28:2-4 answers all three questions: who or what moved the stone; influenced the guards; and broke the seal?
Behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven
And came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. And his appearance was like lightning,
and his garments as white as snow; and the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.
Both Luke’s gospel (Lk.24:4) and John’s gospel (Jn.20:12) mention that there were two angels.
How many angels does it take to move a huge stone? One!
The other angel may have been helping Jesus arise from the slumber of death or paralyzing the guards.
There is no way that something so dynamic as Christianity could be founded upon a lie.
