Lifelines:

In the predawn darkness of that first day of the week, Mary’s eyes told her something that her brain could not accept (John 20:1-ff). She had made her way to the tomb, and the stone was gone. Stunned, she hustled off to tell someone, anyone, what she had seen. Her mind could not digest it. The tomb was empty. The body had been….what? Stolen? A corpse cannot just get up and walk away, can it? All she knew was that it was no longer there and she wanted, no, demanded to know where it was.

The world changed that day. Mary was not the only one who was moved simultaneously with that rock. Others would follow her to that amazing sight; Peter, the disciple whom Jesus loved, even two angels shared the miracle of that moment. The news would spread like crazy. Eventually more than 500 hundred witnesses would lay their eyes on the one who had been crucified (1 Corinthians 15:6). An empty cave can really rearrange your thinking.

Jesus spoke of such an event before it ever happened. He told His disciples, but their grasp of it was not too clear (Luke 18:31-34). They had been with Him through miracles and teachings. They had watched Him heal the sick, calm the storm, feed the multitudes and raise the dead; but this one eluded them. Even with His explanations, they just did not get it until that stone was gone. Boy, they got it then alright, and the world has never been the same.

When the band of eleven sought a replacement for Judas (Acts 1:21-22), it was clear that their primary assignment was to bear witness to the risen Lord. Peter’s message that started the wheels in motion on the Day of Pentecost focused on the resurrection. His listeners had been prime instigators of the crucifixion, but they never expected the third day. Empty graves have a way of getting your attention. It sure got theirs.

The march continued from Jerusalem to the surrounding areas and eventually to you and me. Through the ages and around the globe, it remains the cornerstone of our faith. That rolled-away stone revealed the most amazing event ever. A crucified Savior has conquered death. He met it on His terms and emerged victorious. All doubts have been removed. He is alive and intercedes forever for His people. The Lord does not throw stones. He removes them.