When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so they could go and anoint Him. Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they went to the tomb at sunrise. They were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone from the entrance to the tomb for us?” Looking up, they observed that the stone—which was very large—had been rolled away. When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; they were amazed and alarmed. “Don’t be alarmed,” he told them. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has been resurrected! He is not here! See the place where they put Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see Him there just as He told you.’” So they went out and started running from the tomb, because trembling and astonishment overwhelmed them. — Mark 16:1-8

Jesus Christ is risen!

We are so accustomed to hearing of Jesus risen from the dead that we could say, “Oh yea…i know” and miss the power of this holy season. But y’all, Jesus rose from the dead! Death is not the end! We cannot force the resurrection of Jesus Christ to have to fight for room in our lives; Jesus’s resurrection should be the center of our lives.

Humanity has been waiting for this moment for thousands of years. In the Old Testament prophets gave us the message from God that outlined God’s plan for the resurrection. It wasn’t just a guess. It was a profound promise from God to us thus making Easter the greatest celebration of the Church. Jesus’s resurrection tells us that there is life beyond the grave. It is a reminder that each of us has an immortal soul. Although our body will return to dust, our soul will live forever with God.

Each of the resurrection accounts are slightly different but each one ends at the same place — the tomb with stone rolled away. It’s a powerful image. The stone, which required many men to move, just rolled away. It makes me wonder about the tombs in our lives and how we stay locked inside. Our tombs prevent us from having authentic relationships with others as well as Jesus Christ.

Have you allowed a stone to prevent you from meeting the risen Jesus? Have you allowed the stone of the world to block your way to Jesus? You were adopted as God’s son or daughter on the day you were baptized. If you are not living like a son or daughter of God then roll away the stone. If you are not at peace, the stone needs to be rolled away in your life.

Today is the day. Stones are rolled away. Tombs are empty. Christ is alive!