Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 863
Delivered on Lord’s-day Morning, MARCH 28, 1869, by, the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington.
“The angel of the Lord descended from Heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.”- Matthew 28:2.
As the holy women went towards the sepulcher in the twilight of the morning, desirous to embalm the body of Jesus, they recollected that the huge stone at the door of the tomb would be a great impediment in their way and they said one to another, “Who shall roll away the stone?” That question gathers up the mournful enquiry of the whole universe. They seem to have put into language the great sigh of universal manhood, “Who shall roll away the stone?” In man’s path of happiness lies a huge rock which completely blocks up the road. Who among the mighty shall remove the barrier? Philosophy attempted the task, but miserably failed. In the ascent to immortality the stone of doubt, uncertainty and unbelief stopped all progress. Who could remove the awful mass and bring life and immortality to light?
Men, generation after generation, buried their fellows—the all-devouring sepulcher swallowed its myriads. Who could stop the daily slaughter, or give a hope beyond the grave? There was a whisper of resurrection, but men could not believe in it. Some dreamed of a future state and talked of it in mysterious poetry, as though it were all imagination and nothing more. In darkness and in twilight, with many fears and few guesses at the truth, men continued to enquire, “Who shall roll away the stone?”
Men had an indistinct feeling that this worm could not be all—that there must be another life—that intelligent creatures could not all have come into this world that they might perish. It was hoped, at any rate, that there was something beyond the fatal river. It scarcely could be that none returned from Avernus—there surely must be a way out of the sepulcher. Difficult as the pathway might be, men hoped that surely there must be some return from the land of death shade, and the question was, therefore, ever rising to the heart, if not to the lips, “Where is the coming man? Where is the predestinated deliverer? Where is he and who is he that shall roll away the stone?”
To the women there were three difficulties. The stone of itself was huge. It was stamped with the seal of the Law. It was guarded by the representatives of power. To mankind there were the same three difficulties. Death itself was a huge stone not to be moved by any strength known to mortals. That death was evidently sent of God as a penalty for offenses against His Law—how could it, therefore, be averted, how could it be removed? The red seal of God’s vengeance was set upon that sepulcher’s mouth—how should that seal be broken? Who could roll the stone away?
Moreover, demon forces and powers of Hell were watching the sepulcher to prevent escape—who could encounter these and bear departed souls like a prey from between the lion’s teeth? It was a dreary question, “Who shall roll away the stone from the sepulcher?” “Can these dry bones live? Shall our departed ones be restored to us? Can the multitudes of our race who have gone down to Hades ever return from the land of midnight and confusion?” So asked all heathendom, “Who?” And Echo answered, “Who?”
No answer was given to sages and kings, but the women who loved the Savior found an answer! They came to the tomb of Christ, but it was empty, for Jesus had risen! Here is the answer to the world’s enquiry—there is another life! Bodies will live again, for Jesus lives! O mourning Rachel, refusing to be comforted, “Refrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears: for your work shall be rewarded and they shall come again from the land of the enemy.” Sorrow no longer, you mourners, around the grave, as those that are without hope—for since Jesus Christ is risen, the dead in Christ shall rise also!
Wipe away those tears, for the Believer’s grave is no longer the place for lamentations—it is but the passage to immortality! It is but the dressing room in which the spirit shall put aside, for awhile, her travel-worn garments of her
earthly journey—to put them on again on a brighter morrow—when they shall be fair and white as no fuller on earth could make them!
I purpose, this morning, to talk a little concerning the Resurrection of our exalted Lord Jesus, and that the subject may the more readily interest you, I shall, first of all, bid this stone which was rolled away, preach to you. And then I shall invite you to hear the angel’s homily from his pulpit of stone.
I. First, LET THE STONE PREACH. It is not at all an uncommon thing to find in Scripture stones bid to speak. Great stones have been rolled as witnesses against the people. Stones and beams out of the wall have been called upon to testify to sin. I shall call this stone as a witness to valuable Truths of God of which it was the symbol. The river of our thought divides into six streams.