“As evening approached, Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea who had become a follower of Jesus, went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. And Pilate issued an order to release it to him. Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth. He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance and left.”
Matthew 27:57-60
They rolled the stone over the entrance. Jesus was wrapped up in a cloth, placed in a tomb, and a giant stone was rolled over the door. To the world, this was it, this was over. Nothing could move that giant rock, nothing could resurrect that life. Behind that stone was hope, and life, and power, and now it was gone, hidden away.
What in your life is hiding in a tomb? What have you proclaimed death over and allowed to be put away and hidden? What hope or dream have you let go of that might need resurrecting? What great work has God called you to? What is holding you back? What healing needs to happen and you just don’t want to, or can’t, roll away the stone?
No giant stone is too big for God. No fear, doubt, or obstacle is too much for God to overcome. Nothing you place in front of your hopes, dreams, calls, or healing will be something that God can’t push away. Jesus died so that all of the bad things in this world would no longer hold us back from living the life God wants for us.
As we move into resurrection Sunday, meditate on what is hiding in that tomb for you. What do you need to resurrect? What purpose in your life did Jesus go to the cross for, that needs to come out of that tomb? As you sing “and I ran out of that grave,” let it be true for you this Sunday.
For the Kids:
Supplies Needed: paper, coloring utensils, scissors.
Read Matthew 27:57-60. Explain to the children that the rock was huge, bigger and taller and heavier than they are. When the stone was rolled in front of the door, nobody could go in or out. Ask them if they know what happens next. Explain to them that God’s power rolled away the stone, and Jesus was able to come out.
Have each kid take a piece of paper and fold it in half.
Open up the paper, and on the right side, have them draw Jesus alive, and happy, as they imagine him coming out on resurrection Sunday.
Have them close the paper, and color the front like it is a rock.
Leaving the folded side intact, cut the front into a rock shape so it covers Jesus, but looks like a rock. They should be able to close it, Jesus is hidden by the rock, and then open it and see him.
Write somewhere on the page “He is Risen!”
abideandwrite.com 