Why Did the Angels Roll the Stone Away?

I was watching the Unashamed podcast with Phil, Jase and Alan Robertson, and Jase said something that really blew my mind. He was talking to some girls that his daughter had brought home for the summer about Bible questions, and he asked them a question: “Why did God have the angels roll the stone away from Jesus’ tomb?” to which they responded “to let Jesus out.” Jase then, lovingly, corrected their error in thinking. After all, he reasoned, Jesus miraculously left buildings (such as with the two disciples in Emmaus), and went in to buildings where the doors were locked from the inside. It wasn’t to let Jesus out, but to let His followers inside to see for themselves. After all (and this is my reasoning) didn’t the women, Peter and John need to see inside for themselves, even after the angels told them what happened. Jase even went on to say that Jesus ascending in to heaven was not for Him, but for them, because humans have a hard time processing what happened.

This leads me to thinking: God doesn’t need to show us anything, but He does. He shows us many signs and wonders constantly (the fact that we woke up today, and exist at all, for that matter, is a statistical and scientific improbability). And why? Why the signs and wonders? Because even those who were healed and miraculously fed, walked away from him. Even Judas Iscariot, who prophesied, performed miracles, and had powers over demons betrayed Him. Even His disciples, who did the same as Judas, abandoned Him in the garden. And, His disciples needed to see for themselves that the tomb was empty and that He ascended to Heaven. Even Peter needed to be corrected by Paul on his treatment of the gentiles. Even the churches in Corinth and Galatia and Ephesus and Philippi and all these other places needed reminders of the miracles done there upon the establishment of their churches. We need reminders. We’re fickle. We believe, but we need help with our unbelief.

Loved ones, look for all of the wonders, and signs, make note, and, as the hymn says, count your blessings and name them one by one to show what God has done. Look for the signs and wonders, add to your belief, and continue on in the work God has for you: to share the Gospel Message that Jesus lived as one of us, and died for us for all sin for all time, so that those who believe are no longer under the weight of it. That He was buried and rose again so that those who believe no longer have a burden of death (the consequence of sin) hanging over their heads, and will live new life now and rise again on the last day, and that our reward after our bodies wear out is eternity in His presence forever. The stone was rolled away to bear witness to God’s goodness. He’s still providing witnesses every day. Lord, help us all with our unbelief.

Matthew 9:14-29

And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”