For Whom Was the Stone Rolled Away?

This morning our pastor pointed out something in his sermon that I'd never realized before. Being Resurrection Sunday he naturally taught on Christ's resurrection as found in Matthew 28:1-10.

Matthew records that there was a violent earthquake because an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled away the stone, and sat on it. Then verses 5-7 say,

"The angel said to the women, 'Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; He has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where He lay. Then go quickly and tell His disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

Notice the angel said to the women after he rolled away the stone, "He is not here." So the angel wasn't letting Jesus out by rolling away the stone. We know from other scriptures that Jesus' glorified body could appear and disappear as He pleased (Luke 24:30-31 & 36-39, John 20:19-20). He didn't need the stone moved to get out. So the question is, for whom was the stone rolled away? In verse 6 the angel said to the women, "He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay" (emphasis mine).

He rolled away the tomb so the women, and later Peter and John, could see that the tomb was empty. The angel was giving them proof, beyond any doubt, that Jesus had risen from the dead.

The stone was rolled away for our sakes. To show us the empty tomb. To show us we serve a risen Savior. To show us that all of Jesus' words are true.

"He is not here, He has risen, just as He said."