Today’s selected reading continues in the New Testament gospel account of the life and ministry of Jesus the Christ as written by the beloved physician Luke. More specifically, today’s passage is found in verses thirty-five through fifty-three of the twenty-fourth chapter. When you come to this particular portion of scripture you will find the gospel account of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ written by Luke drawing to a close. With the verses which are before us we are brought face to face—not only with the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave on the third day, but we also find ourselves beholding the resurrected Christ as He reveals Himself and manifests Himself unto certain individuals during that time. The final chapter of the New Testament gospel of Luke begins and opens up with certain women of the company of disciples making their way to the tomb early in the morning in order that they might anoint the body of Jesus with spices which they had prepared. Scripture recorded a and reveals how much to their utter amazement and shock they arrived at the tomb to not only find the large stone which was before the entrance of the tomb rolled away, but also the body of Jesus no longer present within the tomb. How absolutely wonderful it would have been for the body of Jesus to have been raised from the dead and yet the stone not ever being removed. In all reality, we must recognize and understand that am omnipotent God does not need to roll away the stone which coveted the entrance of the tomb in order to raise Christ from the grave, and even to bring Him forth from the grave. It would have been very easy for the same God which raised Jesus Christ from the grave to being Him forth from the grave without ever rolling away or removing the stone which covered and concealed the entrance of the tomb. If we are honest with ourselves concerning the tremendous power and might of the living God we must understand and admit that the living God did not and would not need to roll away and remove the stone from the entrance of the tomb in order to raise Jesus Christ from the grave, and even bring Him forth from beyond the grave and behind the stone. Imagine a scene and scantily when Jesus was raised from the grave and yet the stone had never been rolled away from the entrance of the tomb, but remained in its place before the entrance and mouth of the grave. Imagine if Jesus the Christ had in fact been raised from death to life and brought forth from the grave, and yet the stone had never been removed from the entrance of the tomb. What would the gospel account of the life and ministry of Jesus the Christ be like had the Spirit of God raised yo Christ from the grave and brought Him forth from the grave, and yet never rolled away the stone.

As I sit here this morning I can’t help but think about and be convinced that the resurrection of Lazarus was intrinsically linked and connected to the resurrection of Jesus the Christ from the grave. I can’t help but get the strong sense that the scene at the grave of Lazarus was in fact preparation for an even greater resurrection that would take place later on with the physical body of Jesus the Christ. If you read the words and account of the life and death of Lazarus you will find that after he died his body was buried and laid in a tomb which had a large stone rolled before the entrance of the tomb. When Jesus came to the scene and place of the tomb, the first thing He did before calling Lazarus forth from the grave was to command the large stone which concealed the entrance of the tomb to be removed. Please don’t miss the incredible significance of this reality, for not even Lazarus’ resurrection could take place without the stone at the mouth of the tomb being rolled away and removed. We must notice and understand that it wasn’t until the large stone was rolled away and removed from the entrance of the tomb that Jesus was then able to call forth Lazarus—not only from beyond the grave in death itself, but also from within the grave. As you study the resurrection of Lazarus you will notice that first game the command of Jesus to roll away the stone—a command which was immediately followed by a command that was directed toward Lazarus himself. Immediately following the stone being rolled away and removed from the entrance of the tomb, Jesus then spoke directly unto Lazarus and called him forth from the grave. One thing I can’t help but wonder is whether or not Lazarus was brought from death to life when Jesus called him forth from the grave, or whether or not he was already brought back. To life before Jesus called him forth and commanded he come forth from the grave. In all reality, I would dare say that the former reality is most likely the truer of the two, and that not only was Lazarus brought back from death to life at the command of Jesus, but he also came forth and emerged from the tomb and grave at the command which Jesus spoke. Once Lazarus emerged from the tomb and from the grave, Jesus then commanded those who were present on this day to loose him from his grave clothes and to let him go. We dare not and must not miss and lose sight of this awesome and incredible reality, for it shines a great deal of light on to the resurrection of Lazarus, as well as the resurrection of Jesus the Christ.

In all reality, I would dare say that the resurrection of Lazarus was preparation for the resurrection of Jesus the Christ in that both men were given similar burials. If you read and study the account of both Lazarus as well as Jesus the Christ you will find that both men were placed within a tomb, and both men had a large stone rolled before the entrance of the tomb. When it came to raiding Lazarus from the dead Jesus first commanded the stone to be rolled away and removed from the entrance of the tomb in order that He might not only speak beyond the grave, but also that He might speak into the tomb itself. I am absolutely convinced that when Jesus spoke forth the command for Lazarus to come forth, He was not only speaking forth that command beyond the grave, but He was also speaking that command directly unto the grave and tomb itself. How absolutely wonderful and powerful it is that before Jesus would call forth Lazarus from the grave and from death itself, the stone which concealed the entrance to the tomb must first have been rolled away and removed. I absolutely love the fact that the stone which stood at the entrance of the tomb needed to be rolled away, for the process of resurrection would not take place while it was still before the entrance of the tomb. I am convinced that just as much a part of the resurrection was the stone being rolled away from the entrance of the tomb as was the grave clothes which were removed from the body of Lazarus when he came forth from within the tomb. What’s more, is that I am convinced that the stone being rolled away was in fact a sign and portent in and of itself concerning an even greater resurrection that would take place not far from there when Jesus Himself would be buried in a tomb and would have a large stone rolled before and in front of the entrance of the tomb. There would come a point not many days hence that Jesus would be crucified outside Jerusalem and would have His lifeless body buried and laid within a cave hewn out of stone with a large stone rolled in front of the entrance of the grave. We dare not, we cannot and must not miss and lose sight of this awesome and incredible reality for the stone being rolled away was an integral part of the resurrection of Jesus the Christ—a reality which would be burned into the minds and hearts of those who were present on this day. The stone being rolled away from the tomb would not only demonstrate the ability to look within the tomb, but also for they who were once dead to come forth from the grave. The stone which was rolled away from the entrance of the tomb in the case of Lazarus was a necessary reality, for it not only allowed Lazarus to come forth from the midst of the grave, but it also allowed those standing there to look inside the tomb and see that the tomb was in fact empty, and that the body of Lazarus was no longer present within the tomb itself.

I firmly believe that the resurrection of Lazarus was absolutely and incredibly necessary in the scheme of the gospel, for the image of the stone being rolled away would be seared into the consciences of all those who were present on that day, and would even stand as a testimony of the resurrection of Lazarus. Imagine being Lazarus and those before and around you who knew you seeing you face to face and believing that it was you, but still skeptical that you had indeed risen from the grave. Impinge being Lazarus and having the ability to bring friends, family, acquaintances and others to the grave—to the scene and place where your lifeless body was laid, and to the place where you were called from beyond the grave and brought forth from the midst of the tomb. Imagine being Lazarus and having the ability to bring and escort men and women to the place of your burial and to show them the empty tomb and grave. Imagine being Lazarus and not only potentially showing and revealing the grave clothes which once bound you, but also the empty tomb where your body once was laid after you had died. The empty tomb and grave served as a powerful reminder and confirmation that you had indeed been raised from death to life, and that the tomb was in fact empty as your lifeless body no longer remained within the tomb. Please don’t miss the incredible significance and importance of this reality, for it is absolutely wonderful to think about and consider the fact that both the rolled away stone, as well as the empty grave were themselves signs that resurrection had occurred and that he who was once dead and buried inside had in fact emerged and come forth from beyond the grave. The stone being rolled away from the entrance of the tomb was a wonderful and powerful picture and reality that he who was once dead and buried within the tomb was no longer within the tomb, and that the grave was in fact empty with no lifeless body present within it any more. This is such an awesome and wonderful reality, for the rolled away stone which once stood at the entrance of the tomb where Lazarus was buried was a powerful portent and sign of another stone that would be rolled in front of an entrance of another whose lifeless body was buried within a tomb. In fact, if you turn and direct your attention to the New Testament gospel of Matthew you will find that at the death of Jesus the tombs and graves of many within Jerusalem were opened, although those who were actually present within the tombs and graves would and could not come forth until Jesus Himself was raised from death to life. It’s worth noting that at the death of Jesus graves themselves were opened, yet it was only at the resurrection of Jesus the Christ that those who were buried and laid within those graves were actually able to come forth. Consider if you will the awesome and incredible reality that not only surrounds the resurrection of Lazarus, but also the awesome reality surrounding the graves being opened at the death of Jesus. Beginning first with the account of the opening of graves at the death of Jesus, and conditioning to the resurrection of Lazarus let us consider something that is truly remarkable and wonderful which points to the resurrection of Jesus Christ Himself:

“Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama. Sabachthani? That is to say, My God, my God why hast thou forsaken me? Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth forth Elias. And straightway one of them ran, and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave Him to drink. The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save Him. Jesus, when He had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; and the graves were opened; and may bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many” (Matthew 27:45-53).

“When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, He groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, and said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto Him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him! And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died? Jesus therefore again groaning in Himself, cometh to the grave. IT was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto Him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four day. Jesus said unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up His eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that you hast heard me. And I. knew that you nearest me always: but because of the people which stand but I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. And when He thus had spoken, He cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave clothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go” (John 11:33-45).

It’s interesting and worth considering these two passages together, for in the case of the resurrection of Lazarus from the grave we find that the stone was rolled away from the entrance of the tomb in order that Jesus might call him forth from beyond the grave, and from within the tomb. What I find to be so incredibly intriguing and captivating concerning the resurrection of Lazarus, as well as that which the apostle Matthew wrote concerning the death and resurrection of Jesus the Christ is that when Jesus gave up the ghost and died, there was a great earthquake, and the rocks did rend in pieces. What’s more, is that the apostle Matthew also goes on to write that the graves of many were opened, and the bodies of many of those which slept rose and entered into the city when and after Jesus the Christ rose from the grave to life once more. One thing I can’t help but wonder is that if the stone was rolled away at the resurrection of Lazarus, and if the stone was rolled away at the resurrection of Jesus, is it possible that when the graves of others were opened at the death of Jesus there were other stones which were rolled away from the entrances of the tomb and grave. I do not believe for one minute that Lazarus’ and Jesus’ tombs were the only ones in all of Judaea at that time that were found to be caves which had a large stone rolled in front of the entrance of the cave in which their bodies were laid. THE TESTIMONY OF ROLLED AWAY STONES! I cannot help but get the strong sense that when the death of Jesus took place and occurred, and when a great earthquake struck the earth, and the graves of many were opened, there were other stones which were rolled away and removed from the entrances of those graves and tombs which were present in Judaea. The apostle Matthew writes and records that after Jesus Himself rose from death to life those which slept also arose and entered into the city and began speaking forth the wonderful acts of God among those who were present at that time. It was through Jesus’ death that the graves were opened, yet it was only through Jesus’ resurrection that the bodies of those which slept and were buried in those tombs were actually able to come forth from the midst of the tombs and graves. Oh, I can’t help but get the strong sense that after the resurrection of Jesus the Christ there was an incredible and tremendous phenomenon in the land of Judaea—namely, the testimony and witness of rolled away stones and empty graves. Those in Bethany, and those in the surrounding area had already heard about the resurrection of Lazarus from the grave, and had already heard about the stone being rolled away from the entrance of the grave, and even how the tomb and grave itself was empty, and yet not there is an additional witness and testimony of more graves which were opened, and more stones which were rolled away.

THE ULTIMATE GRAVE ROBBER! I find it absolutely wonderful and remarkable to think about and consider the fact that when Lazarus was raised from death to life, the stone which was before the entrance of his tomb and grave was rolled away and removed. Once Lazarus had come forth from the grave, and once his grave clothes were removed from his physical body, the grave still remained behind Lazarus with the stone having been rolled away and beside the entrance of the grave. Imagine being Lazarus and walking away from the tomb, walking away from the grave, walking away from the grave clothes, and even walking away from the tomb. Is it possible that Lazarus looked back upon the tomb to not only see the stone that had been rolled away, but also the tomb itself being empty knowing that it was his physical body which was once buried within that tomb? When Lazarus left the tomb that day—not only was the tomb itself empty, but the stone which once concealed the entrance of the cave where his body lie was also rolled away and sitting to the side of the entrance of the cave. Oh beloved, please don’t miss and lose sight of this awesome and incredible reality, for it has an even greater meaning when you consider it in light of that which took place at the death of Jesus, and even that which took place at the resurrection of Jesus. Scripture records that when Jesus gave up the ghost the veil of the Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom, the rocks were rent into pieces, and the graves of countless men and women were opened. Pause for a moment and consider the tremendous fact that some of those graves which were opened were tombs and caves which themselves had large stones which had been rolled before and in front of the entrance of the tombs and graves themselves. Consider if you will the tremendous fact that there were undoubtedly countless graves within Judaea during that time which did in fact have large stones which once stood before the entrance of those graves having been rolled away by the force and power of the earthquake which struck the earth at that time. There is not a doubt in my mind that at the death of Jesus there were countless stones which were rolled away from the entrances of the tombs and graves of men and women whose bodies lie buried within their tombs and graves. For a period of three days there was a wonderful and awesome phenomenon that was present within the land of Judaea—namely, the witness and testimony of rolled away stones as no one could explain why or how all these graves were opened. Imagine the sheer wonder and amazement as countless men and women saw and noticed graves being opened, and even large stones which once concealed the entrances of the tombs being rolled away and removed.

I happen to find this idea and concept of rolled away stones to be absolutely intriguing and wonderfully powerful, for we know and understand from the accounts of the resurrections of Jesus and Lazarus that the stones which concealed the entrance of their tombs were rolled away and removed from their place. In the case of Lazarus, the stone which concealed the entrance of his grave, and which stood at the mouth of the cave was rolled away by men as Jesus gave the command for the stone to be rolled away. In the case of the resurrection of Jesus the Christ, it was not mere man or mere men who rolled away the stone which stood at the entrance of His grave, but it was the angel of the Lord who descended from heaven and rolled away the stone from the entrance of the tomb. I am convinced that the resurrection of Lazarus stood as a wonderful and powerful portent and sign of the resurrection of Jesus, as the image of the stone being rolled away from the entrance of the cave would be seared into the consciences and psyches of those who were present on that day. What’s more, is that the image of the rolled away stone would undoubtedly be considered when it came to Jesus’ own resurrection, for the stone which concealed the entrance of Jesus’ grave was itself rolled away and removed in order that He who was dead might come forth, and in order that the grave might be confirmed to be empty. What’s more, is that I would dare say that at the death of Jesus Christ on the cross the graves of countless men and women were opened, and this would undoubtedly have included those graves which were caves and had large stones which had been rolled before and in front of the entrances of the cave. Undoubtedly when Jesus died upon the cross and the graves of many were opened, there were a number of graves which were just as that of Lazarus and Jesus—caves which had been made as a hollow place was hewn out of stone and mountain. At the death of +Jesus the Christ graves were opened, and I would dare say that there were large stones which once stood before the entrance of such caves and tombs which were rolled away and removed in order that those which were dead might come forth from the midst of those graves. We must understand and come face to face with this awesome and incredible reality, for it is quite powerful when you consider the wonderful fact that at one point in time, there was a mighty witness of rolled away stones as not only was Lazarus’ stone rolled away from the entrance of his tomb and grave, and not only was the Jesus’ stone rolled away from the entrance of His tomb and grave, but so also were the stones of others rolled away from their graves and tombs. At one point in time there was not only the wonderful witness and testimony of the ultimate grave robber, but there was also the wonderful and powerful witness of rolled away stones and empty graves.

THE WITNESS OF ROLLED AWAY STONES AND EMPTY GRAVES! I wrote concerning Jesus’ resurrection that it would have been absolutely nothing for the Spirit of the Lord to raise Jesus from death to life, and to bring Him forth from beyond the grave and from the midst of the tomb without ever rolling away and removing the stone, and yet I believe within my heart and spirit that this simply could not be the case. There is not a doubt in my mind that the resurrection of Jesus the Christ could have taken place without and apart from the stone which concealed the entrance of His grave being rolled away and removed. I firmly believe and am convinced that the large stone which concealed the entrance to Jesus’ tomb and grave needed to be rolled away and removed in order that men and women might themselves come to the grave and behold the body of Jesus no longer being present in the midst of the tomb. What’s more, is that I would dare say that the stone needed to be rolled away in order that those who came to the tomb might even enter in if they so chose to and desired. In fact, if you read the accounts which were written by the apostles Matthew and John, and even the accounts which were written by Luke and mark, you will find that there were those who came to the grave and saw the stone rolled away and the grave itself being empty, and there were others who themselves entered and stepped into the empty grave in order that they might see and behold the witness of resurrection from within the tomb itself. BEHOLDING RESURRECTION FROM WITHIN THE EMPTY GRAVE! How absolutely wonderful and remarkable it is to think about and consider the awesome and incredible reality that. Not only could resurrection be witnessed and experienced from outside the tomb before the rolled away stone, but resurrection could also be witnessed and experienced from within the tomb itself. Consider if you will the various accounts of the resurrection of Jesus the Christ as it was written and recorded by the various New Testament gospel authors beginning first with the account of Matthew, and continuing through to the account written by the apostle John:

“In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: and for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see Him: lo, I have told you. And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring His disciples word. And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held Him by the feet, and worshipped Him. Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me” (Matthew 28:1-10).

“And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and joint Him. And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great. And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: He is risen; He is not here: behold the place where they laid Him. But go your way, tell His disciples and Peter that He goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see Him, as He said unto you. And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid” (Mark 16:1-8).

“Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed their about, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: and as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how He spake unto you when He was yet in Galilee, saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. And they remembered his words, and returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest. It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles. And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not. Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass” (Luke 24:1-12).

“The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid Him. Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciples, and came to the sepulchre. So they ran both together: and the other disciples did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he no in. Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, and the napkin, that was about His head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. Then went in also that other disciples, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed. For as yet they knew not the scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again unto their own place. But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, and seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid Him” (John 20:1-13).

If you read each of these accounts as presented by the New Testament authors you will find the witness and testimony of the stone being rolled away not so much being about Jesus being able to come forth from the grave, but about the ability of those who would come to the tomb and grave to behold the stone rolled away, and even to be able to look within the tomb itself. What’s more, is that there were even those who would enter into the empty tomb and grave—namely, the apostles Simon Peter and John. There were certain woman who came to the tomb and saw the stone rolled away and yet did not enter in to the tomb itself, and there were others who actually came to the tomb and entered in to behold the linen clothes and the napkin in their place within the tomb. Oh dear reader, I am convinced that there is a wonderful and powerful witness in the rolled away stones and in the empty graves which must be carefully considered in light of the resurrection of Jesus, in light of the resurrection of Lazarus, and even in light of the resurrections which took place when Jesus Himself rose from the grave. There is not a doubt in my mind that at the death of Jesus there were countless graves which were opened, and there were countless stones which were rolled away from the entrance of many graves, and when Jesus Himself was raised from death to life, the stone which concealed the entrance of His grave was rolled away from its place. How absolutely remarkable and wonderful it is to think about and consider the awesome and tremendous fact that when Jesus rose from death to life—not only was the stone which concealed the entrance of His tomb and grave rolled away and removed, but there were undoubtedly countless other stones which were rolled away and removed, including that of Lazarus’ grave. Oh how absolutely wonderful and remarkable it is to think about and consider the wonderful witness and testimony of rolled away stones and empty graves, as at the resurrection of Jesus there were at least two tombs for sure which had stones rolled away from their entrances. The truth of the matter, however, is that I would dare say that there were undoubtedly more tombs which had the large stones which were rolled away from their entrances just sitting beside them in that day. Pause for a moment and consider the awesome reality that not only does the living God have the ability to rob graves and completely spoil and plunder death, but He also allows the witness and testimony of rolled away stones and empty graves to speak to the living. What’s more, is that the witness of rolled away stones and empty graves not only spoke to the living, but it also spoke to death, hell and the grave, and even he who once had the power of death that he no longer had the keys of death, hell, nor the grave. The witness of the rolled away stones and empty grave not only served as notice to those who were living during that time, but it also served notice to he who once had the power of death, and to death, hell and the grave itself that the ultimate grave robber had Himself risen from the grave, and had led a host of those saints who were dead in a triumphant resurrection. Oh that we would come face to face with the wonderful and powerful witness of rolled away stones and empty graves and see and understand the statement that was made—both to those which were living, as well as to the one who had the power of death, and to death, hell and the grave. Rolled away stones and empty graves are a wonderful and powerful notice that was served to he who had the power of death, and even to death, hell and the grave itself that Jesus was alive, and that death no longer had authority and dominion over the saints of God and disciples of Christ any longer.