“Behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from the sky, and came and rolled away the stone from the door, and sat on it.

He is not here, for he has risen, just like he said. Come, see the place where the Lord was lying.”       Matthew 28:2 and 6

Early on Resurrection morning, while it was still dark, there was a violent earthquake. The people of Jerusalem and surrounding areas, must have felt it. I wonder what they thought it was.? 

It was caused by the descent from heaven of a mighty angel of the Lord. The angel was sent to roll back the huge stone that the authorities had placed over the entrance of the grave of Christ. No single human could move it. There was also a guard of soldiers to make sure the disciples didn’t steal the body and claim a miracle. 

The disciples were in no frame of mind to come up with such a plot. They were terrified, disappointed and in a state of cowardly retreat. They were only thinking of their own lives, not the life of their Master. 

So the angel descends with the power of God and at His command, rolls back the stone for the living Saviour to leave the tomb. Why didn’t Jesus roll back the stone for Himself.? He had the power and authority to do so.? For our benefit, we see the rule, power and intention of the whole trinity in this “momentous event.” The Lord is risen, at the command of the Father, the victory of the Son and the power of the Holy Spirit. 

There is nothing that can stop this event. 

The angel sits down on the fallen stone. An act of victory in itself. How could a stone keep Christ in the tomb.? The angel sits like it’s nothing to move that rock. The rock becomes a throne for the glory of God to rest upon. 

Nothing can thwart the Lord. It is for those who have eyes to see it. Those who believe will also rise with no effort of our own, but with the same power that brought Jesus out of the ground. 

One day soon, there will be an earthquake to end all earthquakes and all will rise. 

Perhaps we shall sit on our own grave.  But we will certainly have the victory, as the Lord Jesus Christ has the victory. 

We look at His grave… it is empty… Praise be to our Saviour, who burst the bonds of death and rose again…