The Stone Is Rolled Away
Month 11: The Cross & the Empty Tomb · Bible Story
Today's Scripture
Read together: Matthew 28:1-10
1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 Suddenly there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, rolled away the stone, and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards trembled in fear of him and became like dead men. 5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; He has risen, just as He said! Come, see the place where He lay. 7 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.’ See, I have told you.” 8 So they hurried away from the tomb in fear and great joy, and ran to tell His disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” They came to Him, grasped His feet, and worshiped Him. 10 “Do not be afraid,” said Jesus. “Go and tell My brothers to go to Galilee. There they will see Me.”
Memory Verse
“He is not here; He has risen! Remember how He told you while He was still in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.’””— Luke 24:6-7 (BSB)memorize this week
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Romans 1-3
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Paul shows that all have sinned, and that God justifies freely by faith in Jesus.)The Heart of It
The cross was real, and so was the grave. They wrapped Jesus' body and laid it in a borrowed tomb. They rolled a heavy stone across the door. Soldiers stood guard. For one long Sabbath, the whole world held its breath. Then, "as the first day of the week began to dawn," two women named Mary came to the tomb in the half-light, carrying spices and broken hearts (). Suddenly the earth shook. An angel of the Lord came down from heaven, and the great stone was rolled away. It was not rolled away so Jesus could get out. It was rolled away so His friends could see in. The tomb was empty. The angel sat on the very stone that was meant to seal death shut. And the soldiers fell down "like dead men" (v. 4) before the power of God.
"Do not be afraid," the angel said, "for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said" (vv. 5-6). As He said! Jesus had promised this again and again, and now the promise stood up out of the grave. The women ran with "fear and great joy." Then Jesus Himself met them on the road, alive, and greeted them. They fell down and held His feet and worshiped Him. This is the hinge of all history and the heart of our hope. The One who died for our sins did not stay dead. Death did its very worst to Jesus, and Jesus broke it. Because the tomb is empty, everyone who trusts Him can one day face their own grave without fear.
Around the Table
Jesus died on the cross. But on Sunday morning the big stone was rolled away, and the tomb was empty! Jesus was alive again! The angel said, "Do not be afraid."
Let's do it: Push an imaginary heavy stone, then throw your hands up and cheer, "He is risen!"
The stone wasn't moved so Jesus could escape. He was already gone. It was moved so His friends could look inside and see that He had risen, just as He promised.
Let's talk: The angel said, "He is risen, as He said." Why does it matter that Jesus told everyone ahead of time?
Matthew tells us soldiers were guarding a sealed tomb. They became eyewitnesses to the earthquake and the empty grave. And the first people to announce the resurrection were women, whose word wasn't even counted in court back then.
Let's go deeper: If the early church were making this story up, why include details that were hard to believe, like women as the first witnesses? What does that suggest about whether it really happened?
💬 Conversation Starter
What is the best, most surprising good news you have ever gotten? Nothing compares to this: "He is not here. He is risen!"
🛡️ Defending the Faith
The empty tomb was admitted even by Jesus' enemies. Matthew records that the guards were paid to say the disciples stole the body (28:13). But you only need to explain away an empty tomb if it really was empty. The dispute was never whether the grave was empty. It was only why.
For Dad · Go Deeper
The resurrection is not a sweet ending tacked onto a sad story. It is the foundation the whole faith stands or falls on. Paul says it plainly. "If Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins" (). Everything we believe about forgiveness, the Spirit, and heaven rests on this one Sunday morning. As a father, you carry an enormous privilege here. You get to hand your children a hope that the grave cannot break. Do not let it become routine. Let the wonder of it land on you again. The same Jesus who was wrapped in burial cloths walked out alive and said, "Rejoice!" Let your children see that this news still moves their dad's heart.
Draws on: N. T. Wright, The Resurrection of the Son of God.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You that the tomb is empty and Jesus is alive! Death could not hold Him. Fill our family with joy. Help us live every day as people who serve a risen Lord. In Jesus' name, amen."
The stone is rolled away and the tomb is empty. Jesus is alive, just as He said.