The Stone Is Rolled Away
Month 12: Risen & Sending · 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, just as He said! Come, see the place where He lay.”— Matthew 28:6 (BSB)memorize this week
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: 1 Corinthians 14-16; 2 Corinthians 1
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Paul writes the great resurrection chapter — "Christ is risen from the dead" — and reminds us our labor is not in vain.)The Heart of It
It is the first day of the week, just as the sky begins to lighten. Two women named Mary make their way to the tomb. Their hearts are heavy. They expect to find a sealed stone and a dead body. Instead the ground trembles, and an angel of the Lord comes down "and rolled back the stone from the door" (). Notice what Matthew tells us carefully. The angel did not move the stone so Jesus could get out. Jesus was already gone. The stone was rolled away so the women could see in. They could look at the empty place where their Lord had lain, and believe. The soldiers guarding the tomb shook with fear and "became like dead men." The women were trembling too. But they were met with the kindest words ever spoken at a graveside. "Do not be afraid."
The angel gives them the message we are memorizing this week. "He is not here; for He is risen, as He said." Three small words carry the whole weight of our hope. As He said. Jesus had promised again and again that He would die and rise on the third day. Now the promise was standing empty before their eyes. The women did not stay to grieve. They ran "with fear and great joy" to tell the disciples (v. 8). And on the way, Jesus Himself met them. The risen Lord does not wait far off for us to find Him. He comes looking for His frightened friends. This is where our last month turns the corner. The cross was not the end of the story. The tomb is empty. The Lord is alive. And everything is about to change.
Around the Table
The big stone was rolled away. Not so Jesus could come out. He was already gone! It was rolled away so His friends could look in and see. He is alive!
Let's do it: Pretend to push a huge, heavy stone, then peek inside and shout, "He's not here! He's alive!"
The angel said Jesus rose "as He said." Jesus had promised this would happen, and He kept His promise exactly.
Let's talk: How do you think the women felt running home? And why does Matthew say they had both "fear" and "great joy"?
The guards "became like dead men," while the dead Man became alive. The world's power could seal a tomb. But it could not hold the Author of life.
Let's go deeper: The angel said, "Come, see the place." Why does God invite us to look at the evidence instead of just feeling something?
💬 Conversation Starter
What is the best surprise you ever got? The kind you couldn't keep inside?— The women got the greatest surprise ever, and they ran to share it.
🛡️ Defending the Faith
Matthew records that women were the first witnesses. But in that time, a woman's word was not even accepted in court. If the disciples were inventing a story, they would never have chosen witnesses no one would believe. They reported it that way because that is exactly how it happened.
For Dad · Go Deeper
Easter is not a single Sunday on the calendar. It is the hinge of all reality, and your children need to feel that weight. Everything before this moment in the Gospels was building toward a sealed tomb. Every miracle, every parable, every step toward Jerusalem. And everything after it flows out of an open one. As N.T. Wright argues, the resurrection is not a metaphor the early church dreamed up to cope with grief. It is a public event that happened on a real date in history, and it launched a movement willing to die rather than take it back. Let that settle in your own heart before you teach it. You are not asking your kids to believe in a nice idea about new beginnings. You are telling them that the man who died on Friday walked out alive on Sunday. And that this changes whether death gets the last word over them. Lead from conviction, not sentiment.
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. Thank You that He kept every promise, just as He said. Roll away the stones of fear in our hearts. Help us see and believe. In Jesus' name, amen."
The stone was moved so we could see in. He is not here, for He is risen, just as He said.