Irresistible Invitation by Maxie Dunham - Day 12

Irresistible Invitation

Day 12: The Stone Was Rolled Away

They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. Luke 24:2-3

Maxie asks if we have ever seen the movie Quo Vadis. In the film, actress Deborah Kerr is tied to a stake in a Roman Coliseum and angry lions are set loose to rush at her. A reporter once asked here if she were afraid when the lions rushed her. She answered, “No, I am noe of those actresses who reads all the script. I had read to the end and I knew Robert Taylor would come and save me.”

This was not a matter of wishful thinking. This was not a matter of “I hope I’ll be okay.” Kerr knew she would be okay. She had a true measure of hope that before anything really bad could happen to her, she’d be rescued. “Hope” for us is not wishful thinking. Hope is “the very substance of faith which gives us our greatest certainty.” Here these words from the Epistle to the Hebrews: “But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved” (Heb. 10:39). No wonder we sing hymns like “Because He Lives” so joyfully.

Because He lives I can face tomorrow …
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living just because He lives.

Yes, Jesus was God on earth. He walked and lived and healed and suffered and was crucified. But that’s not what our hope is in. Our hope is in the knowledge that he was resurrected. Our hope is in that fact that the stone was rolled away. It was a physical stone that was rolled away, but the imagery is deeper than that.

The Stone of Despair

Prior to the resurrection, hope was dependent upon “the episodic breaking in of God upon human history.” But not any more. Hope has been given the substance of life itself. Resurrection is the hinge issue of our faith. As Paul said, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins…”

The Stone of Sorrow

Through the resurrection, the stone of sorrow has been rolled away and we are invited to live in joy. Some of you have experienced sitting at the bedside of a loved one who is dying, even at their time of death. Many of you have experienced the loss of a loved one and are still here to tell the story. If so, perhaps today Psalm 30 resonates for you: “You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent” (vv. 11-12). And prior to those words: “… weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning” (v. 5).

The reality of Jesus’ resurrection is the promise of our resurrection. We have joy knowing that our loved ones are with the Lord. We don’t fear the lion, because we know how the story unfolds.

The Stone of Death

“The stone of death is rolled away, providing a doorway to life.” We will not be victims of death. We will be victors. No matter what the pain of today is, we know – we know – the stones of defeat and death are rolled away, making way for hope. “And when we have hope, we can know that God is ready and able to meet us wherever we are – and give us the courage we need to face whatever is ahead.”

An Amazing Thing Happened

While resurrection is the heart of our hope, we can see that God was already at work planting this hope even before Jesus was born. Joshua and Moses were leading the people out of captivity. They were near the Promised Land, but still the Israelites were choked by negative thinking and fear. “They had a defeatist mentality and walled in their despair. They complained about everything: the food was no good and the accommodations were worse. They were frightened of the future. They criticized Moses and Joshua. …”

Moses grew weary of their complaints. Joshua got fed up with it. And then, to add to the despair and hopelessness, Moses died.

Then an amazing thing happened. The first chapter of Joshua opens with they words: “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them- to the Isrealites” (vv. 1-2).

Their fearless leader was dead. The one they had depended upon was gone. And into their doubts and fears, God spoke: “Arise! Get up! Be done with this hopelessness; go over into Jordan…”

God’s word ignited their hope. And we know the amazing thing that happened. “These defeated, discouraged people were transformed.” Please know, their victory was about much more than optimism. Optimism is not a kingdom word. Optimism is not hope. Hope is the essence of the reign of God. It is the core truth of the Resurrection. “It allows us to trust that, in ways we may not understand, God is at work, and that one day he will establish his kingdom. And thanks to the stone being rolled away, we will be able to be a part of it.”

The Heart of the Matter

- What “stones” in your life has Jesus helped you roll away? Which remain?
- Think now of a time you’ve experienced unexplained hope. Describe it.
- Think of a time when you felt more like the grumbling Israelites. Were you able to see beyond your circumstances and ignite a new hope?

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