Daily Devotional • Matthew 28:6 • When the Stone Is Rolled Away

Sometimes something feels so final that we can't imagine anything changing. For some of us, it's the loss of something we hold dear, like a loved one, our health, a job.

The disciples knew that feeling well because they watched Jesus die on the cross. They watched His body placed inside a tomb and saw the stone rolled across the entrance. How final that must have seemed. It was the ultimate symbol of finality. Fear and grief were mixed. They didn’t know what was next or what to do. How often do we experience a life-altering event and have those very same feelings?

While the story seemed over for Jesus, we know it wasn’t. But the disciples didn’t.

And yet, we know that Sunday morning came. When the women arrived at the tomb, the stone had been rolled away. The grave was empty. Jesus was alive! What looked like the end had become the beginning of everything. A surprise ending to the story. One that continues to breathe new life into ours. That's the power of resurrection. God specializes in taking things that appear finished and breathing new life into them. I love that.

Maybe something in your life feels like a tomb right now. You don’t see a way out of the darkness. Maybe you feel like the stones are too huge to move and you need a miracle.

Life has so many seasons. Seasons we wish away and those we never want to leave. And yet, we know change is a constant. But Jesus’s resurrection teaches us that God has never been intimidated by an ending. He is the God of new beginnings, who loves us so much that He provides a way to Himself through His Son!

No stone is too heavy for Him, and death isn’t final either. While our earthly situations may not go as we hope or want, we know God will set things right in eternity. While we serve Him here, He often uses difficult things to bring us something deeper, better, and character-building.

Resurrection reminds us that endings are not always what they seem. God can take what seems like a burial and turn it into a beginning. So if you're standing in front of a closed door today, don't assume God isn’t working.

The stone may not have moved yet, but that doesn’t mean God won’t roll it out of the way at just the right time.