spiritual battle, Angel Rolls Away the Stone (gospels)

After Jesus' death on the cross, there was a fear that after three days, the disciples would steal the body and then claim Jesus had risen.  So, the spiritual leaders had the grave sealed with a huge stone, and had Roman soldiers guard the grave.

ROMAN SOLDIERS!!!  These guys were highly trained and would not have taken their orders lightly, so there's not a chance that they would have been caught sleeping on the the job...

(Matthew 27:62-65)  Now on the next day, the day after the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together with Pilate, 63 and said, “Sir, we remember that when He was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I am to rise again.’ 64 Therefore, give orders for the grave to be made secure until the third day, otherwise His disciples may come and steal Him away and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.” 65 Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you know how.”

The grave site would have looked something like either of these two photos...

So when the angel rolled away the stone, it was not to let Jesus out, but to let people in and see that Jesus had risen!!!...

(Matthew 28:1-7)  Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. 2 And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. 3 And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4 The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. 6 He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. 7 Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”

Now let's look at Mark's description of this event, which would have happened somewhere between the verses of Matthew 28:4 and 5:  The women would have arrived long AFTER the guards had become like dead men.  And probably the Roman soldiers would have run away after that, but before the women arrived.

Also notice that when the guards saw the angel, what they saw would have been freaky and terrifying.  What the women saw was a young man wearing a white robe.  Even so, they were still afraid...

(Mark 16:1-8)  When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might come and anoint Him. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. 3 They were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” 4 Looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, although it was extremely large. 5 Entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed. 6 And he said to them, “Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him. 7 But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.’” 8 They went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had gripped them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

In Luke's description of this event, he mentioned that there were two angels.  Here the description of the angels were still that of young men, but the white robes they wore were "dazzling" - probably meaning that there was some sort of glow about them.

It could be that Matthew and Mark only mentioned the one angel, because they only wrote about the message from one of the angels.

In Luke's description, he wrote a different part of the message.  As God was inspiring and guiding these people to write His words, we will see different eye witnesses giving their accounts of what they had witnessed and heard, and the messages that struck them as important...

(Luke 24:1-7)  But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; 5 and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead? 6 He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, 7 saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.”

When the women tried to tell the disciples what they had just seen, they refused to believe them.  Although wishful-thinking-Peter ran to the tomb and found it empty, but was still puzzled and perplexed...

Luke 24:10-12)  Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles. 11 But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them. 12 But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings only; and he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened.

It's interesting that when the disciples had seen Jesus walking on the water, they thought He was a ghost (Matthew 14:26, Mark 6:49).  Perhaps after all their time spent with Jesus, they came to realize that there are no "ghosts", but there is definitely a spiritual realm.

So when the disciples saw Jesus after His resurrection, they assumed He was a spirit (maybe a demon, but more than likely they probably thought He was an angel, especially because the women had been claiming they had just seen angels).

To prove to them that He was not just a spirit, Jesus ate some fish in front of them...

(Luke 24:36-43)  While they were telling these things, He Himself stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be to you.” 37 But they were startled and frightened and thought that they were seeing a spirit. 38 And He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. 41 While they still could not believe it because of their joy and amazement, He said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave Him a piece of a broiled fish; 43 and He took it and ate it before them.

(John 20:21-23)  So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.”

Now, over the years, Thomas has been given the handle "Doubting-Thomas" - but really - he actually showed a little more faith than the other disciples.  When he did finally see Jesus, he didn't think He was spirit!  Thomas didn't have to have any further proof that Jesus had risen from the dead and was standing there right in front of him...

(John 20:24-30)  But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”

26 After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28 Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”

30 Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book.

From this we see:
- an angel rolled away the stone in front of the grave so people could go in and see that Jesus had risen and was not there (Matthew 28:2)
- the angel's appearance was like lightning and his clothes were pure white (Matthew 28:3)
- the Roman soldiers were afraid of the angel and became like dead men (Matthew 28:4)
- to the women, the angel looked like a young man wearing a white robe (Mark 16:5)
- to the women, the two angels looked like men wearing dazzling clothing (Luke 24:4)
- the angel told the women not to be afraid (Matthew 28:5)
- the angel showed the women and explained that Jesus had risen and was gone (Matthew 28:5-7)
- the angel showed the women and explained that Jesus had risen and was gone (Mark 16:6-7)
- the angels reminded the women of what Jesus had said would happen (Luke 24:5-7)
- a spirit does not have flesh and bones (Luke 24:39)

Personal experience:  why do people have such a difficult time believing what God Himself says.  But when an angel says it... OHHHH, of course!  Just like when a parent tells a child something, they have a difficult time accepting that.  But when a friend tells them,.. OHHHH, of course!

And when people say blandly that one "just has to have faith" - I'm thinking - No!!!  We CAN know!!!  Faith is not just blindly believing something that someone says.  Faith is having the trust to live in that belief, knowing that it is trustworthy and true.

I know it's "classic" - but it's like the illustration of the chair.  One can see a sturdy chair and say that they believe the chair exists and that it looks like it should be able to hold their weight.  But they only put their faith in that chair when they actually sit down and use it.

And just like gravity, we cannot see it, but we definitely experience its force.

Today's takeaway:  so of course, we cannot see God, Himself (yet).  But we certainly can see all of His attributes, and all the things He has created, and His written word, and all the things that He has done in our lives...

(1 Corinthians 2:1-5)  And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, 4 and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.

(Hebrews 11:1-3)  Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the men of old gained approval.

3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.