“Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.” (Mark 16:2-4 NIV).

Easter has come and gone, but its blessings and the symbolism it represents live with us. The above text is one passage relating to Easter that conveys a symbolic message to us.

On Easter Sunday, as the women went to the tomb of Jesus, with their spices ready to anoint the body of Jesus, they wondered aloud among themselves, who will roll away the stone that covered the tomb of Jesus. But before they got to the tomb, to their amazement the stone has been rolled away by an Angel. That stone, though it was physical was symbolic, it connotes a hindrance and an obstacle. Spiritually, a stone represents an obstacle, an opposition, a barrier and a difficulty. Life is full of challenges and difficulties, which the image of a stone represents.

The women asked each other, “Who will roll away the stone?” Many hearts are lamenting and asking the same question, “who will roll away for us the spiritual “stones” of life?

There are many spiritual stones hindering our movements in life. The tomb was covered with a huge boulder. At the cross, Jesus rolled away all the “stones” that hinder us when he declared, “It is Finished.” The Hebrew word for “It is Finished is “tetelestai.” It means that the penalty has been paid, the conditions have been met and all Scriptures have been fulfilled; consequently man has been set free and victory has been obtained at the cross.

Our mindset is the first “stone” that militates our progress in life. The negative mindsets that limit us, have been set aside. We must drop the negative mindset for the mind of Christ. “Let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus.” The mind of Christ is the mind that can conquer the world. We must pray for the transformation and healing of the mind, which is not like the mind of Christ. Paul urges us to yield ourselves to the Spirit of God, so that our minds could be transformed.

There is the stone of hopelessness and despair. Many live without hope. We are surrounded by discouraging scenes of life. Daily our minds are buffeted with discouraging news. Hope becomes dim in the midst of all these. But we must be full of hope. Our hope is a living hope, made alive by the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:3)

There is the stone of fear and anxiety. Many are living in fear and anxiety due to the uncertainties of life. Fear has crippled and paralysed many. Jesus died to set free all those who live in the bondage of the fear of death. Jesus came so that he would “release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” (Hebrews 2:15 NKJV).

Paul reminds us that having died with Christ, we must reckon ourselves to have risen with him in the newness of life. We must not live under any false or negative shadows of sin. “Therefore, we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:4 NKJV). Contact:[email protected]