Who shall roll us away the stone? (Quality: Good)

[0:00] Amen. And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away a stone from the door of the sepulcher?

[0:46] And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away, for it was very great.

[0:58] The Gospel of Mark chapter 16, verses 3 and 4. And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulcher?

[1:20] And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away, for it was very great.

[1:30] Amen. Amen. I would ask first to speak of the one who was used by God to beg the body of Jesus and who, with the help of Nicodemus, took the body of Jesus, wrapped it in fine linen with the spices, the myrrh, and as we come to this part of the subject, it is, we feel, because of the word or that which our subject commences with.

[2:39] And they said among themselves, who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulcher? This great stone, which was rolled to the door of the sepulcher by Joseph of Arimathea, and I am sure that we may rightly say too that Nicodemus also was with him.

[3:14] This is very evident by what is recorded in the Gospel of John. And I hope, with the Lord's help, that we may begin our meditation thinking of the wonder of this, that God should use two very rich men to attend to this sacred duty of going to Pilate and begging, asking for his body.

[4:03] And I just read a verse in John's Gospel concerning this matter, and there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.

[4:28] Then they took the body of Jesus and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is, to bear it.

[4:40] I understand that this mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about an hundred pounds would have been and was exceedingly costly.

[4:58] How wondrous are the works of God in every way. And we would seek to explain or to rightly divide the word of truth as we come to our subject this morning.

[5:24] First of all, there's this thought. St. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus were not only very rich men, that they were very influential men and therefore God knew that they were in a position to go to Pilate that they might receive the body of Jesus.

[6:02] Throughout the history of this world, God has often used influential men and women in a very marked way.

[6:18] We need to be very, very thankful for these things. Indeed, what a wondrous, sacred, humbling thought it is that God himself should use these exceedingly rich men to attend to that which must be accomplished that the scriptures might be fulfilled.

[6:47] He made his brave with the wicked and with the rich in his death. Their influence then God knew was very essential.

[7:08] Yet at the same time these two godly men are spoken of as being secret disciples. I know I've mentioned these truths before in former years.

[7:23] I felt once mentioned them again this morning hoping that we may be led into these truths that we too may marvel that we may be brought to the fit of Jesus humbled in the dust in the wonders of redeeming one.

[7:46] While these two men were exceedingly rich and exceedingly influential and yet both of them were secretly isolated.

[8:00] Neither of them had really made a public profession an open profession of their belief in Jesus.

[8:14] They had not shown publicly leave until now that they were disciples of Jesus. Yet the Lord gave them this honour this great honour to go and beg the body of Jesus that they might do that which was needed that the scriptures might be fulfilled and yet there's something more than its death.

[8:48] Both of them were very very humble men very gracious men they were very fearful men and yet these two men were to be used used of God secret disciples others we have ever felt thankful for secret disciples and we know there are and I'm sure that we have secret disciples that gather with us here I hope the day will come with them when the Lord will bring them forth to speak of what their Lord is going to be Oh I hope they will

[9:50] I hope the Lord Now the further thought is there that after they had laid him in a sepulcher which was hewn out of a rock then we have this word and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulcher I think it would be right to say that Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea would have had servants and I'm sure that they would have been assisted in growing this great stone it must have been great this great stone to the door of the sepulcher it is very evident because when these dear godly women came to the sepulcher they said among themselves who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulcher they knew that it was something that was impossible for them to do they knew that they needed someone to do it for them

[11:19] I hope to be able to speak of this blessed morning I wonder how many of us here this morning in our life have to use the terminology that contained here who have in our feelings a great stone that is rolled against something in our life and if you know and feel that you cannot move this stone for yourself you need the Lord to do it for you whatever it may mean yet when the time came they found the stone was rolled away and I just leave this thought with you when the time comes in your life you will find the stone was rolled away it was rolled away in this instance by an angel and to think of it if I may just turn back for a moment to Matthew's gospel and behold there was a great earthquake or there had been for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back from the stone from the door and sat upon it our first thought then is concerning

[12:58] Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus secret disciples brought out into the open at this time and what a time it was you see they were given this holy courage and they certainly lived it under the circumstances they put their lives in their hands that they must do this they were motivated by love love to Jesus it was something they were compelled to do and just a thought here there might be someone who has come to chapel this morning and there may be something in your life that you feel that you must do and you may be exceedingly fearful you may have been saying before your Lord I cannot do it yet

[14:00] Jesus makes the weakest of you and Jesus can give you and to do that which the Lord is laying in your heart totally you would next notice of this that after Jesus was crucified we are told in a number of the Gospels these trolls there were also women looking on afar off among whom was Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James the best and of Joseph and Salome who also when he was in

[15:04] Galilee followed him and ministered unto him and many other women which came up with him unto Jerusalem how striking it is that it was these godly women who were watching who were waiting who were very very concerned about their Lord and a further thought which is noted in a number of the Gospel and in Mark's Gospel the last verse in the 15th chapter we read Mary

[16:05] Magdalene Mary the mother of Joseph be held where he was going how concerned they were concerning their Lord how concerned they were to know where he was going to know where he was and I feel it upon my spirit just to mention what is recorded in Matthew's Gospel and also in Luke's Gospel concerning this same matter in Matthew's Gospel chapter 27 verse 61 and there was Mary Magdalene and the other Mary sitting over against the shepherds they were waiting around the two and in

[17:08] Luke's Gospel a further word there that I feel we need to listen to and this is recorded and women also which came with him from Galilee and followed after and beheld the sepulter and how his body was named this dear glorious sacred person the eternal son of God and yet the man Christ Jesus these dear godly women whose hearts were so burdened for him they had ministered unto him they had followed him they loved him and then not only did they watch to behold the sepulter and how his body was laid we have this and they returned and prepared spices and ointments and rested the

[18:24] Sabbath day according to to the Columni now they were here then so exercised concerning their ball and as we are gathered on this Easter Sunday in 1985 the Lord alone knows how we have come Christ is indeed enthroned in glory and has seen from that time that he ascended up into glory and is seated at the right hand of the Father and ever lived to intercede for his dear people but the point I would mention is this have we come to the house of God this morning with a longing desire in our hearts put there by the

[19:30] Holy Spirit so we would see Jesus oh have you come with this longing this morning have you come with this exercise given you by the Spirit come see the place where the Lord and I'm sure of this that if we have enjoyed his presence in our souls in our homes in our lives and especially in the house of God then we come again this morning into his house and can we say we love the place oh God wherein thine honoured wills the joy of thy above all earthly joy itself is is this then a place for you where you your saviour often met and where you feasted upon his grace where you held communion with him when and where you have known occasions moments when you have been so filled with his love that you have not really known how to bear and when you have been able to say how sacred is the place where

[21:14] Jesus does the name and where Jesus holds his heart and where he favours his people where he leads them as the good shepherd of his sheep into the pastures of his word well what a mercy then if we have met with our Lord here if this house of God is to us the house of God and if it is to us the place where his honour dwells and how thankful we need to be if we meet in such atmosphere and if we meet in such place now as we come then to the subject though the truth that we must notice speak of to the glory of our

[22:24] God and when the Sabbath was passed Mary Magdalene Mary the mother of James and Salome had brought sweet spices that they might come and anoint him and very early in the morning the first day of the week they came unto the sepulcher at the rising of the sun now two things here if we are truly exercised in our coming to the house of God and as we are favoured in this we shall know what it is to be very concerned in secret with regard to our gathering together in the house of God

[23:26] I well know that more sinners feel the effect of the labours of the wish that has gone and how very real this is some of you especially as you retired to rest on the last evening you may have felt exceedingly weird because of all the labour of the week that is now past and yet at the same time if we are truly exercised if we are truly concerned in our coming up to the house of God we shall certainly know something of this we should be very concerned about our gathering together in the house of God what do these sweet spices speak of to us

[24:34] I know that in a literal sense these godly women have bought sweet spices that they might come and anoint him but under the gospel dispensation I venture to speak of these spices in this way how blessed it is when we are favoured with real exercise in our souls and especially concerning our gathering together forward what a sweet spice is god-given gracious exercise when we know what it is to be compelled to go into sleep and there to bow before our god and to plead with him for his blessing I seek and hope to find a portion for my soul what a sweet spice that is when we are favoured with it and when we come up to the house of god as panting as the heart panted after the water brook so panted my soul after thee oh god and we know something of this early this morning during the days of the past weeks in the midst of all that we've had to attend to and in our moments when your soul has been on flame when your heart has been up unto the

[26:14] Lord and when you've been exceeding the exercise concerning the coming Sabbath oh what a mercy and wondrous thing this is and if we've done something so what a sweet spice this is when down when poor trembling sinners come up to the house of god with their humble hope given them their humble hope in their heart and as they are found waiting upon the Lord waiting to hear the saviour prayer will he come today will he speak to me today will he reveal his sacred place to meet him is that how you pray what a very sweet spice is the gift of prayer always to know this to pray in souls he always grants more than they can express thanks but if we know what it is to come up this morning in prayer praying for our own souls and as we've been brought to pray for the souls of others and those of you that have come praying for your pastor knowing and feeling in your heart that he needs help knowing that he cannot administer the word of God to you only as he has helped to do so oh I am thankful for every praying soul that gathers in this place

[28:03] I am aware from time to time that my arms are held up like Moses' arms were held up by Aaron and her one on either side of them not only our dear brethren the dear sisters in Christ who know what it is to bear one up at the throne of grace and not only that I feel that there are younger friends here too who know what it is to pray for their pastor well this is something that's very precious something that I feel is recorded in these precious truths known and felt under the gospel dispensation and then as they came Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Siloam had bought sweet spices that they might come and anoint them one very special sweet spice

[29:15] I feel that we need in coming into the house of God with the Christ so we would see Jesus is this it is that precious gift of delight love when our hearts are moved by love when the love of Christ can strain them when we are granted that sacred strange yet blessed feeling of love in our soul love to Jesus Christ and his fixes the heart above and it does well if you felt your heart move with love this morning in the prospect of shone to chapter do you know what it is to weep before the Lord this morning and yet to weep because of the love of Christ as it has been shed abroad in your heart by the

[30:15] Holy Ghost and you come into the house of God with this sweet and precious feeling of love to him love to him first love to his dear people love to his self love to his word love to his way well how blessed how sacred it is when poor sinners are favored to come into the house of God like this and then in a word one thinks of the grace is of the spirit the precious grace is of the spirit to be favored with a contrite heart a broken spirit to be favored with love and joy and peace to be favored in our souls to know what it is to come into the house of God feeling softened by the holy spirit there is a hymn that speaks like this the contrite heart and broken

[31:29] God will not give to a sacrifice he will not despise for tears his spirit still oh how precious they have to come into the house of God with a softened heart to sit down in our seat to bow our head before our God and then to wait to wait upon him to wait for him and to wait to see what will take face we should be found waiting to know what the hymns will be this will not be a light matter with us I mentioned earlier on about those that come praying for their pastor or praying for the servants of God but do we know what it is to pray for those that come to the deck I know they are prayed for I know they are prayed for in our present and I know believe they are prayed for in secret for that in itself is something to be very thankful for those that come to the deck and friends they need the Holy

[32:43] Spirit's guidance to every hymn and I believe they seek for it and when you are favored even in this part of divine worship I hope you will remember those that give out the hymns and I hope when there is the need for it that you will tell them what a hell a hymn or hymn to their soul they need encouraging as the minister needs encouraging but those that come to the desk need encouraging it's a very real exercise to them and how wonderful it is when there's a blending together I feel it has been so again this morning and I feel it has been so many many times throughout the years and it's a part of divine worship wonderful thing when our hearts are softened through the precious language contained in the hymn and one would not overexercise this because it is a more wonderful thing when our hearts are softened and moved by the precious word of God and then there's this and very early in the morning the first day of the week they came unto the saccorder at the rising of the sun very early in the morning the

[34:31] I was being right thinking and I desire and must be or fear but in the history of our country when God has grown to times of gracious sacred revival times of great blessing if you those of you that have read of this will know that the people during those times knew what it was to gather very early in the morning for worship they knew what it was to be so exercised concerning their gathering together for worship that they were moved in their hearts very early in the morning now do not misunderstand me in this because the

[35:37] Lord knows each one's life and he knows how we are but what I am trying to say is that we have a pattern here a pattern a pattern that surrounds real blessing and very early in the morning the first day of the week they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun these dear godly women and we read in one place while it was yet done and what I would seem to convey they were so exercised they were so they they so loved their Lord that they wanted to be at that sepulchre at the earliest of the children and why did they want to be at that sepulchre because there was this in their heart they wanted to find their

[36:42] Lord they wanted to find their Lord well is this why we've gone this world do you want to find your Lord is this does this outweigh everything else in your soul this Lord you want to find your Lord now whilst we are spoken in the way that we have it may well be that there are those here who feel to be completely awful you may feel to be dark you may feel to be dead you may feel to be light you may feel to be breath you may feel to be so unmoved you may feel to be just like the master careful and troubled about many things cumbered about much serving you may feel as though your poor mind is taken up with everything but Jesus you may feel that you seem to be enveloped in your trials and troubles and difficulties and the things that are in your life you may feel completely opposite to what these godly are in your favour now with your encouragement underneath it all do you long to feel it underneath it all do you long to feel it have you heard has the

[38:22] Lord Jesus said this to you as he said it to Mary as he spoke first of all to Martha Martha Martha thou art careful and troubled about many things but one thing is meaningful but one thing is meaningful however you may feel you may feel to be dead and lifeless you may feel to be in darkness you may feel to be under temptation and yet at the same time is there this with you do you know that the words of Jesus are true at least you know them to be true Martha and Mary is for you long to say to you well I hope that if there should be any here this morning who come in the exercise of one of their hands that says

[39:36] I'm cold I'm dark I'm dead I leave you with what follows Jesus can revive and oh I hope that before this Lord day comes to him you'll find a complete change in your soul's experience and that you might go home tonight wonder of wonders to embrace embracing the Lord Jesus Christ in the arms of faith I hope it will this happen the Lord knows where you come oh one thing before I come out have we really come seeking Jesus if you have it's something the Lord has done to you it's something the Lord has given you and what are Jesus own words to such ask and it shall be given you seek and ye shall find not and it shall be open unto you amen in have a cost you has a and as as which said and all you whoand