How did Jesus exit from the tomb? Matthew’s account of the resurrection quite jolted my usual understanding which was that Jesus was enabled to leave the tomb, because an angelic presence rolled away the stone for him.
Who or what rolled away the stone covering the tomb in which Jesus was laid after his crucifixion? An earthquake? A young man? An angel? Or two angels? The accounts in the chapters of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John supply slightly differing details.
However, after reading Matthew’s account again, I have come to think that Jesus probably didn’t need the help of any of them to get out of the tomb.
Many translations say, for example: Amplified (AMP) or King James Version (KJV) , “He is risen” or “He has risen”. American Standard Version (ASV). Some translations say, “He has been raised from death” (implying God’s help) Good News Translation (GNT)
Let’s consider sequence of events in Matthew 28:1-7 King James Version (KJV):
1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.
2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:
4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.
5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.
6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.
The angel had just advised the women that Jesus left the tomb BEFORE the stone was rolled away. (Otherwise, the women would have witnessed Jesus walking out of the tomb – if the stone had been removed by the angel, and then had ceased to be an obstruction for Jesus.)
Jesus seems to have trans-located out of the tomb BEFORE the women arrived at the tomb, and BEFORE the angel arrived to roll away the stone.
Jesus had already proved his ability to do this: see John 6: 16-verse 21 “and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.”
In Luke 24:31, in the walk to Emmaus story, “he vanished out of their sight.”
In John 20:19, 26 The event occurs twice: “though the doors were locked, … [he] came and stood among them” We don’t know if Jesus did or did not actually go right through the doors. Maybe he just appeared where he needed to be… in the midst of the disciples.
According to Matthew, it seems to me that the stone didn’t need to be rolled away for Jesus’ sake to enable him to exit the tomb. He could have either passed through the stone, or simply trans-located to where he needed to be.
The importance of the stone being rolled away in the various chapters was perhaps that Jesus’ disciples, and maybe even the soldiers, and Jewish priests needed to have the stone rolled away… because they needed to see that Jesus was no longer in the tomb, but risen.
The soldiers were spiritually advanced enough to at least be able to perceive the angel, although deathly frightened by the event. It may have been that the soldiers needed to see the angel and the stone rolled away for their own spiritual growth, and for their need to report to the Jewish priests that Jesus was no longer in the tomb – and that they had seen an angel. Perhaps they needed to report that the angel said that Jesus had exited the tomb BEFORE the stone was rolled away? Perhaps some Jewish priests needed to hear that also? And to learn that the stone was rolled away after Jesus had risen benefits me, too, centuries later.
In Christian Science we learn that the need for us is to roll away the stone of materialistic thinking, by filling our mind with angelic, pure thoughts from God. In Science and Health written by Mary Baker Eddy, page 45:16 we read, “Christ hath rolled away the stone from the door of human hope and faith, and through the revelation and demonstration of life in God, hath elevated them to possible at-one-ment with the spiritual idea of man and his divine Principle, Love.”