THE WORD OF GOD IS ALIVE: THE RESURRECTION & THE ROLLING STONE

There is an old saying: A rolling stone gathers no moss. It is attributed to Pubilius Syrus, a Syrian born author who lived in Rome (85-43 B.C.). A couple of interpretations to the meaning of the phrase have been suggested: a description of a person who moves around a lot making them free of responsibility; and someone who moves around a lot, who does not put down roots or form attachments.1

In 1948, country singer-songwriter Leon Payne recorded Lost Highway2 developing the rolling stone concept in the lyrics:

I'm a rolling stone, all alone and lost

For a life of sin, I have paid the cost...

And now I'm lost, too late to pray

Lord, I've paid the cost on the lost highway.

This phrase was also employed by blues artist Muddy Waters in his 1950 recording, Rollin’ Stone. The song depicted a young wastrel and his reckless ways—his parents knew from the time of his birth that “he's gonna be a rollin’ stone.”3

It is also believed that the British rock group The Rolling Stones procured their name from this recording—as did the magazine Rolling Stone.4

In 1965, Bob Dylan recorded his #1 hit Like A Rolling Stone. The main figure of the song is portrayed as being destitute, and performed by Dylan “like a sneer twisting the corner of his mouth as he gloated over a hipster’s downfall.”5 Here is a sample of the chorus:

About having to be scrounging for your next meal,

How does it feel?

To be without a home,

To be on your own,

With no direction home,

Like a complete unknown,

Like a rolling stone?6

In 1971, the Motown group, the Temptations recorded the song, Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone, concerning a wayward father:

Papa was a rollin’ stone,

Wherever he laid his hat was his home.

And when he died, all he left us was alone.7

In literature, J.R.R. Tolkien, the well-known author of the Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings trilogy, characterized the wizard, Gandalf, as a “stone doomed to roll” and that of the merry woodsman, Tom Bombadil, as a “moss-gatherer.”8

Flash Backwards to Jerusalem, c. 33 A.D.

I had always thought of this phrase rolling stone to also mean something in a positive way—that if a person is active and does not lie around idly that they would not gather the dust of disuse and thus be a productive individual in life. It is probably because I equated the idea of a rolling stone with that one stone rolled away which had an unquestionably profound impact upon mankind.

Jesus Christ having been crucified just two days ago had been laid in a new tomb with a large stone rolled against the entrance way (Matthew 27:60). The chief priests and Pharisees convinced Pilate to set a guard to secure the tomb lest any of Jesus’ disciples should come and steal His body.

Then at dawn of the first day of the week, “Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave” (Matthew 28:1). On their way, they pondered “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” (Mark 16:3). But they soon discovered there was no need for them to have wondered:

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. (Matthew 28:2; cf. Luke 24:2)

What the earthquake had to do with the rolling away of the stone can only be deduced as having occurred as a result of the angel descending from heaven. With the stone rolled away by an angel, the women found the tomb to be empty. And just because Scripture stated that the stone was extremely large (Mark 16:4), it does not suggest that the angel moved the stone to facilitate Jesus’ exit from the tomb. Instead, the stone was rolled away so that Jesus’ disciples could see that He had indeed been resurrected from the dead—He had victory over death.

Just as His birth had been prophesied, His death and resurrection were also foretold by the Psalmist, King David:

For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol;

Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay. (Psalm 16:10; cf. Acts 13:32-37)

Jesus also predicted that He would be “raised up” after having been scourged and crucified. He did so first in a figurative manner which confused the Jews:

Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” But He was speaking of the temple of His body. So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken. (John 2:19–22)

And then with His disciples, He told them plainly:

“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify Him, and on the third day He will be raised up.” (Matthew 20:18–19; cf. Matthew 16:21; 17:23; Luke 18:31-33)

Why is the resurrection of Jesus Christ so important to Christianity, as well as to mankind? The apostle Paul establishes why it is essential to our faith.

Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied. (1 Corinthians 15:12–19)

Mind you, to merely assert that the resurrection is real simply to provide evidence to legitimize Christianity would be intellectual dishonesty. There is sufficient historical evidence to substantiate His resurrection from the dead. Josephus, the Jewish historian wrote:

Those that loved him at the first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again the third day.9

The Biblical writers maintain there were eyewitness accounts. He appeared first to Mary Magdalene (John 20:16) and then to His disciples numerous times after His resurrection:

To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God. (Acts 1:3)

Then there is the empty tomb, witnessed by Mary Magdalene, Peter and the other disciples (John 20:1-8). And the fact that Christ "appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time" as the Apostle Paul testified (1 Corinthians 15:6).

But not to forget, the stone rolled away—proof of the newness of life for those who trust in Him. A life with direction to an eternal home; we are no longer complete unknown individuals—for Christ knows us:

“I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me.” (John 10:14; cf. 10:27)

But if anyone loves God, he is known by Him. (1 Corinthians 8:3; cf. 2 Timothy 2:19)

Just as the Lord Jesus told the woman at the well:

“I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25–26)

Do you believe this?

[1] https://nmk.world/rolling-stone-gathers-no-moss-origin-meaning-expansion-importance-5252. Retrieved March 2, 2022.

[2] https://www.wideopencountry.com/lost-highway-hank-williams/ Retrieved March 9, 2022.

[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_rolling_stone_gathers_no_moss. Retrieved March 2, 2022.

[5] Gill, Andy (2011). Bob Dylan: Stories Behind the Songs 1962-69, London: Carlton Books, p.114