The Obstruction

Throughout our lives, we will run into things that try to keep us from our objective, our goal. These obstructions come in various ways, forms, and sizes, but it always has one thing in common, it keeps us from being where we want to be.

This is especially true in the spiritual world. We all know that in the beginning God created man to have a relationship with them. Then something terrible happened to ruin this fellowship, sin. Man chose to disobey the very God that created them. This caused a great divide, an obstruction to having a relationship with our God. Man, on their own, could never make a way for themselves to get back into that wonderful relationship that we crave with God. We were given the law, the “Ten Commandments”; the only problem was that these commandments were not given to us so that we could get to God, just the opposite. The law was given to show that on our own, we could not work our way through the obstruction of sin, and we could not ever be right with God on our own. You see, the obstruction was too great for us on our own goodness or our own works to ever get to the Lord.

Then came the time for God Himself to step into our lives as a man, as Jesus the Christ. He came with the purpose to redeem, to purchase back our souls, so that we could have a relationship with God once more. Although at the time, His followers did not understand the plan. When our Savior hung upon the cross and gave up His spirit, they thought all was lost. All that was left to do was to come to the grave after the Sabbath and properly prepare His body. But once again came a problem; there was a huge stone in front of His tomb, an obstruction that the women knew they could not move on their own to get to Jesus. Yet they continued hoping that someone would move that obstruction for them. This takes us to our verse for the day. Mark 16:3-4, “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.” Amazingly, the obstruction that would keep them from getting to Jesus had been removed. They were free to enter a place that once seemed impossible. The sin that had once been the obstacle keeping us from getting to our God has now been forever removed through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

Today, the only obstacle that can keep man from God is themselves. Our pride and self-centeredness become that stone that we roll in front of entering the presence of God. The good news is that if we humble ourselves and see our need for a Savior, that obstacle can be removed as well.  Jesus has removed the obstacle of sin; it is now up to us to remove the obstacle of doubt. As we are getting closer to Easter, let us once again be reminded that the obstacle of sin has forever been removed, and the stone has been rolled away. The next move is up to us.