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Easter: The Spear and the Stone

Easter 2024

“These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” John 20:31

The crucifixion and resurrection are at the centre of the Easter story. But often the seemingly minor details are crowded out by the main events.

From the soldier’s spear to the rolled-away stone, each detail reveals God’s power and plan. The apostle John tells us he includes them “so that you may also believe”.

Bible Talks

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Or you can watch bible talks on the spear and the stone below.

The Spear

Jesus’ side was pierced to prove that Jesus truly was dead, but also, John tells us, in fulfilment of prophecy, that ‘not one of his bones will be broken’ and ‘they will look on him whom they have pierced.’ This detail is provided to us so that we may believe. The spear highlights to us the sharpness of the suffering and the significance of Jesus’ death. It was painful, but it was planned.

The Stone

Jesus moved the stone. He didn’t need to, as John tells us he could just show up in places with his resurrected body (John 20:19), but he did. He did this to show how comprehensively he has beaten death, but more than that, to ensure that even the doubtful would know that he is alive. There was an empty tomb left in the garden as a testimony to God’s offer to the world to believe in him.