In the American old west there was always a hatred between cattle men and shepherds. The belief was that sheep would destroy the grazing grounds. Cattle have a tendency to eat the tops of the grass and then move on. A bit too lazy to put their heads down, maybe. When cattle grazed there was always grass, because they didn’t eat it all. But sheep, too lazy to move, I guess, will eat all the grass, clear down to the dirt before moving to a new spot. When sheep graze an area there is nothing left but dirt.
Cattlemen also believed that cattle wouldn’t drink where sheep had been and so would eventually die of thirst because the sheep would ruin all the drinking water for them. Range wars broke out from time to time and many a shepherd was tarred and feathered or run out of town or beaten or even killed. This is the way it was in the West.
One day a stranger made a wild claim. He brought sheep and cattle into town, put them in a small coral and the people saw them both drank from the same trough. No one would believe it. They said they were trained cows. It was some kind of trick. The stranger then invited any of the local cattlemen to bring in a few cows to see for themselves. A few did and a new belief was born. An end to the range wars had come. To this day, as you travel through the western part of this country you can see grazing grounds where sheep and cattle are together, even drinking from the same trough.
Isaac’s son, Jacob, comes to Haran and he sees three flocks gathered near a watering hole. Flocks that may have contained sheep, goats, camels, cattle, donkeys, dogs, and even people.
Scripture
Genesis 29:7-107 "Look," he said, "the sun is still high; it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture."
8 "We can't," they replied, "until all the flocks are gathered and the stone has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water the sheep."
9 While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherdess. 10 When Jacob saw Rachel daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, and Laban's sheep, he went over and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle's sheep.
Two thoughts about this short encounter that scholars consider; the first is that Jacob was being very practical. It was still early enough in the day that the flocks could still be grazing, it wasn’t time for bedding the herds down yet. So his suggestion was pure logic; they are around the well, get some water and go back to the fields. This seems simple enough and not too hard to believe.
The other thought was that Jacob saw Rachel coming and he wanted to talk to her and be with her, without all these other people around. He was trying to get them to leave so he could have some private time with this lovely young woman.
Either way, these shepherds respond to Jacob with their custom. Water was so precious and so rare in that region that when a watering hole was found, it had to be shared by all. In order to make sure that there was equal access to it, a large stone would be put over the well and the custom was to wait until all the herds and flocks had gathered before uncovering it. That way, everyone could see that it was shared and no one took advantage over anyone else.
It was also a custom of the Jews to put spices and oils on a deceased body, to wrap it tightly in cloth up to the shoulders, leaving the head open, and then covering the head with a burial napkin and to "bury" that body in a tomb, usually cut from the rock of the Judean hillside, and then place a large stone in front of the tomb. Some believe they would even seal the tomb with a tar like substance to keep the smell from escaping. Egyptians embalmed their dead and Romans cremated theirs, so this custom was a little different then other cultures of the area and it wouldn’t take very long for the smell of death to waft over an area; thus the spices and oils and seal on the tomb.
Of course, this was a long process and could be a difficult task. It could be "hard work" so laws of the Sabbath meant that this couldn’t be done until the Sabbath was over.
Jesus was crucified in the afternoon of the day before the Sabbath. As the sun got lower in the sky the Jews wanted to take the bodies down from the crosses and get them into the tombs before sundown and the start of the Sabbath. They asked the Roman guards to break the legs of the men, so that death would come quickly. History tells us that some people were able to survive on the cross many days, but only by standing up on their nail pierced feet to take the pressure off their lungs so they could breath. In breaking their legs the men wouldn’t be able to do push themselves up and it would take but a few minutes for suffocation to bring death. Then they could be taken down and readied before the Sabbath.
When they came to Jesus it was apparent that He was already dead so they wouldn’t need to break His legs... but just to be sure, the guard stuck a spear in His side. Jesus didn’t flinch. He had died.
It was getting late. The bodies were taken down and by the time they were moved to their tombs it was too late to do a proper job of burial. So the cloth was quickly wrapped and the burial napkin draped over Jesus’ face and the stone rolled in front of the tomb, until after the Sabbath when the ladies would come back to properly anoint the body with the spices and oils.
Behind the stone in Jacob’s story was life giving water. In the desert, water was life. But behind the stone of this tomb was the Living Water; also giving life. So Jacob says to the shepherds gathered there, "Water the sheep" and they respond, "We can't ... until... the stone has been rolled away" The ladies, walking back to Jesus’ tomb on the morning after the Sabbath, were concerned. How were they going to move that huge stone from in front of the tomb so they could finish their work? Thinking to themselves, "We can't ... until... the stone has been rolled away".
In both stories, Jacob at the well, and Jesus in the tomb, salvation lies just beyond that stone. Behind that stone was life. Move the stone and live again. Leave the stone and die.
The leaders of the Jews were afraid that someone would steal Jesus’ body, so they put guards in front of the tomb. Oh, they didn’t give a hoot about Jesus, but they didn’t want someone to take the body and make it look like He had risen, like He said He would. They were afraid that the people would believe that Jesus was who He said He was. They wouldn’t believe it, even when it happened they wouldn’t believe it. But they were afraid the people would. So soldiers were set to be sure no one came near the tomb.
When these ladies arrived to anoint Jesus’ body they discovered that the stone had been rolled away and Jesus wasn’t there. They didn’t catch it right away. It was beyond their experience and understanding, but we have 2000 years of rehearsing this story to know. God moved the stone and Jesus rose from the dead. Death no longer had a hold on life. Sin had been defeated in Jesus, the sacrificial Lamb of God, dying in our place, going to the Cross for us. These women saw that God had moved the stone and the Living Water was loose.
God did not move Jacob’s stone. When Jacob saw Rachel coming he moved the stone. This is important and I want you to catch this. Sin in our life puts a large stone right in front of our heart. Sin blocks all that is good from getting in. God will not move that stone away.
Like Jacob did, if you want salvation you will have to move that stone yourself. You will have to accept that free gift of grace given to all who would believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. When you give your heart to Jesus it’s the same as moving that stone. Jacob moved his and you can move yours. Salvation is just beyond that stone.
Because of the war we have seen the news of protestors. People who openly oppose and demonstrate against the war. And we see the soldiers serving and in some cases dying for their right to do that. They serve for those in favor AND those opposed. The Bible says that God makes the sun to shine on the righteous and the wicked. In the old west the water was for both the sheep and the cattle.
Christ died for all people... those who would believe and those who wouldn’t. Even as He was beaten and tortured and spit on and slapped and mocked; He died for those very people. And He died for you.
Conclusion
When Jacob moved the stone life giving water was available for all to drink from. When God moved the stone The Living Water was made available for all who would drink from it. Salvation is just the other side of that stone, God moved the stone from in front of Jesus’ tomb, now it’s up to us to move the stone from in front of our own hearts. It’s up to us to accept Jesus as our own, personal, Savior.
Jesus is risen... He is risen indeed! Amen.
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