What the Bible says
“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.”
Matthew 28:2 (KJV)
“He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”
Matthew 28:6 (KJV)
“Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed.”
John 20:8 (KJV)
The women's worry
On the way to the tomb the women asked each other, Who shall roll us away the stone? (Mark 16:3). It was very great. When they arrived, the problem was already solved: an angel had rolled it back and was sitting on it.
Not to let him out
That same evening the risen Jesus stood among his disciples when the doors were shut (John 20:19). A stone was no obstacle to him. The angel opened the tomb for the sake of those who needed to see that it was empty.
Come and see
The angel's invitation — come, see the place where the Lord lay — is the heart of Christian faith. John went in, saw the grave clothes lying there, and believed. The empty tomb is open for every honest seeker to look into.
Common questions
Who rolled the stone away from Jesus's tomb?
Matthew 28:2 says an angel of the Lord descended, rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
Did Jesus need the stone moved to leave the tomb?
No. He later appeared in a room with shut doors (John 20:19). The stone was moved so the witnesses could see the tomb was empty.