Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1886-10-29
JESUS RISEN.
DR.. JOHN HALLS NOTES ON THE
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON.


If the report of any startling occurrence
goes to the parties concerned by those who |
happen to know" and not by one special
they get their information Mt vari-
Gus times and in various ways. Some hear
soon, some late some from one party, some
from another, some one portion of it, some
another. SO it was here. Hence four writ
ers, each having his own object in his selec-
ton of facts, may easily seem to vary one
from the other. Their seeming variations
prove that there was no collision or con-
spiracy. John is here bent ON showing how
Mary Magdalen came to be the messenger to
confirm the faith of the disciples Hence the
beginning Of his narrative.
'. |. SO early in the morning that it was
yet dark Mary Magdalen was at the sepul-
cher. not alone, as the other gospels show.
though she speaks only for herself in V. IL.
She had been at the cross John xix, Z5). She
noticed the stone rolled away by an angel, as
Matt. xviii Q describes. But she did not
know how it was done, and unprepared like
the rest for the plainly, as Jesus
had foretold it-she felt as the disciples did. So
". p in her eager haste she runs to Peter
and John. and in words characteristic of her
states the case. He is still her Lord; she has
not changed her view of Him from His hav-
ing died on the cross. She does not feel it
necessary to define the doer of this second
wrong. They have" his enemies, who cruel
fed him. She Matt. xviii, y had others
with her, but she is singled out, hence,
perhaps ",ce know not etc SO in sorrow,
helpessness and bereavement the human
heart Graves sympathy.
Y. g. Peter and John at once went to the
for
urallv wishing to see for themselves John
was the younger Peter was the more impul-
sive. John was first at the door, Peter was
first to so into the sepulchre w. A.. Little
things show character.
V. }. Hence John only stopped down into
the opening cut into the rock and saw the
linen clothes lying. Yes, there were the gar
ments; the body was not there. So far
Mary's account is confirmed.
V. 6. Now Simon Peter comes up, passes
on, sees the same thing and more. The nap
kin ". -. which it was the custom, as we see
from Lazarus case John XII ~, to bind
about the head. was not thrown with the
linen clothes. but wrapped together in place
by itself. This implied order. perhaps rever-
ence for all connected with the buried Master,
and certainly the feeling of right and time to
make all decent. Who had loosed Him and
let Him go:
v. s Oao believer gives courage to an
other. john now enters and sees the same
facts and reaches the same conviction. Yes;
Jesus body has been somehow taken away.
He believed this. or that Jesus had risen in
the true sense
4. 81. for as yet they know not, didnot I'M
derstani, his meaning and its fuliiiment Of
Scripture when he spoke OF rising from the
dead. Yes they probably thought, INC
vuen he la, founded the Kingdom, Ike David
and Solomon, will fall asleep ana Ike Others
rise again" But he had defined the time
the third day, Tni, they aid not take in
they did not have the preparation of mind for
it which the Scriptures understood would
have given them Ps xvi lW. So it is that
the Bible, rightly understood, prepares us tC
realize the meaning of the facts and state
ments otherwise dark.
Y. 10. There seemed no more to be done
The disciples turned homcward. Not SC
Mary. Women To this day visit and lingei
around graves when men are otherwise occu
pied. She ling red at the tomb weeping
She, too, was moved to look III. To hei
appeared what the disciples We're not per
mitted to see. The honor was for her. SHE
stopped down, and there We're two angel:
sitting, the one where had been the head auC
the other where had been the feet of the
sacred body w. l2l Their look and bearing
showed what they We're according to the ira
ditional and Bible view of the ministering
/ spirits. But she is absorbed with the
| thought of Christ that she does not lingel
upon them. They are calm, at their post
for the time They have been serving thu
Lord of angels. They have been permitted
! to look into the mysteries of redemption
They can report to 'principalities and powers
in heavenly places what took place
" Is. There is nothing we see disrespectfu
in woman They so address her. They
speak in sympathy Angels have much il
common with human believers We shall b'
with, and equal to, the angels. They put the
question to draw out her mind and to prepare
her for the answer. Her reply is as she haC
| spoken to the two disciples. The Gospel o
Matt. xviii, Is having given all this-dwell
ing OH the angel who acted as spokesman
John does not dwell on it, but hastens on t.
the interview with Jesus himself.
v IA Still absorbed in the thought o.
Jesus, she noticed IA man standing, and th'
gardener being the natural person to look fol
in the place, and the natural person TO dc
anything in the garden, She set down thu
] WORDS even pl JESUS 10 MN ". Iol, anu 10
piled accordingly-"Sir, if thou have etc
Here it is that Jesus speaks her name.
V. l6 The voice is familiar; she remember
its tones. She turns Ii is jesus. her Lord
and Master. she calls him, IN glad surprise
and probably with movement toward him
as would bee natural in the circumstances,
V. L. This would imply heightened in
terviow, questions, answers, etc, and he tell
her that it is not needful or wise to lingo
over them now, for he is not Immediately
going. The immediate thing is to relev'
the minds of, rs he tenderiY puts it, my
| brethren" and TO tell them that the new
form of his work, the triumphant part, ant
the part which also looked to them-namell
the giving OF the comiortcr-is close at hand
Again he puts the utmost tenderness into hi
words-'my Father and your Father" eta
| He Indicates even here the closenesS of uniol
between him and them How wonderful
not word of their weakness, not a reproach
not hint of injured feelings! All is forgiven
and forgotten: my God and your God"
V. IS Mary Magdalen, warned agains
any show of feeling on delay So produced, i'm
mediately does ms she is directed. She tolC
the disciples she had seen the Lord, and tina
he had spoken these things unto her. On tn