The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-10-24
READING FOR THE DAY.
sunday-sohool lesson for Oct. 81, 1873

Sunoay-ScnOOA Lesson Tor Oct Sls 1885,
JESUS RIsEN-John xx, 1-1s.
Golden Text.-The Lord Is risen indeed and hath
| appeared to Simon.-Luke xiv. "a.
The doubt and opposition of infdelity Of all
ages has arrayed itself against the truth of the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
II you prove and believe the New Tes-
lament statement it carries with it the
whole Christian system. If you disprove it.
then you break down the whole; it then becomes
evident, as Paul says, that ''your faith is vain,
and ye are yet in your sins" It is simplest truth
to say that this grand historic doctrine has come
out from the fiery furnace of historical
criticism unscathed, and that the fierce
opposition of every kind has left it
one of the best established facts of history.
The opponents of Christianity have gwen up
the idea thar it was q false conception of the
disciples, and assume that certain visions
were the ground of the doctrine. But let it
be noted that they were not expecting any
such thing, and that the old Jewish faith had
not given them any such ideas, and that their
lmaglnations had no preexisting materials out
OF which to frame such vision. They were
frightened when they saw hint was unex-
pected--and all the facts 60 to show that their
first clear ideas of the doctrine came to
them with the fact which they were COM
PEELED to believe, and that, while every
thing was fresh and easily proven or dis
proven, they made Christ's resurrection the
great central truth of their preaching, and
they drew the thought and hope of the world
to themselves by preaching Jesus and the
Resurrection With this grand doctrine
came the first clear idea of the world as to the
way in which man was to live again. In our
modern teaching and preaching we have given
the resurrection a secondary and subordinate
place. We must go back to the ola order If we
would have the old power.
We learn of John that after Jesus was found
to be dead, Joseph, of Arimathea, and Nicode-
mus took the body and hastily prepared it for
burial at the close of that day, Friday, the next
day being the Jewish Sabbath. A watch
But very early on the morning of
Sunday he rose from the dead, and by this act
was declared to be the Son of God with power.
The women evidently intended to use more
sweet spices to complete the embalming, and to
surround him with the marks OF their love. Our
present lesson opens with the early coming of
Mary Magdalene to the sepulcher
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS.
j. The early, earnest, persistent seeking of
the Lord is always rewarded by success.
They have taken away the Lord out of the
sepulcher. From that day to this men have been
trying to find the Lord in empty FORMS because
he has once been there. Church creeds and
usages, old sermons and old methods OF work
may be sepulchers to-day out of which the living
OHTiSI udS gone
g. John outran Peter We cannot all go
equally fast in the race. The life of one may be
more brilliant than another, but the slower Peter
may be more ready to enter the place of danger
or duty, and his more thoughtful study may go
much deeper than the quicker eye of John.
L. The folding of the napkin in the sepulcher
shows US how carefully and deliberately every
thing was done What an opportunity for show
and dramatic effect But he leaves behind the
linen cloths the bursting flower the
now useless bud. The opening of the
tomb was attended with the sound of the earth
quake. There shall be great signs at the last
day, the judgment day, but the resurrection of
the Christian dead shall come "as effortless as
vioets in early spring"
s. They knew not the Scriptures. How many
troubles and sorrows, how many doubts and
fears, we could avoid il would study the
Scriptures. Mary might at that very moment
have had joy when she was in sorrow.
6. She knew not that it was Jesus. God
often works through men. and we only the
human form when we ought to see the divine
power and presence We sometimes plead with
him to reveal His presence when 1t is God that
is leading us by the hand when He stands in con-
cealed form before US.
SPECIAL APPLICATION.
As the risen Christ revealed himself person
ally to Mary and afterwards to others. so they
could bear the glad tidiags that they had
seen the Lord, so the existence and power of
the risen Christ are in some way made sure
to consciousness. We do not Iced to
argue it to a conclusion, but it becomes a con-
vlction by Christ manifesting himself to us
In our hearts Then our testimony becomes
effective with Others as we able to say,
Il have seen the Lord" by faith and He has
spoken blessed words of pardon and life to my
soul.