The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-06-02
The Sunday School.
Eessnn Settles tor 1883.
SECOND QUARTER.
STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.
June 10, 1883.
LESSON XXIII.-JESUS RISEN.
BY REV. ROBERT t. POLK.
Matthew xviii. 1-15.I
THE STORY OF THE RESURRECTION.

Matthew xviii. lilo.
THE STORY OF THE RESURRECTION.
ITS NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. JESUS rose
again from the dead, having died on the
cross and been entombed, is unmistakably
declared in the New Testament. The story
of his temperance is told by all the Evan
oelists. and the wonderful fact is the basis of
the subsequent faith and ministry of the
Anostles. That was the one fact of which
thew were sure, and which made them the
bold apostles and martyrs of truth and right
eousness which they afterwards became. If
they we're sure of anything, it was this, and
if we are sure of anything which they taught,
it is that JESUS rose again from the dead, and
that they were witnesses of his temperance.
The APOSTLE Paul makes the resurrection of
Jrsus. attested by his temperance to the
disciples, the central fact of the Gospel which
he proclaimed, and it was clearly the foun-
dation of his faith, hope and courage Il Cor
inthians xv., and elsewhere). This one
browning event in JESUS life in the world is
the historical cause of Christianity. 1t alone
saved the disciples from hopeless despair,
after the shameful death of their Master.
The Christian Church is founded in the faith
that JESUS is the Son of COP, declared with
power by his resurrection from the dead (Ro-
mans l. AZ, to which fact its founders testi-
fed. The Christian Sabbath, the institution
which provides the chief opportunity OF the
Church,
"The day that saw the Lord arise"
is perpetual testimony of the event which
it weekly celebrates and of the credibility OF
the Gospel records which describe it in diff
fering detail.
If the actual Temperance of JESUS alive
in the flesh is not proved, then nothing In the
Gospels is proved, nothing in all the world;
All is an illusion aha sa ne ae. S ppnoIen
WITH the evidence has put it out of my power
to doubt, hold (it) to be established
by evidence hardly less extraordinary than
the great event itself, evidence not of men,
but of GoD Himself), speaking through me
natural emotions of those present on the spot.
Stronger evidence l can neither desire nor
imagine.
His resurrection was justified by the power
with which it wrought. To change those
poor men, who first put falth IN MN, mtg
saints and martyrs, through whom the world
was to be revolutionized, it was worth while
for the greatest of the sons of men to awake
from the deep slumber of death and show
himself to them and inspire them with
faith in things unseen, such as was never
felt before. Had he not done so his memory
would have faded away from the world into
an unsubstantial dream of the past. HIS
disciples would have gone mourning back to
their boats and nets on the Sea of Galllee.
But as it was assured beyond the sna1ow OF
misgiving, that he who had been all In all
to them, for whom they had forsaken all
else, was still living, with courage tnat
princes and all the powers OF Ohurcn anu
State could not doubt, those humble men
went forth and published their faitn IN tne
Risen CHRIST, sealing their faith with their
blood. This was the one fact upon which
they staked life and all that makes life dear;
that CHRIST had risen from the dead and was
still liying.-ReU. W. Fl. FIrness, DID,, The
Story of the Resurrection"
THE HARMONY OF THE GosPELs.-It
is difficult to harmonic the several accounts
of CHRIsT's resurrection contained IN the
four Gospels. Meyer, whose exegetlcai
works are, perhaps, the best accessible to
English readers, declares that it is impossible
to harmonic them. They probably narrate,
in the main, different details of the wonder
full event, which most impressed them, or
best suited the purpose for which they wrote.
The different statements are not necessarily
contradictory. No one of them has, nor
have all together probably, given complete
account of what occurred. If all that oc-
CURED had been recorded or were known,
there might be no difficulty in harmonizing
what is recorded. The difference of the mar
ratives strengthens rather than weakens the
credibility of the story of the resurrection of
JESUS contained in the Gospels. Absolute
identity of statement would tend to arouse
in the mind of the intelligent reader sus-
picion of collision and fraud.
THE TOMB.-JEsus died upon the cross
late in the afternoon of Friday, the evening
before the Sabbath. The bodies of the cru
Gifted were usually left upon the cross to be
devoured by the elements or birds, but an
exception was made in favor of the Jews, be-
cause of their law of ceremonial uncleanness
deuteronomy xxi. %, 23). A rich, righteous
and highly reputable, though timid, disciple
of JESUS had garden near the place of cru
cifxion, in which was a new tomb. This
man, Joseph of Arimathea, obtained permits
sion of PLATE to take down the body of JESUS
from the cross, and having bound the body
with spices provided by Nicodemus, in clean
linen cloths, he placed it in his new tomb,
and rolled great stone against the door
(xxvii. $3.50; John xix. 38-42). Afterwards
the chief priests and Pharisees, as precau-
ton, as they said, against the robbery of the
tomb by his disciples for the purpose of
falsely claiming that he rose from the dead,
had the stone " sealed" and a guard placed
(xxvii. 62 66).
[The tomb was probably an excavation cut
horizontally in the face of the rock. The
sealing was by means of cord fastened at
either end with a wax or clay impressed
with seal, and passing across the stone used
for a door. 1t may have been a capital
crime to break the royal seal.
THE WOMEN.-Certain women, friends
and relatives of JESUS, had come with him
from Galilee, and they " ministered unto
him." that is, contributed to his support and
comfort. These had witnessed the crucifix-
ion and place of embodiment, and procured
spices with which to perfume the body when
the Sabbath, which was at hand, should be
over. They may not have known what Mic