The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1888-06-08
THE RISEN LORD.
LESSON xl, SECOND QUARTER, IN
TERNATIoNAL SERIES, JUNE 10.

Text Of the Lesson, Matt. xviii, f5-Goi-
den Text, 4 Cor. Nv. 20-Memorixe
Verses b-7-Comments by Rev. II. 8.
Holman.
CONDENSED from Lesson Helper Quarterly by
permission OF II. s Hoffman Philadelphia,
publisher.l
Notes.--v. l. End of the Sabbath, means
tho same as after the Sabbath Began TO
dawn, daybreak near sunrise, Mark xvi, g
Mary Magdalene, see Luke wifi, g. The
other Mary, the mother of James, Matt
xvii, 81. First day Of the week, the first
Christian Sunday. V. Q. There was, Re
vised Version had been. V. 4. As dead men,
by fright were thrown into swoon. V. 8.
Fear ye not, be not agitated or troubled. v.
O. See the place, to satisfy yourselves that he
is risen. v. 8. Departed quickly run, the
news was so good as to put speed into their
feet " o. All hail, salutation which
means rejoice Held him by the feet threw
themselves PROSTATE before him, 2 Kings iv,
81. V. l2 Large money much money to
bribe them to conceal the truth V. 10. Per-
suade him, satisfy Plate that he would not
punish them
V. l. Jesus had now laid In the guarded
tomb Friday night, Saturday, and Saturday
night, and the morning of the first day Jour
Sunday had come In the twilight of the
early morning, not only Mary Of Magdala
and Mary the mother of Jesus, but several
other holy women wended their way to the
sepulcher. Matthew omits the names the
others give because he expects to continue his
account of the two he mentions, chapter
xvii 81. The Mary of Magdala, In Galilee,
was delivered by Jesus from seven demons,
but she is not the same as many think, with
''the woman that was a sinner" While they
bore the spices which they had prepared
there may have struggled in their hearts, SO
filed with grief, a remote hope Of his restIr-
rection. These women, "last at his cross and
earliest at his grave" were ready to receive
the glad news of Christ's resurrection. The
disciples were slow to believe it, showing the
difference between woman's intuition and
mans reasoning process in attaining the same
result. They went ITO sec the sepulcher."
How true affection still prompts us to go to
the place where sainted one rests, to see the
tomb Of buried love. Is there not unconsci-
ously in each such visit the hope of resur-
rection Of the bodyi
On the way they worried about the re-
moval of the huge stone. How often we are
concerned about difficulties which will be
removed when we come to them.
V. 2, g. There had been an earthquake,
perhaps a repetition Of the shock described
In chap xvii, 81 lat the time of the Lords
DEATH, and divine messenger had descended
from heaven to remove the stone Jesus
rose from the dead by the exertion Of his own
innate divine power. The earthquake and
the shining angels but evinced his divine
majesty and were sent to overawe the guards
and to show that Jesus was not taken from
the tomb by human power. When the
women approached the tomb, the herald Of
the risen Saviour sat in the shining robes of
triumph and purity upon the stone.
V. 4. While the old heroes are trembling
and impotent, the desponding became heroic;
while the living become rs dead, he who was
dead comes back to glorious life.
V. 8. The shining one knew what sor-
row the hearts of those women carried.
Hence he said, Fear not ye"
v. g. The turning point in human his.
tory begins with Christ's resurrection. Every
human hope springs from his empty tomb.
"He is risen, as he said," Luke xiv, 81.
Jesus had repeatedly predicted that he would
arise from the dead He was willing to rest
ali his claims to the Messiahship and divin-
ity upon his ability to overcome death.
v. T. The women first to see the empty
tomb, first to hear that he was risen, first to
have the risen Jesus to speak to them and
first to touch his resurrected body ". 81 were
made the first evangelists to make known his
resurrection.
They were to tell the disciples, Mark xvi, 4,
adds land Peter" He, the saddest of all, was
to have a drop Of joy in his cup, showing
that Christ had forgiven him
The disciples were to be told that Jesus
would meet them in Galilee, as he had prom
ised before his crucifxion.
V. 8. The joyful news put elasticity in
hi -. -. l.-.. Il.
They made ''haste" on such business. And
yet with all the joy that throbbed in their
bosoms there were mingled emotions of fear.
"Fear at what they had seen; joy at what
they had heard" SchafY.
V9. AS they were hurrying on their way
to tell the disciples Jesus met them Jesus
always meets us when We are earnestly in
the path OF duty.
Kneeing down at his feet with beautiful
Oriental simplicity and grace, the women
worshiped him, rendering him divine hom-
age.
V. TO- They were not to fear him though
he rose from the chambers of the dead They
were not to fear the hate and persecution OF
their enemies Christ rose to silence all fears
v. ll-l2. Contemporaneously with the
women entering Jerusalem some of the
| guard perhaps the officers, entered the city;
| one bearing the news OF tho resurrection to
friends, and the other to the enemies of Jesus.
Caiaphas and the chief rulers deemed the
matter SO important and the situation SO
grave that the great council of the nation
was hurriedly called together. 1t has been
stated that this was the last session that was
ever held by the sanhedrm.
v. 1915. The miserable subterfuge to
which the rulers resorted refutes itself. How
was it that all the sixty soldiers slept at the
same time, and so soundly as not to be awak-
eued by the disciples as they rolled away the
stone, lifted and carried away the dead
bodyf II they slept how could they see that
it was the disciples who stole the bodyi The
disciples had no motive In stealing the body.
They knew we'll that in doing such a deed
those Jealous Jews, who had crucified their
leader, would not spare them. Why should
they court danger and death from the Roman
soldiery2 Then how could they after
ward enkindle enthusiasm from such an
imposition which would lead them to
sacrifice property, fame and dear life it.
self Then, besides, they were not a set
of bold and fearless men prepared for any
desperate enterprise. Peter, the most stou,
hearted, accused by a servant maid, denied
him What great and unaccountable
change was wrought In them, il they were
now willing to rush upon body Of armed
soldiers TO steal the body of one whom they
had not the courage to defend while living
| Judaism, in its death throes, resorted TO u lie
But it had to die. Christianity too it.
place on tho first Easter morning, for tn,
Jewish Sabbath then ceased and the Chris
tian Sunday began. Ponderous stone, nol
Roman arms, nor Jewish seals, nor sanhe
drim lies, could keep the Redeemer in tn,
grave. He rose and stood beside his empty
tomb, with the broken scepter Of death be
meath his feet. Thank God, Good Friday I
followed by Easter ''as Gods amen and =
mems alleluia-"
Consumption Surely Cured.