The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1888-06-08
THE RISEN LORD.
LESSON xl, SECOND QUARTER, IN
TERNATiONAL SERIES, JUNE 10.

Text Of the Lesson, Matt. xviii, i5-GOi'
den Text, ! Cor. XIV. @O-Memorixe
Verses b.7-Comments by Rev. ". S.
Hoffman.
CONDENSED from Lesson Helper Quarterly by
permission of H. Hoffman, Philadelphia,
publisher.l
Notes.-V. l. End of the Sabbath, means
the same as after the Sabbath. Began to
dawn, daybreak near SUNRISE Mark xvi, 2.
Mary Magdalene, see Luke viii, 3. The
other Mary, the mother of James, Matt.
xvii, g. First day of the week, the first
Christian Sunday. V. 2. There was, Re-
vised Version, had been. V. 4. AS dead men,
by fright were thrown into swoon. V. s..
Fear We not, be not agitated or troubled. v.
6. See the place, to satisfy yourselves that he
is risen. V. s. Departed quickly, run, the
news was so good as to put speed into their
feet V. 8. All hail. salutation which
means rejoice. Held him by the feet, threw
themselves PROSTATE before him, Kings iv,
81. V. IL. Large money, much money to
bride them to conceal the truth V. ID. 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 Gallee,
was delivered by Jesus from seven demons,
but she is not the same as many think, with
''the woman that was sinner" While they
bore the spices which they had prepared
there may have struggled in their hearts, so
filled with grief, a remote hope of his resur-
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 "to see 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 a resur-
rection of the body!
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 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 overa we the guards
and to show that Jesus was not taken from
the tomb oy 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 Responding became heroic;
while the living become as dead, he who was
dead comes back to glorious life
V. 5. The shining one knew what sor-
row the hearts of those women carried.
Hence he said, Fear not ye"
" g The turning point in human his
tory begins with Christs 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
all his claims to the Messiahship and divin-
ity upon his ability to overcome death
" Z. 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, Z,
adds land Peter" He the saddest of all, was
to have 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. s. The joyful news put elasticity in
their steps and enthusiasm in their souls
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" Schaff.
v 8. 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
kneeling down at his feet with beautiful
Oriental simplicity and grace, the women
worshiped him, rendering him divine hon.
age.
V. 10. 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.
Y. 1l-12. Contemporaneously with the
women entering Jerusalem some of the
guard perhaps the officers, entered the city; |
one bearing the news of the 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 sanhedrim.
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-
pned by the disciples as they rolled away the
stone: lifted and carried away the dead
body? If they slept how could they see that
it was the disciples who stole the body! The
disciples had no motive in stealing the body.
They knew well that in doing such deed
hose Jealous Jews, who had crucified their
leader, would not spare them. Why should
.hey court danger and death from the Roman
,oldieryl Then how could they after