The National tribune., 1888-05-31
SUNDAY MEDITATION.

O; st. Luke "a ILL, and ST. John, 90: !, 2
His resurrection of himself was Christ's 36th
miracle.
l. Time
The resurrection of our Savior took place
early on Sunday morning, March 20, A. d. 20,
1859 years ago. He died in his saith year of
life and the fourth of his ministry. He was put
in the sepulcher on the Friday before, between
and o'clock of the afternoon. The Sab
bath was Saturday the first day of the
week +" was Sunday. We may fix the hour
when the body was put into the tomb at, say
o'clock p. m. Saturday evening at O'clock
he had been in the grave "a hours, or one full
day He died about three hours before the
body was deposited in the sepucher. lie rose
from the dead at about 4 O'clock a. M. Sunday
The duration of his decease was therefore, 3
plus ri plus 10 hours, equal to 81 hours He
died in health, and the corpse was almost at
once put into the cold tomb. Even naturally
it might not in so brief time see corruption.
(Ps., 80, 10. Compare Acts, 2 22-27 Hos,
g.: ,; st. Matt, 10 40; ST. John, 2: 1929 We
see Christs body was not in the grave y hours,
but really for only about one-half that time.
But he was entombed parts Of three days. Says
the commentator, Whedon:
F" Our Savior was not in the tomb three days
and three entire nights according to our modes of
calculation. lie expired on Friday afternoon and
rose on Sunday morning. He therefore
tombed but the nights of Friday and Satur-
day. But the jews reckoned the entire q hours
IN an unbroken piece, a day and night. They
counted the odd fragments of day in eomputa-
ton as an entire night and day. Our Lord there
FORE was dead during three nights and days"
2. The Place
st. John, 10: 41-43) shows that the places of
execution and burial were near each other
only little way from the cross to the tomb
from calvary to the garden inclosing the sep
ulcher. A huge church, the Church of the
Holy SepulCher, is now built over the spots.
hot I -. 1.
lock elevated between one and two steps from
the floor of the said church. a yellow-and-
white structure of marble, 26x - feet, is built
over the tomb. That room is called The
Chapel of the Angel" The sepulcher is entered
by low, narrow door, causing one entering to
stOop quite to the floor. The floor sides and
ceiling are all lined with white marble. Forty
two lamps of gold and silver are suspended in
the grotto. At the right about two feet high
IS horizontal marble slab. All can enter the
structure. 1t is never shut up, and thus is
symbolized the fact of the resurrection. The
tomb is empty. Every visitor viii find the
body is gone
3. The Persons
The One dead and risen was Christ The
body was that of the Crucifed. It bore identi-
flying marks. Witnesses who knew him before
his death were certain the resurrected One was
their old Friend.
BY comparing the four accounts of the resur-
rection, we find the following women visited
| the sepulcher: l. Mary Nagdalene 2. Mary
| mother of James 3. Salome; 4. Joanna; 5.
Certain other women. Though St. Matthew
| mentions only Mary Magdaleue and Mary,
mother of James, it is certain he does not ex-
! clude those named by the other Evangelist5.
| As soon as Mary Magdalene saw the stone re-
moved she turned right about and ran to tell
! the Apostles The other women went on !;
/ talked with the Angel at the sepulcher; got
! their orders to 60 and tell the Disciples, and
| set out to obey. Jesus met them as they were
/ thus going back This was Christs first ap-
pearance after the resurrection. Mary Magda-
j lene, il is thought, was not in that group, and
/ hence was not one of the first TO see Jesus. But
| St. Mark (1G:9) states Christ appeared first to
/ Mary Magdaene. We account for this thus
1t is clear, by referring to ST. Mark, IS: g. - H.
! that Mary Magdalene stands as representative
of the whole class of women whom Christ met.
| He names only that one woman. From the
appearance of Mary Magdalene in 1G: 9 ST
Mark passes direct to the meeting of Christ
with the two Disciples going to Emmaus. What
/ St Mark meant was that Christ first met the
/ women. Some however say that Mary Mag
| dalene got back to the sepulcher after the
| women left; had an interview with Christ, and
that then Christ fastened on and met the Pier
women. 1t will always be compliment tC
women that their sex chung so faithfully tc
Christ.
s. Not she with traitorous kiss her Master stung
Not she denied him with uufailhful tongue;
She, when Apostles fed, could danger brave,
Last at the cross, and earliest at the grave"
4. Facts.
l. It was prophesed in the Old Testamen
Christ would rise again 2. Christ was Ger
| tainly dead Enemies took care there shoulC
be mistake. They had heard he had init
mated he would rise from the grave, and they
proposed to prove him false. 3. The corps
was put into the sepulcher. The tomb wa
sealed 1t was death to one to break the 10
man seal. Further, the sepuleher was guarded
4. The corpse was In the tomb till the thir,
day. Then, Notwithstanding all guards, it wa
found the sepulcher was empty. The grea
stone before the entrance had rolled away
tearing the seal.
Seals assuring, guards securing,
| Watch his earthly prison;
Seals are shattered, guards are scattered,
Christ hath risen.h
5. CHRISTMAS seen after his resurrection b,
very many witnesses who recognized him a
the One crucifed. g. The accounts given il
explanation by Christ's enemies are too laeb1n
in uniformity and reasonableness to gain on
credence. T. The enemies Of Jesus were inter
, ested in making all sorts of false charges il
explanation of the empty sepulcher, while tn
witnesses in Christ's favor run all kinds of risl
in accounting for Christ's resurrection. s. w
cannot accept any evidence given by men VIII
admit they were asleep when the particula
event occurred. 8. The witnesses in Christ
favor were willing to die in proof of their sin
certy in belief and assertion of the genuine
ness of Christs risen body. 10. If all the gen
eral principles which govern in measuring tn
weightiness Of evidence be applied TO the state
ments of the Evangelists, they stand the ties
and establish the doctrine of the resurrection
IL. The resurrection is the grand proof of tn
truthfulness of Christianity, since Christ mad
it the test by assuring his Disciples he woul
9ise from the grave in testimony of his verac
! ity ~ We find the fact of the resurrection
was an inspiration to the Apostles because
from that event on, they changed their cow
ardice TO grandest bravery. IL. Christs ap
pearances were so numerous there could be n
mistake about his identity. There were IL such
a. To Mary Magdelene in the Garden; b. t
, the women returning home also in the Gar
den; C. To the two Disciples going to Emmaus
d. TO Peter at Jerusalem; e. To 10 Apostle
in the upper room at Jerusalem; f. To the 1
in the same place; g. To seven Apostles at tn
Sea of Galilee h. To II Apostles on a mount
: ain III Galiee T. To 500 brethren at once i
J Gallee or Bethany; j. To James; (. To the l
at the Ascension from the Mt. of Olives.
f B. The Phenomena accompanying ChriSts ReSul
TectiOH.
1. Earthquake. 1t probably did no injur
to property. Christ would not spoil sepu
cher borrowed of friend. 2. An Angel az
peared. 3. The huge stone was rolled ava