The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-11-20
SUNDAY MEDITATION.

SUBjECTs: 4. The EARTHQUAKE AND THE
RESURRECTION. III. The WOMEN Go TO
THE SEPULCHER. III. THE WOMEN At THE
TONB. ~. THr WOMEN MEET CHRIST.
V. The WOMEN Go AND TELL THE ELEVEN.
Preliminary.
We are to consider the resurrection of Christ.
1t was the thiTty-sixth miracle performed by
our Saviour. IL is the deed pivotal in the life
OF Jesus. At least as truly as Of faith can we
declare OF the doctrine Of the resurrection Of
Christ that it is tho drticlEI eecsiql stGnis eel
c1de'tis." The acceptance Of this doctrine is the
sticking point. Accept this article of faith,
and all that went before and all that is to come
aitorward in the Christian system can be enter
talned. The Church must rise or fall rs this fact
of the resurrection is believed or denied. This
fact - what sivesso much significance to Easter.
IL IS the reason why Easter is called THE Queen
OF all Festivals.' No other than the Christian
religion teaches the doctrine of the rcsurrec-
ton IN any such sense as that which requires
some connection between the body buried and
the body to DO occupied after death And
since so much dePenHs en- this doctrine 10 has
been the special subject of antagonsm on tho
part of opponents 70 Christianity.
lt IS noticeable the biography of our Saviour
differs from any ordinary biography in that it
adds chapter not met with in the account Of
any human being. All biographies end with
the death Of the characters. But in the case
4
gives account OF our Saviour coming to life
again. lt tells OF his Teappearanee. after death,
IN human form, az different places and TO sep
aratc classes of people. This is very singular
aud offers a tempting bait to antagonists Of the
supernatural.
All students Of the resurrection should take
Christ ia his whole life. Consider who he was,
what he did, what he claimed. and the resur-
TectiOn WIS not only cOngFuity but neces-
sity. Looking nc the entire career OF Jesus.
and we shall find much less difficulty in admit
ting the resurrection. ST. Peter had this
thought in mind when he said in his pentecos-
tai sermon, Whoa God hath raised up, having
!oosed the pains banhsl of death; because it
was not possible consistent, congruOus, TT
ting sequel to the life Of Christ that he should
be holden Of !" death or tho gravel.
Bear in mind this is an important subject.
DE sare and read Cor, Is: l2-23l
Why should it be thought thing in
credible with yOa that God should raise the
dcad?" Why incredible2 Who is GodP Why
can lie not raise the dead? See what he has
done and is doing Why limit HimS
II. The EARTHQUAKES AND THE REsUEREc-
TON.
l. Data.
Sc. Mat, %: "a; st. Mark, IS: o. "Eow
when Jesus was risen early, the first day of the
week" ST Matthew is the only Gospel writer
away Of the stone.
2 Time
Daybreak, Sunday, March 20, A. d. %.
8. Place.
The sepuIcher was not far from the place Of
execution Of Christ. (St. John, 10: ~, 42)
Calvary and the GaTden--the cross and the
tomb-weTo but little way from each other.
church building-the Church Of tho Holy
Sepucher-has been constructed over the spot.
What was a grotto in hillside is now a hill
lock elevated between one and two steps from
the floor of the room into which the visitor is
taken. A structure Of yellow and white mar
bic % by is feet is now built over the sepul-
cher. 1t is called The Chapel of the Angel"
The sepulcher proper is entered by low, mar
row door, necesstating one TO stOOp nearly TO
the floor in order TO gain entrance. Once in
there IS much Of interest 10 the Christian. The
floor and ceilings are lined with beautiful
white marble. Forty-two lamps Of gold and
silver are suspended in that little grOtto. At
the right about two feet high, is horizontal
marble slab. on which, it is said, the body Of
Christ reclined.
The tomb in which Christ's body was depos-
tied was kindly pTOiieTcd for the purpose by
Joseph OF Aramathea, who had built it for him
self ts,. Mt., %: $780, Its dimensions adj
mitted an adult To- stand erect within it. (St.
Luke, 81 ~ Such sepulchers were generally
x.
entrance to this kind of tomb was usually
quite small. and covered by large stone rolled
up against it.
4. Critical Notes.
!. Earthquake" Scholars are not agreed
as to the exact nature Of this shaking. 1t was
a conclusion sufficiently violent to attract at.
tention and to have some play in the great
event Of Christs resurrection. 1t seems per-
sonai agent, an angel. moved away the stone.
9. "S,oue." tSee ST. Matt, q: 62-G6J
8 The resurrection occurred probably before
the rolling away OF the stone, but we need not
infer Christ left the sepulcher before the stOne
was removed.
III. The WOMEN GOING To THE SEPULCHEE
AND ARRIVAL. THEREAT.
i. Data
St Matt, 2s:1; st. Mark, IS: pa; st. Luke,
"a: |. 2; st. John, 20: ]. p "Then she ruuueth
and cometh to Simon Peter and to the other
disciple whom Jesus loved"
2. Time
Same as in paragraph above, save that we
advance Tor, say, 80 minutes.
8. Place.
Same as in paragraph above.
4. The Ronaen
The three women were those mentioned in
st. Mark, l6: MARY Magdalene. Mary mother
Of ST. James the Less, and SAlome, mother Of
SIS. James and John. But there were other
women. See st. Luke, "a: 1 Joanna is named
ia V. 10 of st. Luke "a.
5. The ROaea on Way TO Sepulcher.
We do not know the number of the women
Early Sunday morning they left Jerusalem,
bearing spices, going 10 the tomb of Christ. It
is clear they had no intelligent conception of a
possible resurrection on the third day. They
set out more fully TO embalm the body of Jesus
OF a sudden it occurred to one that there would
be difficulty in gaining entrance to the tomb
The enemies of Christ seemed to have had a
clearer idea Of this contingency Of the resur-
rectiOn than had the followers of Christ Fear
sees further than hope. One charge brought
against Jesus was his declaration to the effect
practically that he would rise again the third
day. They remembered that, and hence re-
quested Plate TO make sure the sepuicher
The women knew that it was customary to.
have huge stone rolled against the mouth of
the grotto. While Disgusting the possible diff
Guilty Of entering the sepnleher they approached
nearer to the spot when at length they discOv-
cred the stone had been removed and the entry
To the sepucher was open and exposed. Mary
Magdalene was Immediately filed with terrible
approximations lest something had happened to
the body Of Christ. She turned right about
retracing her way with greatest haste TO tell
SITS. Peter aud John.
III. THE WOMEN AT THE TOME WITH THE
ANGELS.
1. Data
st. Mt, 1851; st. Mark, IS: ST; st. Luke,
1888.
2. Time, Place, Women.