Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-29
THE PIERCED HANDS.
The Part They Played in the Confirm
alton of the Resurrection.
THE APOSTLES DID NOT BELIEVE,
But There Was No More Doubling When
the Evidences We're Shown.
THE LESSONS 0P EASTER SUNDAY
WRITTEN FOR THE DISPATCH,

Jesus of Nazareth was dead. That was
beyond question. They had seen that with
their eyes. Calvary, and the cross, and the
| nail-pierced hands and feet, and the side
torn with the spear, we're terrible and tragi-
cal realities. There was no escaping them.
The enemies of Christ had conquered. To
that the barred door of the room in which
they sat gave significant witness. The life OF
Jesus OF Nazareth, their Lord. was ended.
But the tomb OF Jesus OF Nazareth was
empty. That thev knew, also. Early in
the morning certain women of their COM
pany had gone out in the dim light along
the road to Calvary, carrying spices and
ointments for the dead body OF Jesus. won-
dering as they went how they would get tine
great stone rolled away from the door Of the
sepulcher. and 10, as they drew near, the
stone was rolled away already.
The Sepulcher Was Open.
And when they looked in there was only
vacant place there where the body OF
Jesus had been laid. The sepulcher was
Peter and John, hearing this startling
news, and hurrYing out, had verified that.
In spite of the seal upon the stone, in spite
of the guard of Roman soldiers, the body of
Jesus of Nazareth was gone.
But all day long the air had been astir
with rumors. The first thought was that
the body of Jesus had been stolen. The
malice of their enemies, they fancied, had
not ended even at the cross. The Jews had
taken the body away and laid it nobody
knew where. But stranger explanation
followed fast after. 1t was whispered here
and there among the disciples, as the day
Iof Chrict vbn had
dead and buried, was alive! This one and
that one, they said, had really seen Him.
First. there was Mary Magdalen.
Beside this empty tomb sat Mary weep
ing. One last service she had thought TO
render. She had brought ointments and
spices for His body. But even this service
is denied her. Here is only an empty,
plundered tomb. So down she sits. and gives
herself to bitter grief. Beside the gladdest
sight which the whole earth had to offer on
that Easter morning, beside the empty
sepulcher sat Mary weeping. And
Then the Wonder Happened.
Somebody, she said, came up behind her.
1t was the gardener she thought ut first.
And looking at him in the dusk of the early
morning, and through q mist of binding
tears. she begged him, if he had taken away
the body, to tell her where the body was.
DuL the SdrueucE speaks.
"Mary" He says, "Maryp'
Never but one had spoken with that voice.
Again she looks, and behold it is the Master.
Christ is risen.
That is what Mary saw. Then there was
Simon Peter.
All the rumors that the Lord had risen,
Simon, like the others, had accounted as but
idle tales. It was incredible. 1t was i'm
possible. But now the Lord has appeared
to Simon. The wonder grows. Can it be-
then. that this marvellous thing is true?
Can it be that those pierced hands are still
held out with the old love and blessing
among men? That the pierced feet are
really walking on this human earth? That
the rended heart, smitten with the spear is
still beating? That Jesus whom they
cruciied. and put 10 death. and buried, is
alive?s Simon affirms that. And Simon
sits now in the apostles company, here in
the upper rbom, where the door is barred
for fear of the Jews, and tells his amazing
story over, and they ply him with their
eager questions.
The Prophecy of the Bible.
And now there is a knock at the barred
door, and in come two who live at Ennaus,
out of breath with running. "Christ is
risen!' they cry out together. To-day,
they say, as we were walking home along
the road, talking about Christ's death
and about the empty tomb, with tears
in our eyes as we talked, a stranger Joined
us. What is it, he said, that you talk about
so earnestly as you walk, and are sad ? And
we said Why, sir, surely you must be
stranger in these parts not to know the terri
Bic things which all Jerusalem is astir
about these days. What things? he said.
And we told him, with broken voices, as
best we could for crying, about the cross and
about the plundered sepulcher; and we told
him how we had put our trust III Jesus Of
Nazareth, and thought him even to be the
Christ. And then we broke
down, and fell again into bitterness and
grief, as we thought how much had ended on
that cross. And then the stranger spoke. \
And he said Have you never read
your Bible? And he showed us,
in prophecy after prophecy, huw it
had been predicted long ago thai
Christ when he came must suffer, and only
after suffering center into His glory" And
our hearts burned within US, as He talked.
And when our journey was ended and we
came TO our home, and He made as if He
would go still further, we persuaded Hir ,
10 come in and have supper with US, Tor II |
sun was already setting.
Their Eyes Were Opened.
bread and blessed and break, and Of a su,
den our ewes were opened aud we knew Hin.
Ii was He who took bread and blessed an
break it the night before the crucifxioE
1t was Christ. Christ is risen We hav,
hurried back to tell you. Christ is risen! |
Yes, cry the apostles. for the momeut car.
ried away into an impulsive faith He
risen indeed, and hath appeared unit,
Simon.
But is it true? Mary of 'Magdala SAYS
that it is. Simon Peter says that it is.
Cleopas and his brother of Emnaus say
hat it Is. But how can such Things be? /,
passes credence. The cross is fact, and the
omb is fact; that Jesus of Nazareth i,
lead is certain, and that the body of Jesus
,f Nazareth is gone is certain. But what is
his?
And then, even as they speak. comes
Jesus Peace" He saws, "be unto your
And when they look at Him out or scared
ives, and sudden and irresistible terror
alls upon them, as upon men who see
,host, He shows them His nail pierced
lands and feet.
"Why are We troubled?' He says, "anl
yhv do thoughts arise in your hearts? Be-
lold my hands and my feet, that 1t Is N.Y.
elf"
This manifestation of Christ with the nail
,ierced hands aud reet, l want to dwell
lpon little time this morning. Here is a
wo-told blessed revelation, Of eternal life
md o: eternal love.
The Lesson of Pierced Hands.
Christ, with the nail prints, teaches eternal
lie. That there is any living after dying
,an be known only by Il revelation. No
z1zs1Ea1sz..azzlazzz,a1.