The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-05-29
SABBATH SCHOOL,
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOE
JUNE 2.
Lesson Text: "The Resurrection OF
Jesus" Mark xvi, 1-S-Golden
Text: Luke XIV, 81
Commentary.

commentary
1. "And when the Sabbath was past, Mary
| Maedalene, and Mary the mother OF James
and Salome, had bought sweet spices that
they might come and anoiM Him." In Lev.
xiii, 10, II. we read that sheaf OF the first
| fruits Of the harvest WIS to be presented to
the Lord and by Him accepted for the peo-
| pie, "on the morrow after the Sabbath" In
Cor. xv., %. we find that the resurrection
| of Christ was the fulflllment OF that type.
| The women mentioned in this first verse OF
our lesson were some Of th ose who followed
| Him and ministered unto Him. They loved
| Him devotedly, but they were lacking In
| faith, for had they believed His words that
| he would rise again the third day (chapters
| viii., 81; tx, 31) they would not have thought
| 10 anoint His dead body on the third day.
Without faith 1t Is impossible to please Him.
2. And very early in the morning, the
first day of the week, they cane unto the
| sad they must have felt! Who can tell their
thoughts! After all His wonderful works
and teachings concerning the kingdom, to
| have It end this way was a disappointment
lndescribable. Oh, II they had only believed
Isau liii. and the words Of His own lips, what
darkness and sorrow they might have
been spared! Mary Of Bethany believed His
| words and anointed Him beforehand, and
evidently expecting His resurrection, as ne
had said, was not found with the others at
the tomb. What darkness would be dispelled
from sorrowing hearts If those whose friends
have died in Christ would only believe (PhiE
l., 21, %; I Thess. iv., 1919, and what sums
of money might be saved for better use which
are vainly spent for the dead body!
8. ."And they said among themselves. Who
shall roll US away the stone from the door OF
the sepulcher2" 1t was a real difficulty from
their standpoint. yet they moved on as II it
would some way be removed. Love is not
hindered from acting by apparent difficult
ties. When tits work Of faith as we'll as o
labor Of love q Thess l., 8, }, then all Is we'll,
but faith should be first, lest love perform
unnecessary labor, and there can be no faith
apart from the word Of God Rom. x, I'D.
4. ''And when they looked they saw that
The stone was rolled away, for 1t was very
great" Difficulties vanish as we 90 f. 1ard.
How often we have found 1t 30! /. Math
xviii, 2, we find that the angel of the Lord
descended from heaven and came and rolled
back the stone from the door and sat upon 1t,
for seals and soldiers were nothing to Him.
The angels who excel in strength, that do
His commandments, hearkening unto the
voice of His word (Ps. Gill;, 20), know no diff
flculties, and nothing Is hard to them. Read
the angel stories In Acts xii and Isa xxxvii.,
36, and rejoice that they are still ministering
spirits who minister unto the heirs OF saliva
tion Heb. l., 14).
s. HAnd entering into the sepulcher they
saw young man sitting on the right side
clothed in long white garment, and they
were affrghted." If we believed in the min.
istry Of angels, and that they are ever with
us serving unseen and unthanked, perhaps
we would not be afraid II some day one or
oh fn III
most of the people in the Bible record to-
whom they appeared seem to hare been
afraid, but We do not read that either Abram
or Elisha were afraid, and Elijah was not
afraid to have them come for him with car
rage that day that he went home. Notice
that this angel, who must have been several
thousand years old, is called young man
oh, the Joys Of eternal youth! II spared to
the day on which this lesson shall be taught,
feel more like fifteen than flfty-one, and lam
perfectly sure that shall feel younger still
0,000 years hence.
s. ,"And He saith unto them! Be not af-
frighted. Ye seek Jesus Of Nazareth which
was crucifled. He Is risen. He Is not here.
Behold the place where thew laid Him." The
angels always say, Fear not (Gen. xii. II;
Luke l., 13, 80; H., 10), and 80 does the Lord
Himself from Gen. xv., /, to Rev. l., II. His
thoughts to all His people are peace and not
evil lJer. xxx, 11). Therefore let our
Elsa. xii, q. In Math. xviii, 6, the angel
said, "He is risen. as He said," as II they
might also have said. "Why did you not be-
lieye Him?" Let us have q simple child
like, unwavering faith In every word OF
God, and thus He will be glorifed in us.
Z. '"But 20 your way. tell His disciples and
Peter that He goeth before you into Galilee;.
There shall ye see Him as He said unto you"
Oh, how Christlike to have special mes
sage for poor Peter, who must have felt, be-
cause OF his awful conduct, that he was no
longer worthy to be one OF them. But the
Lord loved this erring one, and he alone OF
all the disciples Is mentioned by name in the
resurrection message HE Is risen." $50,
tell" may we'll be called the watchwords Of
Christianity If He be not risen, our faith !:
in vain, we are yet in our sins, and all
who have trusted in Him and have died
have perished q Cor. xv., 14-1Sl. II He
be not risen from the dead, then His spot:
less life and His death on the cross all
20 for nothing, as far as the work OF re-
demption is concerned. But He Is risen.
God hath raised Him from the dead and
given Him q seat at His own right hand,
and as He said to John in Patmos, He is
alive forevermore and has the keys of hades
and death (Rev. l., 18). The present busi-
ness Of every believer Is to tell out the fact
to all the world, as fast as each individual
may, that through the risen Christ Is pro-
claimed the forgiveness of sins, and oil who
believe are justified from. oil things (Acts
xiii, 3s, S9).
8. '"And they went out quickly and fled
from the sepulcher, for they trembled and
were amazed; neither said they anything to
any man, for they were afraid" Matthew
says that they departed quickly with fear
and great Joy and did run to bring His
disciples word (Math. xviii, 81. They
would speak to no one by the way, but filled
with Joy because Jesus was alive and aWed a
by the facts, the angels message and their
own now manifest unbelief, they fastened to
tell the disciples. There is nothing incon-
sistent between this kind OF Joy and fear.
See Phil. H., 12 and similar passages. We
may have great joy in the Lord and withal
fear OF grieving Him.-Lesson Helper.