The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-05-23
SUNDAY %4.MEDITATl0N
ON
A Study Of theilntematiOnal Sunday
School Lesson Appointed for June
2, 1895. 50

2, 1896. 50
Subject: The Women at Christs sepulcher.
ST. Mark, l6:I-S.
| lone reading these notes should first carefully
study the paragraph from The Holy Scriptures as
| indicated aboyc.i
/. TIE Women GONG TO THE SEPULcHER
AND ARRIVAL THEREAT.
i. Data
st. Matt, 2S:1; st. Mark, 16: Q, 4; st. Luke,
o4:l.o; st. John, 20: /, g Then she run
meth and cometh to Simon Peter and to the
other Disciple whom Jesus lovod."
Q. Time.
We End ourselves in the year A. d. 90 month
of March, goth day, Sunday, very early in the
| morning. The jewish day began at o'clock
of the evening When st. Matthew (2S: ~
saws "as it began 10 dawn toward day." it
cannot BIO that no refers to tho carly part OF
Saturday evening, as the Jews reckoncd. The
| time was on tho contrary. somewhat near sun
rising See St. Mark. 1872. The dawn GER
tainly refers TO the beginning of the light part
of the day. Gen, i: D. All the accounts teacn
| that tho women went early in the morning of
tho first day of the week, Sunday. St. Matt,
2S: J. has, "as it began to dawn: st. Mark,
| I6: . very early in the morning" St. Luke
corresponds with st. Mark; aud the language
of st. John, 90: /, does not contradict the other
accounts" when it was yet dark" While day
was actually coming, it was day succeeding
night; nigh teand day mingled light combat
| ting with darkness. The very verse, St John,
goal which states that it was dark. says,
"seeth the stone taken away" Hence it was
! light enough to see. The expression in St.
! Mark, l6: g is more troublesome" at the ris-
| ing of the sum-" But the sun rises till noon.
| The idea of st. Mark is this, at the first indi-
| cation of sunrising. This is evident, since in
the same verse he says, very early in the
| morning" We may look over the eastern hills
and declare for long time before the actual
orb heaves in sight, while only points of rays
| are visible that the SD is rising. One looking
! toward the west would notice mostly the dark
ness while to one gazing in the eastward direc-
ton light would be in thought. The Sun of
| Righteousness preceded by a little of tho nat
ural sun in rising. Christ is the Morning Star
| Rev.. %: 49, By the laws of publication among
the Jews. a dead body could not be touched on
the Sabbath Saturday; but the women availed
| themselves of the very rst chance next morn
| ing Sunday. And yet Jesus rose from the
! grave oven before their arrival. The exact
time of the resurrection is not known.
g. Where.
The sepulcher was not far from the place OF
the execution Of Christ. st. John, 49, Ill, 42.
Calvary and the Garden-the cross and the
tomb-were but little way from each other.
A church building-the Church of the Holy
Sepulcher-has been constructed over the spot.
What was grotto in a hillside is now hillock
elevated between one and two steps from the
floor of the room into which the visitor is taken.
A structure of yellow and white marble, 26 by
IS feet, is now built over the sepulcher. 1t is
called "the Chapel OF The Angel" The sepul-
cher proper is entered by low, narrow door.
necessItating one 10 stoop nearly to the floor
to gain entrance. Once in. there is much of
interest to the Christian. The floor and cell
ings are lined with beautiful white marble.
Forty-two lamps Of gold and silver are sus-
pended in that little grotto. At the right,
about two feet high, is horizontal marble
slab on which, it ssaia the body Of Christ re-
clined. "a
The tomb in which Chrst's body was dc.
posted, was kindly pfofered for the purpose
By Joseph of Aramathea, who had it built for
himself. St. Matter: 57-60. Its dimensions
admitted an adult to stand erect within it. st.
Luke, 244. Such sepulchers were generally
dug ont from the solid elevated rock The en-
trance to this kind of tomb was usually quite
small and covered by q large stone rolled up
against it.
4. The Women.
The three women were those mentioned in
St. Mark. IS: MARY Magdalene; Mary,
mother of James tho Less; and Salome, mother
of Sts James and John. But there were other
women. See st. Luke, "a: /. Joanna is named
in V. 10 Of St. Luke, "a.
s. The Women on Way 70 Sepulcher.
We DO not know the number of the women.
Early Sunday morning they left Jerusalem
bearing Spices going to the tomb OF Christ. 1t
is clear they had no intelligent conception of a
possible resurrection tho third day. They
set out more fully to embam the body of Jesus
OF sudden it occurred to one that there would
be difficulty about gaining entrance to the
tomb. The enemies OF Christ seem 10 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 discussing the possible difli-
Guilty of entering the sepulcher they approached
nearer TO the spot, when at length they dis
covered that the stone had been removed and
the entry 10 the sepulcher was open and ex-
posed. Mary MIgdaicne was Immediately fillcd
with terrible appreheusions lest something had
happened to the body of Christ. She turned
right about, retrseing her way with greatest
haste to tell SITS. Peter and John.
6. Suggestions.
l. See the folly Of anticipating evils which
are never realized. St. Mark, 16: 3, 4.
2. Attentions to tho dead are becoming. st.
Luke. 81: /.
3. Women can be Of great service to Christ
and tho Church. st. Matt, %: 1. !
4. Rejoice to carry good. Run with it in
your eacerness. ST. John, 20:2.
5. when the Sabbath was past" The Sab
bath Saturday was the Jewish day for pub
lie worship The Jews were particular in its
observance. They, in theory at least, avoided
all improper work, etc, on the Sabbath. The
embaiming Of the dead was not thought by the
women to be suitable for the day OF rest. They
waited till ii was past. There is suggestion
here as to our attentions to the dead There is
SO much Of the manual about funeral occasions
they so break in on regular religious services
that we should study 10 avoid Sunday and
select, if it be not impossible, secular day for
burials.
g. We have many assurances of tho fact OF
angelic help being at our service.
z. The women sought dead Christ. We can
go to living Jesus
g. We need not go TO Galiiee to meet our
Savior
III. TIE WOMEN AT THE TOMB WITH THE
ANGELS.
/. Data.
81. Mt, %: 81; ST. Mark, 16: 81; St. Luke.
24:3-s. 1rs
9. Time, Place. Women.
These practically agree with the paragraph
above. We advance a little in time. Mary