Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-04-17
THE RISING OF CHRIST.

In the month OF April, about eigh-
teen hundred and slxty.four years ago,
wonderful scenes were transpirlug In
the land OF Judea-scenes that have
left their impress upon all the world.
The Jews had been looking for de-
liverance from the Roman yoke that
bore heavily upon them; they had
listened to the voice OF the Prophet
from the wilderness, and he had be.
come victim to the rage Of the ruling
power; they had sepn Ons come forth
with message strange for that time
yet having a peculiar harmony with
the desire of the age, strango for It's
Rrraignment OF the unbelief OF those
who relied on God for deliverancs, yet
harmonious with their hopes In herald
ing the Deliveref; they beheld the
One who proclaimed Himself tho Son
Of GOT, but as His methods did not
comport with their ideas OF what the
Christ should do, they followed that
course which they thought would dis
prove the claim He made, and at their
bebeBt He was Put to death. And the
eliminating act in that great tragedy
CT the spring season OF long ago
has etood before the world from thSt
time rs irrefutable evidence OF the
wisdom OF the saying that "God's
ways are not as man's ways" for In
the former there is no failure. Tho
very means by which the Jewish
lesders sought to disprOve the claim
OF Jesus OF Nazareth that he was the
Messiah, the Son OF God cent TO re.
deem the world, became the means
through the everything providence OF
the God OF Israel to proclaim for all
ages that same Jesus as Messiah, Re-
deemer, Deliverer to all mankind.
twas not alone the death Of the
Lord Jesus that accomplished the work.
There was the further great event oil
His return to lie In the nsshly taber'
nacle He had occupied upon earth.
Therein was His triumph asa Messiah;
therein was tho deliverancs that He
wrought from the power Of the grave,
the redemption he brought to man
kind from the power Of death.
Others had died before In tho
cause Of salvation, but He was the one
to bring the redemption from the
dead, AMI from that time there has
been steady, irresistible growth In the
operations OF the dlspeRsstion which
He ushered in,--the extension OF
knowledge Of a risen Christ, In whose
reviviiying was the example, the
door, for the resurrection OF all men.
By the cruclfixion there was almost
blasted the hopes Of those whom the
lowly yet miraculously gifted Naza-
rene had gathered around Him. His
death had plunged them into the
depths Of sorrow and hopelessness
20 great that no new Prophet could
rescue them from II. One thing, and
only one, could revive their fallen
hopes, remove their disappoint.
ment, and restore the supreme
Joy they had experienced in looking
On Him whom they regarded as tho
Christ; there was but one thing to
cave Christianity to mankind. That
one thing was that Jesus should live
again In the flesh. Nothing short of
that would suffice to establish the
1isclples' faith 10 Him, und enable |
them to continue to declare Him as the
Christ. All that could he done in
mortality WAS done, and 1t required the
triumph OF Immortality to proclaim to
the world that the Redeemer had come
to earth, Hence Jesus rose again.
And the corporal resurrection Of
Jesus became the prime fact OF |
Christian history. 1t raised the Joy
and faith of the disciples beyond all |
they hsd known before, anu it became
the burden and central feature nj
their testimony from that time forth.
With what body did FIs rise? The
Apostles had seen Him crucihed, and
they saw Him Risen again, oommuned
with ID m, not for day, but for a
month or more; and many others In
Judea commuued alec. There was no
mistake as 10 His identity. 1t was
Jetu'' having the same body that was
nailed to tie crou-,he body OF flesh
aud bones which was pierced by the
nAils and the spear, with immortalia.
Ing spirit that hal superseded the
mortal blood which had been shed
with what body 90 oil the dead rise? |
with the body Of flesh anu bones
which they occupied in mortal ty.
yeeus 10 the pattern, and there is more |
other; hence similar resurrection, a |
reunion OF the spirit, and OF the feshly |
tabernacle come from tho grave. |
The resurr, elton by the Lord Is
Ihe only resurrection, and to 1t
lli who arc resurfected come. And ns
uIely as He was resuITeoted, 40 shall 1