Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1899-06-08

coOoatu VI tuS~year, FOLLOWING tue pass
over, So there was hurried preparation
for the <entombment Joseph of Arima-
thee and Nicodemus, two men OF high
Standing who were more or less in sympa-
thy with the cause of Jesus, as we learn
elsewhere, provided the necessary mate
rails and the tomb. The latter, in Jo-
seph's garden, near the place Of crucifx-
ion, was probably one OF the numerous
caves in the limestone, built up with ma
sonry. As Gilbert says, 1T Is remarkable
that no one Of the eleven disciples, not
even John, had any part IN the burial of
Jesus. 1t may be that John had gone to
take Mary to his home, and so was absent
when the body of Jesus was buried. OF
the other ten apostles, no one as far as the
record goes witnessed the crucifxion."
The care taken by ecclesiastical and civil
authorities to prevent tampering with the
sepulcher should be noted, because it adds
to the strength of the evidence for the
resurrection. See Matt. p: 62-66. The
sealing of the entrance made it absolutely
certain that the ;tombfwas not opened by
any human hand, since the guard was also
there to apprehend any suspicious person.
This sealing was done on the Sabbath, the
day after the burial, and this explains why
the women knew nothing of it, and feared
only the labor of rolling away Of the stone
as an obstacle to entrance when they came
on Sunday morning.
The gospels do not tell us when or how
Jesus left the sepulcher. That is some
thing beyond human words to picture. He
is left in the tomb, the tomb is sealed and
guarded, and then when the women came
very early on the morning Of the first day
of the week, he is gone. An invented mar
rative would have been likely to furnish
an elaborate description of that which in
tervened.
The order of the several appearances of
Jesus during the first day Of the week
is not entirely certain, nor is it especially
important. These appearances, however,
were about as follows: 1. To the three
women-Mary the mother of James, Sa-
lone and Jeanns-as they were leaving
the tomb Matt. %: 0, 10). 2. To Mary
Magdalene, after she had returned from
telling Peter and John, and after they
had run to the tomb and left it again. 3.
To two disciples on the way to Emmaus.
4. To Peter alone Q4uke "a: "a, i Cor.
10: 8. 5. To the eleven, in room with
closed doors, the evening of Sunday. There
were several later appearances, as that
on the following Sunday, when Thomas
was present John 20: 26); to seven dis
ciples by the sea Of Galilee John 2I; to
more than 500 disciples, in Galilee (com-
pare Matt. %: 1920 and Cor. 15 81:
on the Mount of Olives, at the time of the
Ascension. Paul mentions an appearance
to James; and there may have been 9TH
ers.
Explanatory.
This appearance of Jesus, to Mary Mag
dalene, occurred early in the morning. If
the women first came while it was still
dark, we must allow time for their discov-
cry and for Mary to find Peter and John
somewhere in the city, perhaps only few
minutes walk from the sepulcher, and for
their return. So that it was still perhaps
not later than q or half-past q o'clock
Mary knew only that her Lord was
gone. The angels did not quiet her fears.
She had had nothing 10 do with angels,
and she wanted to behold the familiar face
of her Master.
Mary was standing before the low en-
trance to the tomb, STOPPING to examine
its interior; and when she turned about
Jesus stood close by her. Some reasons
why she did not recognize him at first are
eyes dimmed with tears. 2. Her mind
was occupied and excited with other
thoughts. 3. She was not at all Expecting
to see him alive. 4. His garments certain
" must have been changed as the soldiers
had those he was accustomed TO wear. ).
She may not have looked up to his face.
6. The long agony on the cross must have
made some difference in his appearance"
cinp i'm IN hn 90 r1n ny
because of the early hour, she thought no
stranger would probably be there. There
is something pathetic in her confusion
and sadness while the Savior stands be-
fore her. Sorrow is sometimes so blind
that the sight of the Lord himself is
missed.
That in verse 10 is the picture that we
can perhaps imagine most wildly Of all
these appearances of the risen Christ, I'M
less it be the one few hours earlier on
the same afternoon, during the walk to
Emmaus. 1t was doubtless low upper
room; not impossibiy the same room
where they had assembled to eat the pass
over three evenings earlier. The doors
were shut, for the disciples knew that
tempest would arise as soon as the disap-
pearance of the body of Jesus became gen.
that the doors were locked. The eleven
were there, and some others. The dim
light of lamp fell on faces full of anx-
iety and wonder, az they talked over the
strange events of the day. Then there en-
tered Cleophas and his companion from
Emmaus, and added their story. What the
conversation was we can only guess. Some
doubtless began to believe that this was
not mere ghost they had seen, but Jesus
himself. Others had other explanations.
Suddenly, while they spoke, perhaps with
their backs TO the door, the Lord stood
among them, with his courteous Good
evening'-for that is the meaning, Of the
phrase, peace be unto you," the ordi-
nary greeting even now among Arabs and
Syrians. Luke tells us that they were
terrified, and supposed that they beheld
a spirit; that as he showed them his hands
and feet, with the wounds still visible, he
added "a spirit hath not flesh and bones,
as We behold me having;r and that he
asked for food and ate piece Of fish.
In the next lesson, "The New Life in
Christ" we have some of the lessons of
the resurrection.