The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1901-04-11
THE SABBATH SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR APRIL Ia.

Subject: Jesus Appears TO Mary, John
| xx.,11-1S Golden Text, Rev. j., IS
Memory Verses, 1915 - Commentary
on the Days Lesson.
II. "Mary." This was Mary Magdaen,
out of whom the Lord had cast seven dew
| lis The epithet "Magdalene," whatever
may be its meaning. seems chosen Tor the
express purpose of distinguishing her from
all other Marys. "Stood without" Peter
and John going ". l0) commends Mary's
staying. To the grave she came before
them; from the grave she went to tell
them; to the grave she returns with them;
at the grave she remains behind them
To stay while others stay is the worlds
love; to stay when all are gone is constant
love. Weeping. She had great love
for her Lord; He had done much for her.
'Stooped down" Because she was anx-
ious to see whether she might not, after
ALL be mistaken about the absence OF the
body She stopped because the top Of the
entrance was so low that she could not
otherwise obtain a near view OF the inside
of the tomb. 1.-THE sepulchre." The sep
ulchre seems to have been a square room
hewn out of rock, partly above ground,
its roof being as high as the top Of the
door, which formed its entrance.
H. "Two angels" Peter and John did
not see the angels. The angels presence
showed the Divine hand and care. They
were UllHlSJeEli2 bplIlGS W COlIilOib ChoSC
who were in such great sorrow and need.
and they gave explanation of what bad
been done. no one else being able. The
supposed discrepancies in the number of
angels seen is explained by Leasing. The
whole grave the whole region about the
grave was invisbly swarming with angels
There were not only two angels, but many
of them. Sometimes one appears and
sometimes another; at different places and
speaking different things. In white"
This was an emblem of purity. See Rev.
10: s.
10. "Why weepest thou?" Are YOU
quite sure that this empty tomb does not
Taken away my Lord While the other
women were terrified Mary seems to have
had no fear, so wholly was she taken up
with her great desire of finding her Lord
She was ready to brave more heroically
than ever all danger if only she might find
the One she loved
L. "Turned herself back" Still weep
ing she turned away from the angels She
turned to go again with the other women
to Jerusalem, who had already departed,
be out of the garden. Mary was so
absorbed in grief, and her eyes so dimmed
with tears that she failed to recognize
Christ; besides, she was not expecting to
see Jesus alive, as she had no conception
of His resurrection.
His first appearance He afterward APP
peared on this same day to the other wom-
en- returning from sepulchre Matt. IS: Q,
l0), to Peter duke "a: 3D. to two disci-
pies going to Emmanus luke "a: 1S-3D,
and to ten apostles; John 20; 1926.
6eent to rejoice instead Of to weep.
''Whom seekest thou" Heseeks to comfort
her in her great grief. The gardener"
And therefore a servant of Joseph of Ari-
mathea, who owned the tomb, and who,
of course, would be friendly. No other
early an hour. Have borne Him hence"
| Thinking that perhaps Joseph had or
dered His body taken to some other place.
| 81 will take Him away" She would see
| that it was done She would be RESPONSE
BILE for His removal to proper place: To
think think that stranger hands had cared tor
Him when she had brought spices for that
purpose was a bitter disappointment to
| her
49, MARY" Jesus stirred the affection
! OF the weeping woman at His side by ut
! tering her own name in tones that thrilled
her to the heart and created the new, sub
| lime conviction that He had risen as He
had said. What transports of joy must
have filled this woman's heart! Let it be
remarked that Mary sought Jesus more
fervently, and continued more affection
ately attached to Him than any of the
rest; therefore to her first Jesus is pleased
to show Himself, and she is made the first
herald of the gospel of risen Saviour.
"Rabbboni." My Master. "a whole
world of emotion and devotion in a word"
As Mary uttered the word she must haye
endeavored to fall down at the feet of her
Lord, embracing them.
II, Touch Me not. "Cling not to
Me- The translation touch Me not
gives false impression; the verb does not
mean to touch" but to ''hold on to" and
cling to-" Il am not yet assembled"
Mary appears to have held Him by the
feet, and worshiped Him Jesus says in
effect: Spend no longer time with Me
now; 1 am not going Immediately to
heaven; you will have several opportuni-
ties Of seeing Me again; but go and tell
My disciples that | am, by and by, to as
cend to My Father and God, who is your
Father and God ALSO therefore, let them
take courage. Do not rest your new faith
spiritual life soon to be ccnsummated
with the Father. Then | shall receive
your love, and we will resume our friend
ship. One touch through the Holy Ghost
is worth far more than any bodily pres
ence. To be satisfied with His being re-
presence as before was to lose sight of the
merits of His death Henceforth He must
be believed IN and worshiped as God, for
He was not to remain in natural body.
Go to My brethren. First servants,
then disciples, then friends; now, after
the resurrection, brethren. This involves
in itself eternal inheritance. Il ascend to
NV Father" l am clothing Myself with
My eternal form; have laid down My life
that might take it again, and use it for
the highest blessedness of My brethren:
My Father-your Father-My God and
your God" Father of Christ by nature
and of men by grace. His God only in
connection with us; our God only in con-
nection with Him. His eternal conscious
ness of the Fathers love digni6ed all His
human relations with the Father, and be-
came the true inspiration of all conscious
ness of God possessed by His disciples.
is. 'cMary told the disciples, An apos-
tie to the apostles. Mary was the first to
see Jesus and the first TO proclaim His
resurrection. This special message was
clearly given to the woman who held His
the apostles could not believe what she
said They seem to have considered it as
an effect of her troubled Imagination.
But they believed when they saw the
Lord