Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-03-22
5nternatiunal gessoll.
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON XIII, FIRST QUARTER, inter-
NATIONAL SERIES, MARCH 80.


John xi, 2J-Commentary Prepared
by Rev. d. Nj. stenrns.
lCopyright, 1902, by American Press Assoc'ati0n'I
1, 2. "They have taken away the Lofo
out Of the sepulcher and we kno" NOT
where they have laid Him." These were
the words of Mary Magdalene to Peter
and John on her return from the sepul-
cher early on the morning of the resur-
rection day. AS all the lessons "t the
quarter have shown us the power and DO
ines of the risen and ascended Christ, 1t
is not umiss ON this review day. which
happens to be Easter, to consider agalI
specially His resurrection. We see III
these women, as in the apostles, true pe-
levers in and followers Of the Lord Jesus.
with life and the future ail dark to them
because they knew not the resurrection,
and they knew not because they believed
not. In the lessons OF the quarter we
have seen thousands upon thousands of
men and women made new creatures IN
the power of His resurrection. we necd
TO be often reminded that If Christ be not
risen all preaching is vain and none has
becn saved or ever will be, but Christ
being raised up from the dead and having
all power in heaven and earth every pur-
nose of the Lord shall be performed II
Cor. XIV, 12-2S).
3-5. The two disciples ran because OF
Mary's message. and John. THO deetest OF
the two, arriving first, stopped down ana
looked in and saw the linen clothes lying,
but he did not go in. 1t may have seemed
to him too sacred thing to step INTO
such q place. or it may be that he feared
he might see the precious body. desecrat-
ed, lying elsewhere in the tomb. we can
not know fully his thoughts and feelings
until he shall some day tell US himself,
but this we surely know, that If he mad
believed his Lords words be would not
have been surprised 10 find an empty
tomb, but might rather have joyfully ex'
claimed, HE is risen!
6-S. Peter, more impulsive, when he
comes, goes right into the sepulcher,
then John follows, and they both see the
linen clothes lying and the napkin that
was about His head wrapped together IN
place by itself and they believed Mary's
testimony that the body was not in the
tomb, but beyond that, as to what had
become of the body. they were wholly IN
the dark. as the verses following TESTIFY.
8. For as yet they knew not the Scrip
ture, that He must rise again from the
dead" Besides His own oft repeated
words they might. with anointed eyes.
have seen His resurrection in Ps. xvi, lO;
lisa. XVI. 10: lii. 10; Hos. vi, 2. or at
least q strong suggestion Of it. but their
hearts were set upon kingdom which.
according to their way of thinking. was
to be established there and then, and be-
ing filled with their own thoughts they
had no place for His thoughts and pur-
poses.
10, II. The disciples went to their own
home, but Mary remained at the sepul-
cher weeping. Luke says that Peter de-
parted wondering in himself at that which
was come to pass Luke xiv. ~. not
believing that Christ was risen. but be-
lieving simply that His body was not in
the tomb and wondering what had be-
come Of it and what it all meant. We
are reminded by the disciples and Mary
of q time when every man went to his
own home. Jesus went unto the Mount
of Olives" John vii. So: viii, u. Did
you ever see a precious body laid away
from your sight. and the friends and rela-
tives all went to their homes, but you,
having left that which was the house in
which the one who was dearer to you
than life had lived in the tomb. felt that
you no longer had what could be called
home? If so, you can sympathize with
Mary.
12, IS. "Noman. why weepest thou"
Thus spake the angels to her, and she an
swers in about the same words she had
used to Peter and John. Words seem idle
when there is this aching void in the
heart unless they come from those who
can truly sympathize. who have them
selves experienced our sorrow.
II, Is. "Woman, why weepest thou?'
This time the words are from Jesus Him.
self, and they mean more, for He can be
touched with feeling Of our infrmities
(Heb. iv, Is, 16). 1t would seem that as
Mary faced the angels and they spoke to
her she must have seen them looking at
some one behind her, and as she turned
to see whom or what they were looking at
she, supposing she saw the gardener,
speaks to him Of the body she cannot find.
l imagine her talking to Him whom she
so loved and not knowing Him, but see
also chapter xxi, 4. and remember the
two who walked to Emmaus with Him
and knew Him not till they saw His
hands as He broke bread in the house.
How grief and unbelief do blind us and
how much sorrow we might escape il we
would only believe God!
16. "Maryw Master" What heav-
enly "multum in parvo" Just one word
from each, but heart meets heart In those
two words. The heart broken is comfort
ed; the Father Of mercies and God Of all
comfort has spoken. Whether it be as
Frederic Whitfield says. the sorrowing,
broken hearted Mary. or the tried and ter
rifed disciples in the upper room, or
doubling Thomas, or the weary, disap-
pointed toilers on the lake. as Jesus shows
Himself, the risen Christ, to each all is
made right, and the all sufficiency Of
Christ for every state Of mans heart is
made manifest. The heart of man needs
only to see Jesus. Let Him present Him
self and all will be well, and the heart
will be filed with joy and gladness and
repose quietly in Him.
II. 81 ascend unto my Father and your
Father, and to my God and your God"
The question is often asked, Why did our
Lord not allow Mary to touch Him when
just little later the same morning He
allowed the other women to hold Him by
the feet and worship Him? tMatt. xviii.
81 Why not be content with the Lords
own reason. For l am not yet ascended
to My Father?" The inference is plain
and easy that before the other women
met Him He had ascended to His Father
and returned. During the forty days He
evidently ascended and returned many
times before the visible ascension, since