The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1910-03-24
The
Sunday School
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM.
MENTS BOR MARCH %.
Subject: Easter-The Empty Tomb,
Mark 16:1-S-Commit
Verses O, =.

GOLDEN TEXT am He that
liyeth. and was dead; and, behold,
am alive forever more" Rev. 1:1S.
TIME.-Sunday, April 8, A. D. 80.
PLACE.-Jerusalem.
EXPOSITION.-I.S Saturday Night,
Y. 4. The Jewish Sabbath ended Sat
urday at sunset. AS soon as the day
was over the shops opened, and Mary
Magdalene and her friends bought
spices that they might come at early
break of day the next morning to the
tomb with the spices they had pre-
pared and anoint the dead body of
Jesus. 1t seems from Matthew's ac-
count that they also made q brief
visit to the tomb on Saturday night
Matt. 2S:1, r. W.
III. Early Sunday Morning, 2-S.
They started for the tomb while it
was yet dark (John 20:D. Mary
hurried on little way ahead of the
other women and reached the tomb
before the sun had risen (John 20:
-. The sun had risen before the
other women had reached the tomb at
early dawn mark 1872; Luke 14:D.
The love Of these women for their
Lord, whom they fancied dead,
brought them thus early to His sepul-
chre to perform for Him the last ser
vices that lay in their power. Part Of
their faith was gone. but all their
love remained. Jesus did not need
amounting, and they ought to have
known it Matt. 1921; 20:19). But
their service, though mistaken, was
acceptable to Jesus, and He rewarded
1t by revelation of a glorious truth
by angelic messengers. Mary Of Beth
any was the one who was on time
with her amounting (ch. 26:6-1S),
and she was not in this company. The
reason why they did not know that
He had left the sepulchre was that
they had not listened to and pom
dered His own words. This is also
the reason why we do not know many
things about our Lord that we ought
to know. None of the men were at
the tomb. 1t was not their superior
knowledge but their inferior love that
kept them away. They were at home
mourning and weeping, and when
they were told that the Lord had ris-
en- they did not believe it (Luke "a:
10, IL; Mark 1910, 11). The wom-
en- appeared in better light than the
men in this story. Mary Magdalene
was the leader of the women (cf.
Matt. 2S:D. She had so much done
| for her duke S:2) that she became
the leader in love and in these minis
and unselfishness of the love of these
women is seen in their going to serve
Jesus at the time when their faith
was blighted and they had nothing
more to expect from Him Il Cor. 13:
8, r. W. The eagerness of their
love is seen in the early hour that
found them at the tomb. Few people
get up at such en- early hour to per-
form service for Christ. AS they
drew nigh to the tomb they recalled
the great stone at it's mouth and won
dered who would roll it away for
them ". 81. II they had been more
practical they might have thought
or that before. But the practical,
cool headed. common sense that fore
sees all difficulties, and therefore sits
down and does nothing, does not ac-
complish as much in this world as the
uncalculating, impetuous love that
follows its own impulses and plunges
ahead and risks the difficulties. The
difficulty in this case was great w. 4;
Matt. 27:66), but they went right on.
and when they had reached the place
the difficulty was gone. God sent His
own messenger to open the door for
them (Matt. 2S:2; CT. Acts 1910.
All the precautions the Jews and Ro-
mans had taken to keep the disciples
oGN VI tuc prove vain men NIOQ
took hand in the matter (cf. Rom.
S:3D. God did not roll away the
stone for Jesus to get out (cf. John
2O:2G), but for the women to get in.
There is good reason for supposing
that Jesus had been out for some
hours, that He arose and left the tomb
just at the beginning of the first day
of the week, that is, at sunset Satur-
day evening. That would make just
three days and three nights in the
: tomb "wednesday night and Thurs
day, the yearly Passover Sabbath;
Thursday and Friday, the prepara-
! tion for the weekly Sabbath; Friday
! night and Saturday, the weekly Sab
bath). They did not find what they
expected in the tomb. the body of the
Lord Jesus was not there (Luke "a:
b. On entering the tomb they saw a
| young man sitting on the right side
| arrayed in white robe. Later two
/ men stood by them in dazzling appar-
! ell duke 23:4. When Mary returned
! to the tomb from the city, the two
! angels were sitting. one at the head
/ and one at the feet. where the body
| of Jesus had lain John 2O:12). The
women were overwhelmed with per-
| plexity. II they had not forgotten
/ Jesus words. the true solution would
/ have occurred to them at once. The
angel soon gives 1t in one OF the glad
| dest messages this old world ever
! heard, He is risen. He Is not here"
He then bids them see for themselves
| and then go and tell others. Definite
| experience must prccede effective tes-
timony. The women might naturally
have wished to linger. around the sep
ulchre where the Lords body had 40
recently rested, and where so great q
wonder had been enacted. but they
were to go tand so quicl:ly) and tell
| Others (cf. Matt. 2S:O. There Is a
wonderful touch of fenderness in the