The Yale expositor., 1913-03-20
INTERNATIONAL
SUNlASCHO0L
LESSON
fBy r.. o. SELLERS. Director OF Evon
ing Department The Moody Bible In
stitute OF Chicago)
LESSON FOR MARCH %
THE EMPTY TOMB.
FsSON TEyT-Msr,, I6.,-1t

! been raised from the dead, The first fruits
! OF them that are asleep" / Cor. 1890.
Some teachers may prefer the study
J OF the lesson OF Israel and Rebekah.
Gen. %, but because of it's relative
: value and It's relation to the day we
celebrate we prefer 10 consider the
Easter lesson.
There are five main points In tho
evidence st. Mark presents to show
| US that Jesus was the True Son OF
! God, On tae testimony of John the
Baptiser, 1928; (2) the baptism of
Jesus. 1:9-11; (3) the TRANSPORTATION.
1928; (4) the testimony of the cen
turian at his cruciflXion, 1880, and
| (5) the testimony OF the resurrection
! OF Jesus. OF the ten different ap-
pearances Of our Lord. Mark records
four. (a) to Mary. 1s-9: (b) OH the
way 20 Emmaus, 1912, 13; (c) in the
upper room. 1871 and (d) the ascen-
/ sion, 1919.
Purchased Spices.
Today We are to consider the first
| Of these appearances. From a care
! ful reading. of this and the parallel
accounts it is evident that as soon AZ
the Sabbath day had closed and the
| shops were opened these friends OF
Jesus purchased spices that early the
! next morning they might annoint his
dead body. Matthew 2S;1 r. V. would
indicate a possible earlier visit on
Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath.
/. "ln the morning of the first day
of the week" w. 1-9. Starting while
1t was yet dark (John 20:D these
faithful friends hurried on their way
to the tomb. II was Mary Magdalene
who first reached the tomb, Matt.
! 2S:1, John 20:l. she who had received
much (Lrko S:2) loved much. Nor
was 1t the Virgin Mary that had the
privilege Of first beholdipg him ". 81.
! It vas the love OF these women ". j.
! that brought them TO the tomb OF him,
/ (which should have redeemed Israel
Uuke 24:2D. That all the followers
were shaken IN faith the records clear
! ly suggest, yet love remained, hence
! this desire to annoint his body. This
service though unnecessary Matt.
! 1921, 20:i9l was, however, rewarded
by the revelation OF the angelic mes.
sengers.
Serious Question Raised.
Pursuing their way a very Serious
| question was raised ". 81, but God
: had already removed the difficulty (v,
d, so, too, II we will but be looking
up" ". r. W, God will give us all
necessary knowledge, GAS. 1:5), and
will enable us to overcome all difficult
ties. The empty tomb Is the standing
rebuke for all skeptics. II he be not
risen let his enemies tell us where
and what became of his body. The
true basis of Christianity is In the
! risen Christ, see | Cor. 15:1-1S.
Had the friends pondered well the
words Of Christ they would not have
wasted their time and money seeking
to annoint a dead body. That was the
reason why they did not know and
| that is why wo do not know many
things we ought to know about our
! Lord, It Is noticeable that none OF
! the men were at the tomb.
Entering the tomb they found. moi
his body, but a young man, and later
two in dazzling apparel Uuke 23:D
stood beside them. When Mary re-
turned from the city, having told the
news. the two angels were sitting one
at the head and enc a. the feet OF
where the body had lain. John notes
that the disciples found the napkin
! which had bound his head lying fold
ed in its original folds in place by
itself John 20:O.
In the midst cf all their perplexity
as to what had become of the body oi
him whom they loved they failed to
recall his words (Luke 9:22) and
hence could offer no solution Of the
difficulty But the God OF mercy sup
piled their need (Phil. 4:19) and
hence the glad triumphant message
of the angel, He is risen; he is not
here; behold the place where they
(enemies and friends) laid him. v. s.
CT Matt. 1876. Then, as though to
make their knowledge of service TO
others, he commands them to go and
tell the disciples "and Peter" and that
they are no mere to look for him
there for Gle goeth before you into
Galilee," V. 7.
II. "And they went out quickly"
w. s-11. 1t Is well to reverence holy
places and TO remember sacred asso'
Citations, but God is spirit and can
not be localized. OF course the
women would like to dwell at that
place in meditation, but having had
revealed to them the fact, their duty
was to publish it abroad. A definite
knowledge imposes a definite obliga.
ton of testimony.
Out of death came forth life. The
seeming defeat of Jesus was the
prelude TO the worlds greatest vic.
tory-its most astounding miracle.
Living unto self means claiming your.
self for yourself. Living unto him
means that in your mind your spirit,
your body, you show forth the risen.
victorious, triumphant life.
This Easter day is the day of ali
days to remember such words cs
these: