The Washington herald., 1913-03-23
CHRISTIANITY RESTS UPON
FACT OF RESURRECTION
Religion Has as Its Foundation Undisputed Testimony
that Miracles Occurred Disciples as Much
Astonished as Anyone.

AStOnlSIlcu
The pivotal fact on which the whole
Christian religion turns is the Resurrec-
tion. Upon this miracle Of miracles the
faith may be said to rest.
We knew that Jesus did return to the
earth alive-that he rose from the tomb.
In which his body had been placed after
the resurrection. and made himself mani
fest, in the. flesh, to his disciples.
1t is the great fact in Christian nifty. We
deem IL to have been proved beyond the
peradventure Of doubt.
Hence the curious interest attaching 10
the statement of a devout' and erudite
clergyman, the Rev. DIR. Charles +.
Aiken. who now comes forward and
claims to be able to show conclusively.
by citations from the Scriptures. that the
disciples themselves were at first indis-
posed to put their own faith IN the resur-
rection Of the Master.
Says DIR. Aiken: THE accounts given
in the Scriptures clearly show that the
followers of Jesus did not expect Him to
come back. They thought He had gone
from them forever; and. when told that
He had returned, they did not believe it.
One should realize that, when Jesus
had died on the cross. the disciples were
overwhelmed by grief and dismay. They
had had no expectation of any such tragic
denouement. On the contrary, they had
believed that their Messiah was destined
to live forever-that He could not possibly
die. Although He had told them of His
approaching death. and that. He would
return to life on the third day thereafter.
they do not seem to have given heed to
His utterances on this point
Dazed by the catastrophe. they scat
tered. seeking refuge IN their humble
places of abode-their chief anxiety for
the moment being lest their Jewish perse-
cutors would seek them out and drag
them forth to punishment. They had
seen their Master suffer the ignominious
death of a malefactor; how likely It was
that they themselves would encounter a
similar fate!
Absent from Scene.
II they had expected the resurrection
Of Jesus. the prospect Of such a happen
ing would have been the one absorbing
idea and theme Of conversation among
them on the days Immediately following
the crucif1xion. But, so far was this from
being the case that. on the very morning
when the miracle came to pass, they were
absent from the scene. And Peter and
John, even when informed that the tomb
was empty, were incredulous Of the tale.
They did not believe 1t until. running
eagerly and looking into the sepulcher.
they saw that the body was gone. only
the linen cloths remaining. in which II
had been wrapped.
Even In the Apostolic circle incredulity
on the subject was SO general that scarce
anybody would believe the report of an
other. The Apostles did not believe the
women who said they saw Jesus at the
sepulcher Guke 4:1D; nor did they be-
lieve Mary Magdalen MARK IS: ID; nor
did they believe the report of the two
disciples who went to Emmaus mark
1s 80: nor did Thomas believe the testi-
mony of ali the rest John, 20: 25). "The
other disciples said unto him, We have
seen the Lord But he said unto them.
Except I shall see in his hand the print
Of the nails. and put my finger into the
print OF the nails. and thrust my hand
into his side. will not believe
Some were incredulous of what they
themselves had beheld with their own
eyes. The women according to Mark
who went to the sepulcher and saw the
angels did not believe. Entering into
the sepulcher. they saw a young man sit
ting on the right side, clothed in a long
white garment, and they were affrighted.
And he saith unto them: Be net af-
frighted. Ye seek Jesus OF Nazareth.
which was crucified. He is risen: He is
not here And they went out quickly.
and ned from the sepulcher: neither said
anything to any man. for they were
afraid"
Taken for Ghost.
II is manifest that the women who (ac-
cording to Luke saw Jesus at the Sc
xoal Isv,,f to- -f1e Tt,A
ties. when He appeared 10 them. had the
same impression: and the Master was at
much pains to prove to them, by walking
with Them, by talking with them, and
by eating with them. that He was not a
disembodied spirit. but corporeal.
Even at the Sea OF Galilee. more than
week later, seven Of the Apostles there
assembled CJohn q: and II. did not at
once recognize Him, and their first emo
ton after recognition was that of fear.
Even to the last the disciples generally
standing Of the object OF His return. On
the day OF the Ascension one OF them
asked Him: ''Dost thou at this time re-
store the kingdom Of Israel?'
Nevertheless. when Christ had departed
from them, the object and significance
OF His resurrection became apparent to
them. It inspired their hearts with the
faith which was destined to reconstruct
the world. morally and spiritually. Incl
dentaliy, II transformed Saul. the en-
bittered and prosecuting Pharisee. into
Paul the preacher Of the Word. when the
Saviour whom he had supposed slain ap-
peared to him alive.
The Rev. Or. Aiken says: ''of the fact
that Jesus was dead there was most am
pie testimony. John. whom He so dearly
loved, and who was himself an eye
witness OF the crucihxion, tells how SOL
diers came to break the legs Of the three
who had been crucified. in order mercf-
fully to hasten their death. They did
break the legs Of the two thieves. but not
those Of Christ, because he was already
dead. To make sure, one Of the soldiers
thrust q spear into His side, and blood
and water gushed OUT (John 10: 37-sl)
The writer's Of all four Gospels relate
that Joseph Of Arimathea, a wealthy dis
ciple. got permission from PLATE to take
down the body. and laid II in a tomb
which had been freshly hewn out Of solid
rock. Then stone Of great size was
rolled up against the entrance. to close II.
According to John u9: $40. the body.
before 1t was laid in the tomb. was en-
balmed. in obedience to Jewish custom.
by wrapping II in linen with 100 pounds
OF myrrh and aloes. 1t Is urged by some
Bible students that John must have been
mistaken on this point. because Mark
and Luke say that. on the morning OF
the resurrection, women came with spices
to the sepulcher. to do the embalming.
And II was they who on this occasion
found the body gone: This was on Sun
day morning.
watch on Sepulcher.