The Green Forest tribune., 1913-03-21
Serious Question Raised.


 Pursuing their way a very serious question was raised (v. 3, but God had already removed the difficulty (v, A. so, too, if we will but be looking up" (v. R. VI, God will give us all necessary knowledge, (Jas. 1:5), and will enable us to overcome all difficult ties. The empty tomb is the standing rebuke for all skeptics If 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 I 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 dead body. That was the reason why they did not know and that is why We do not know many things we ought to know about our Lord. It is noticeable that none of the men were at the tomb and when they were told that the Lord had risen they refused to believe an idle tale'-see Luke 24:10, II. It Is in this evidence of the depth and genu- ineness of love that was willing to serve Jesus at the time when nothing more was expected of him that causes their conduct to appear in such bet ter light than that of the men. Few people today would arise so early for the Christ. Before going to the tomb today the probabilities are we would appoint committee of investigation, and have a survey, thereby preparing ourselves in a practical way for the difficulty they encountered. It is this cold, practical, calculating spirit that so often flinders the church of Jesus Christ. It was serious difficulty; all the precautions that Jewish and Ro- man authority could invent had been taken to guard against his followers, but God had intervened (Rom. S:3O. It was not necessary to roll away the stone for Jesus to escape (John 20;26), but rather that his followers might get sight of the empty tomb.
 Entering the tomb they found, not his body, but young man, and later two in dazzling apparel Uuke 23:4) stood beside them. When Mary re- turned from the city, having told the news. the two angels were sitting one at the head and one at 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 a place by itself (John 20:D.
 In the midst of all their perplexity as to what had become of the body of 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., 6. Of. Matt. 2S:6. Then, as though to make their knowledge of service to others, he commands them to go and tell the disciples land Peter" and that they are no more to look for him there for "He goeth before you into Galilee," V. '.
 II. "And they went out quickly" w. 8-f1. It 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 1t abroad. A definite knowledge imposes a definite obligar tion of testimony. There Is a won- derful wealth of tenderness in the two words land Peter" He. the leader of the apostles, but also he who had de- riod How thoss rhtful how unar~epnl