Gunnison news-champion., 1924-04-11

As1 vhsa the oabAasA vAs pase.
AAsy 0a01alene. aal laaSy The mother
ef JAoss. aa1 0alens. haA beeught
svsst e1as:ss that sAsy aisAe eeas
sI - n..ss..a s.s,s. a,a .s.s 49, xs 81 ss;ss .s
= rissa: Ne y not here: nsAss1 sns
elaes vhsss thsy lail Ma--AAsk
le:l. q
HI Sabbath cane and went
ever tAs gFavo ef IT, Lsed-
Stleocs reignsd In Jesspa'D
S Oar6sa. breksa ely ~ -
oalle1 osasjsels VITO chat
I'D end laughed ~ tho
sssleA sspslehsF. We Do not know
what IL dlseiples aid - tAs Habbaeh
day. Probably thsy spent the day b
eiess retirsmsat n soms uppee roso-
Their thoughts were nailed t. that
Cross on Calvary. and their splrits
were under the heavy pail e that tras-
edy ef Good Friday.
We can nsver u1dssstaad tAs utter
misery aad deso,atioa ee these heurs
bstween Chrtst's death and His Rssur.
rectioo. Our faith rsstD a shs csn-
turies: and when we rad q the Cru
cinxioa We have In mind the gieey q
Easter mernins. But to the disciples.
all their hepss had beea shattered, all
their plans frustrated. and Ill their
love buried In Jossph's tomb. A resuf-
rsction did not enter Into their
thoughts At all. and therefore their
testimony 70 the mere valuable. Trua,
they had heard Jesus say that He
would rise again. but they had inter
preted that In q sort Of future and
symbolic sense.
Before dawn, the women msntionsd
In our text. perhaps with some others.
started for the sepulcher bearing their
spices and ointments with which they
expected TO finish the embalming Of
the pleased body Of their Lord. A
resurrection had NO place II their
thoughts. They came to minister to
the dead. not to greet the living. Their
one great concern was: Who would
help them to roll away the stone which
sealed the tsmb. and which was too
great for their united strengthf Al
they draw near they 80 that the stone
10 rolled away, and 20 little did they
think OF Q resurrection, that The open
tomb brought them only psrplsxity and
grief.
The Gospels were not written for the
curious. but for the dsvout. They are
most silent therefore, where myth and
legend would be most garrulous. Here
We are told nothing Of the wondrous
RsourTectiou. Did He awake alonel
Or was He attended By the helrarchy
Of heavenf We are told only what
concerns mankind. viz. the sufficient
manifestation Of Jesus to His people
Of His Resurrection.
We can reconstruct something Of the
events Of that first Easter morning
from the Gospel accounts. First the
women come and find the tomb empty.
Mary MagdaIene Immediately runs
back to the city and tells Peter and
John about 1t. They rush out to the
garden Of Joseph. John. the younger
man, taking the lead. The women
have left. Peter enters the tomb and
sees the linen clothes which had GOV.
cred the body of Jesus, and there
begins to dawn upon them something
Of the meaning Of the words Of Jesus,
'On the third day shall rise again"
Mary comes hack and Peter and
John have gone. and no one II there
to explain what has taken place; 70
she stands BY the sepulcher and pours
out her distrsss in tears.
Now comes the first revelation Of
the risen Christ. MARY" He says, Ia
the wsil-known voice Of love and ten.
derness, and in q moment all her sor-
row II turned into Joy. 1t is always
- when the risen Christ comes into
. life. The living Christ II the worlds
great joy-bringer. without Him. our
thoughts can only b thoughts of
death. With Him We enter into the
conception Of the larger life. Of which
TINS IL only the outer court.
Life! Deathl They seem to be the
very antipodes Of thought. We have
come to look upon them a. mutually
exclusive. bat Jesus has taught %
that out Of life death is to ariss.
TIE RssuTectioo oe Jesus y The
anchor Of our Christian faith. We live
In . day when men seek positive
grounds Of thought and actisa. and the
snduFing power Of the Resurrection y
not Z sentiment but . fact. 4 senti-
msnt has tts day. Phases Of mere
feeling pass rapidly over the genera
tioas Of men. like clouds over our
heads, but the fact Of the Risen Christ
rsmains. In the strength of that Ger.
tainty Paul went forth to his great
lsbors- In the strength Of
that. Peter went unafraid to his own
crucinxion. In the strength Of that
ths soldiers Of Christ In al ages have
stood fast In the faith, quit themselves
like men. and endured unto the end.
The Easter Gospel ID the Gospel Of
all comfort. IF CArist be not rissn
then = our preaching vain, and your
faith . also vain" SO says St. Paul,
and then comes his triumphal shout Of
certainty: .But now u Christ risen
fReeva the AnAH and 1Snsnsva~ cha 0eaf.