The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-06-17
Mark 16: ILL

times twice TO women MARY and
other women) and twice to men
| (Peter and the two on the way
to Emmaus); and after nightfall
he made his first appearance to
the apostolic company, ten being
assembled in secret session. The
next Sunday evening he appeared
again to the Apostles, Thomas be-
ing present. 1t was probably to
seven Apostles by the Sea OF
Galilee and to five hundred dis
ciples including the eleven Apos-
ties on the mountain in Galllee.
/ Thursday, May Is, may have
been the day of the Lords last
appearance to the Apostles at
Jerusalem and of his ascension
from the Mount of Olives.
THE EMPTY SEPULCHRE
/ First to find the tomb empty
was a famous group Of godly
women. 1t is significant of wo.
I mans devotion to the cause OF
Christ that several pious women
figured in the thrilling scenes
! connected with his death and re-
surrection.. They were last at
/ the cross and they were first to
reach the empty sepulchre. Dur
ing their visit they passed through
five stages of experiences.
The first was sorrow. With
sad hearts they had turned away
from the tomb on Friday after
noon. The sabbath was the most
fearful they had ever known.
, Yet where else can they go but
back again to the city of the
dead, there to let their hearts
bleed in unrestrained anguish?
Besides, the preparation of the
body for burial was hasty and
incomplete. With their own
hands they must make the last
touches of affection for him who
was gone. So they brought spic-
es as the dawn-streaks appeared
on the horizon Sunday morning.
The second stage was perplex-
ity. Perhaps some of them came
to the tomb the evening before;
saw the guard stationed and the
tomb sealed, and then returned.
What was their amazement now
to find the guard gone, the seal
broken, the stone rolled away,
the sepulchre emptied of its
dead. There could be no mistake
as to the place, for they had
marked it well. With holy bold
ness they went into the sepuI-
chre. But he whom they sought
was not there.
The third was fright. 1t was
a solemn and awful scene. The
grave clothes were lying in
place. The devoted women were
crowding into the narrow vault
ir the dim twilight of the morn
ing and there was the white
ROBBED angel sitting within the
sepulchre. No wonder they were
affrighted. But their fright was
temporary and made way for the
happier feeling to follow.
! The fourth stage was remem-
brance. In reassuring tone the
women were reminded that what
they now witnessed was in full
filment of the repeated prophe-
cies of their Lord. Those solemn
! words called out of the past by
angelic tongue, flashed like a
sunbeam into their darkness.
| Then their faith laid aside it's
crepe, brushed off the tears and
took hold upon a risen, living
Lord.
The last stage was proclama-
ton. Such news could not be
/ kept nor such a faith concealed.
The disciples and the world must
know what has become of the
Crucified. So the first advocates
: Of the resurrection were held in
the highest esteem among the
disciples for their ardent piety
and absolute integrity. Better
ministers and sweeter gospel the
world had not heard before.
JESUS ROSE FROM THE
DEAD AND LIVES TO-DAY
! az Jesus Died. The actual
death of Jesus is asserted in the
Gospels. His suffering was suf-
ficient to produce it. The spear
thrust demonstrated it.
(2) Jesus Buried. Two mem
bers Of the Sanhedrin provided
for and officiated at the burial:
Faithful women attended and
marked the hallowed spot.
(3) Jesus Guarded. The de-
tachment of Roman soldiers was
stationed before the sealed sepul-
cher, which, to their certain
knowledge, contained the body of
Jesus and no other.
ca Jesus Risen. Very early
on Sunday morning came the
awful earthquake, the mighty
angel, and the glorious resurrec-
tion-the best attested fact in
all history.
(5) Jesus Absent. How the
hearts of those godly women
ached that morning when they
found not the dead body of the
Master, But the. absent Jesus
was nearer than they thought!
CO. Jesus Accounted for. An
gel voices told the glad news of
the risen Christ. He was not
dead. His body had not been
stolen. He would meet his dis
ciples in Galilee.
| CD Jesus Seen. The empty
tomb was good evidence of the
resurrection. But the 10 or II
appearances of Jesus were even
more convincing.
| (8) Jesus Proclaimed. The good
woman who first saw the risen
Christ was authorized to spread
the GOOD news of the resurrection.