THE EMPTY TOME. Easter Lesson. Mark XVI:1-18, OUTLINE.
Their compensation was to bear the image of the King. Hp (b) Command of the King. Their lives were to be regulated by the laws of the Kingdom. Those laws were exacting, and called for absolute sur- t render of self and the perfecting of love in their hearts. , (e) Concerning Righteousness. The inward life was to correspond with the J outward; the motive which controlled 1 them was to be right, they were to deal with God in the closet and look for the outward manifestation of the answer. , , (d) A Childlike Trust. They were " to be as carefree as the birds. The King .was to have the first place in their heart's affections, and His glory t to be their chief aim. Their treasure yf was to be kept in the King's vault: ' they were to be: (e) Considerate of Others; just in judgment; recognize their own frailties, fcrj? sins and shortcoming; not to be occu- pied with the misdemeanors of others, but to seek to put themselves in the place of others. ( f) A Contrast in Discipleship. True fololwers were to be known by their 1. adherence to the known will of the King. I t was not be lip service ( ' ' Lord, Lo r d " ), but life service: the. marks of His hands and His feet would be upon them and he would be saying, "Come, ye blessed of My F a t h e r ," to them. 4. THE POWER OP THE KING. His Word was authenticated by His \ works. The proof that His profession 7 to be the Messiah was true was found in His power over all things. (a) He Carried their Burdens. The leper could be cured, the palsied raised, w the fever driven out because He bore the burden and suffered the death pen- i alty occasioned by sin that He might carry them all away, tfl (b) He controlled the elements and conquered the evil one. Winds and waves obeyed His voice and demons did His bidding. He challenged the faith of His disciples and the f u ry of the devil. (c) The Climax of Power. He for- gave sin and furnished the proof of it to the questioning Scribes by command- ing the paralytic to carry his bed. God had anointed Him and He went about, doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil, for God was with Him (Acts X:38). t
1. The Worthy Women. 2. The Wonder Wrought. 3. The Witness in White. 4. The Wonderful Word. 1. The Women. " T h ey came to the sepulcher.'' The women who had lingered last at the cross, waited until the sun had set upon Saturday night (the Jewish Sab- bath ending at sunset). They procured the spices for the anointing of the body of their loved One and tarried until the dawning of the morn. Before the sun shone, they were at the tomb (Jno. XX :1. Mary was the first to ar- rive; the others following later (Mk. XVI:2; Luke I X : 1 ): Mary Magdalene, out of whom He has cast the seven spirits; Mary, the mother of James the less, and Salome, the mother of James and John, wife of Zebedee. Mary of Bethany had anointed Him previously and was not with them (Matt. XXVI: 6-18). These women were devoted to the Lord: their hearts were full of love, but were slow to believe all that was written and that He had spoken (Matt. XXIV:25). 2. The Wonder Wrought. " T h e stone was rolled a w a y ." Love and fear swayed these good women. They wondered how they would remove the great stone that the Jewish rulers had sealed at the entrance of the tomb. They knew that they could not, yet on they went with their mate- rial for the embalming. Who shall roll away the stone? This was the absorbing question, but God had anticipated them—He always does. The stone was removed by the Angel of the Lord, who used it for a seat (Matt. XXV j l I : 2 ). The keepers had been filled with fear and were as dead men. How much of time is lost in an- ticipating obstacles which God removes before we reach them. The door had been opened for the King to come forth (Luke XXIV:3). Death could not hold Him (Acts 11:27); the grave was help- less and surrendered its victim: the King, in divine power breaks the bars of death and goes forth from the grave The door is open for the believer to receive the resurrection truth; because He lives, they shall live also. The curse of a broken law lies buried in the tomb together with the grave clothes of the risen Lord.
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