614 THE KING’S BUSINESS LESSON X.—December 6.— C h r ist R isen from t h e D ead .— Mark 16: 1-8; Matt. 28:11-15. G olden T ext .— Why seek ye the living among the dead? he is not here but is risen .— Luke 24:5, 6. I. J esus ’ D eath and B urial .
prepare for them if possible. If they rise push on—the sea will divide. In the »way of love and duty the stone will be rolled away if it takes an earthquake and an angel. The stone was rolled away not that the Lord might come forth (John 20:19), but that they might fearlessly enter. What a gospel to them that go down to the grave! though Satan himself seal it and all the demons o f hell surround it, they shall find the stone rolled away for their exit. 2. A Vision of Angels. And “ entering into the sepulchref’ —Tvlay we enter as fear lessly. Surely after this they never dreaded the tomb. “ They saw a young man.” The deathless are all and always young. The “man” was an angel (John 19:11, 12; Luke 24:22, 23). O f another nature (Heb. 2:16) they yet bear our likeness, speak our lan guage, sympathize with us, and communion with them is part o f our hope. Mark sees ■one, John two, etc. There is no inconsis tency. Angels, like fire-flies flash forth, here, there, as they will. “ There are angels hov’rlng round.” 3. The Angel’s Message. The resurrec tion was first preached by angels. “Be not affrighted ( “amazed”—R. V .) ye seek Jesus (none need be affrighted who seek Jesus) of Nazareth (none should be amazed at His resurrection. His Personality can bear the weight of the wonder. The incredibility —Acts 26:8—would be that H e should not rise), which 7ms crucified (the angels saw it and stood by, hand on hilt) : he is risen (the most certain, the gladdest, mightiest fact o f history) ; he is not here behold the place where they laid him ( “behold the place, “Beneath yon rugged elm, that yew tree’s shade, Where heaves the turf in many a moulder ing heap,” and where the marbles gleam under the silent stars till the Day dawn. There they laid Him, but He is not there, “H e is
1. His Death. The soldier’s expert tes timony and John’s well grounded affirma tion certify actual death and so certify ac tual resurrection (John 19:32-35). 2. His Burial. ■ Joseph and Nicodemus, two princes, councillors of the Jews, begged and obtained His body. Secret disciples in His lifetime, they confessed. Him now over His dead body. This is a most re markable instance of faith, which redeemed their cowardice. Royally embalmed (John 19:38-40), and Divinely (Acts 2:31), He was laid in Joseph’s “ own tomb” which, possibly, now he might never need. Did he ever lie there ? If so well could he sing, “Since Jesus has lain there I dread not its gloom.” It was a “new” tomb (John 19:41). Not even ceremonial defilement should contam inate “ thy Holy One.” A “new” tomb giv ing a new name to all tombs, “ The Ceme tery,” —“ Sleeping Place.” .3. The Tomb Sealed. His foes remem bered what His friends forgot'; and sealed the stone and set a watch “until the third day” (Matt. 27:64-66). 4. The Women’s Preparation. They marked the place; prepared the spices; kept the Sabbath, the last Seventh day Sab bath, which Sabbaths passed with the dis pensation of “the ministry of death” giv ing place to that of risen life. II. T he W omen at the S epulchre . 1. The Empty Tomb. Early, “ as it be gan to dawn" (Matt. 28:1), “ the first day of the week,” Sunday of the pagan, now Sunday and Son-day of the Christian, the women came with “ sweet spices,” “ early” yet too late! Mary’s faith (John 12:7) outran their unbelief. Theirs the “ waste” (Mark 14:4). “ Who shall roll us away the stone?” They had overlooked that ob struction. Anticipate your difficulties and
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