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THE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
God alone. It is enough for man that he should have the proofs of it. Proofs of the Resurrection. The four gospel accounts agree in setting forth the successive steps in the evidence by which the followers of our Lord were at length persuaded of the reality of the resurrection. The empty tomb, the testimony of the angels found in it, and the appearances of the risen Lord Himself—12 in all-—to individuals and groups of persons, are powerful evidence of the fact of the resurrection. One of the strong proofs of the resur rection of Christ is the fact that our day of rest and worship is Sunday rather than Saturday. Every Sunday is a com memoration of Christ’s resurrection. Again, Paul’s lawyer-like mind wouldj not have stopped short of a thorough investigation of the evidence of Christ’s resurrection from those living at that time. He must have talked with scores of people who saw the Risen Saviour and been thoroughly convinced, for he made Christ’s resurrection the basis of his missionary sermons and his letters are full of triumphant assertions of that fact. The early church preached the resur rection and the apostles used it as the cornerstone of their creed so it must have been well proven and firmly believed. The apostles went up and down the land proclaiming His resur rection to those who had crucified Him and surely these would have produced evidence to the contrary if they could. However, we are not called upon to prove the resurrection by reasoning or human argument for if we preach it, it will prove itself. The very best proof of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus is a real Christian. The moral transform ation of the disciples proves it. It was Paul’s sight of the Risen Christ that transformed him from a persecutor into an apostle and changed his whole career. We have salvation from the penalty of sin through a crucified Christ, but we have the victory over sin and
self, won for us by a Risen Christ. May we not claim what is really ours? The Meaning of the Resurrection. 1 Cor. 15. The resurrection of Christ is a type of the Christian’s resurrection—the pledge and guaranty of our own. This wonderful resurrection chapter gives the assurance of our resurrection. If Christ perished like a mere man and His body remains in a Syrian grave, Chris tians are yet in their sins. Man brought sin and death into the world; Christ brought pardon for sin and life from death. Without the life pardon would be incomplete. If Christ did not con quer death, He left unconquered a ter rible foe. But He did conquer the last enemy and gave the Father a finished task—a redeemed world. The resur rection victory over death gives us con fidence and we can look forward in faith to the triumph when death and sin will be completely conquered. In that faith let us work patiently here on earth, knowing that our “labor is not in vain in the Lord.” “Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” An Angel tells about the Risen Jesus. Matt. 28:1-10. Memory Verse: “He is risen.” Matt. 28:6. Approach: A putty or clay model of the rock hewn tomb, with stone closing its entrance makes a very impressive approach to this vivid story of Christ’s burial and resurrec- BEGINNERS AND tion. Also planting PRIMARY of seed or bulbs in Mabel L. Merrill presence of children in advance so that same will have come up or bloomed in time for this lesson, is also helpful. (See King’s Business for Primary les son of June 23, 1918.) Before I un cover our picture for today’s story I wonder who can tell me about two men
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