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XXXI

THE RESURRECTION DAY

HE rising of Christ Jesus from the dead is the greatest and most important of miracles,

being a confirmation of all the wonders of his supernatural story. Beginning with his birth from an immaculate virgin at Bethlehem and ending with the apocalyptic revelation of himself at Patmos, the arch of events has for its key-stone his resurrection from the dead, without which they fall away. Indeed without this, the total of Christianity would disappear, for if Christ hath not been raised our faith is vain. Mankind might revere the teachings of a dead Christ as of other great sages, but could never trust him as an Advocate, Redeemer and Saviour. That he is even yet today a living man, and that he ever liveth to make intercession for us, is the centre and support of the world's faith, hope and love.

The evidence that Christ Jesus was put to death, and that he rose from the dead, is as abundant and complete as the evidence for any other historic fact whatever. In his crucifixion and death there is nothing miraculous, nothing that taxes credulity save a few attendant circumstances, and the monstrous injustice and cruelty of his accusers and executioners. In his supremely miraculous resurrection there is the extreme antecedent improbability of the event. Overlooking the unreasonable skepticism of the few who blindly hold that any miracle is impossible, the improbability is met by the overwhelm

ing testimony of numerous select witnesses to whom he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days; witnesses that sealed their testimony with their blood. No higher proof is possible for any historic fact, and the antecedent improbability is, for those who hold to the reality of the supernatural and its boundless possibilities, completely swept away. Hence the unfeigned faith of the Son of God, whom God raised up, having loosed the pangs of death because it was not possible that he should be holden of it, has been and is to-day the reasonable faith of multiplying millions.

At dawn of Sunday, April 9th, Jesus had already risen from the dead. The rock-ribbed vault with its imperial seals did not detain him. The tomb was empty.

At dawn, while the Roman sentinels were still on guard, suddenly the earth quaked, and from the sky, like a fiery meteor, came swooping down an angel. Heedless of the seals, he rolled aside the stone, and sat upon it. His appearance was as lightning, and his raiment white as snow. The guards, paralyzed by fear, gazed into the open tomb illumined by the angelic light, and saw that its tenant had disappeared. They then fled in disorder from the garden northward, but soon came together again in its vicinity, and themselves unseen, observed the coming and going of visitors.163

At dawn, while it was yet dark, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the widow of Clopas, and Salome of Zebedee, and Joanna of Chuza, left the city, and came bearing the spices with which they purposed to anoint him. And as they came, they said one to another, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the tomb? Evidently

they knew nothing of the sealing and the guarding. Mary Magdalene, young, alert, eager, hastened on in advance, entered the garden, saw the open tomb, saw that it was empty, then turned and leaving her companions, ran back to the city. The others came on, and seeing that the stone was rolled away, they entered the vault, but found not the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were standing perplexed, behold, two angels appeared unto them arrayed in dazzling white apparel. Then they affrighted, bowed down their faces to the earth, yet heard the angels say, Why seek ye the living among the dead? Ye seek Jesus, the Nazarene. He is not here, but is risen; behold the place where they laid him. Go, tell his disciples and Peter, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him. And the women departed quickly from the tomb, with great fear and great joy, and ran to bring his disciples word.

But Mary Magdalene had already spoken apart to Peter and John, saying, They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we who went there to anoint him know not where they have laid him. Then Peter and John ran both together towards the garden; but John more nimbel outran Peter, and came first to the tomb; and stooping and looking in, as he himself tells, he saw the linen cloths lying; yet entered he not in. Peter followed, and with characteristic boldness at once entered the vault; and he too saw the linen cloths lying, and the napkin, that was upon his head, rolled up carefully, no haste, in a place by itself; but no body, no person, no angelic messenger. After him John also entered, and saw, and believed. Then these disciples went away again unto their own home, apart from the other apostles.16

Mary Magdalene had followed the two apostles back to the garden; and, they having departed, she was now standing before the tomb weeping. As she wept, she stooped and looked into the vault, and saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head, and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they said unto her: "Woman, why weepest thou?" 165

Because," said she," they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.”

When she had thus said, she turned about and beheld Jesus standing; but blinded by her tears, knew not that it was he. Then Jesus saith unto her:

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Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou?" She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him:

"Sir, if thou hast borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away."

She turned to look intently on him, and with a glad cry of recognition, bowed down before him, stretched forth her arms to embrace his knees, and in her soft mother-tongue breathed forth :

"Rabboni!"

Then Jesus, predicting his ascension first to her, saith:

"Take not hold on me; for I am not yet ascended unto the Father; but go unto my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father, and my God and your God."

Thus he appeared first to Mary Magdalene.

In this exquisite story, Peter promptly entering the sepulchre, is faith; John outrunning Peter, hesitating and

peering in, is hope; Mary standing without and weeping, is love; these three; and love wins.

She then cometh hastily to the disciples as they mourned and wept, and joyfully exclaimed:

"I have seen the Lord."

But they, when they heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, disbelieved.

While Peter, John and Mary were yet in the garden, the other women, who had reached the city, were telling the remaining apostles of the empty tomb, of the vision of the angels, and of their message to the disciples. But all these words, as well as those afterwards of the Magdalen, appeared in their sight as idle talk; and they disbelieved them. A little disheartened perhaps, the three widows returned, going again, by a different path, towards the garden, when, behold, Jesus met them, saying:

And they came with fear and took hold of his feet, and worshipped him. Then saith he unto them:

"Fear not. Go tell my brethren that they depart into Galilee, and there shall they see me."

This was his second appearance. How exalting the honor thus bestowed on Christian women!

Meantime the Roman guards, having recovered somewhat from their consternation, and apprehending very serious consequences to themselves for quitting their post, deputed two or more of their number to report to the high priests, under whose orders they had been placed, an account of what had occurred. So they came, that Easter morning, to Annas and Caiaphas, and told