THE record of the day of our Lord's resurrection affords us some of the sweetest incidents of His perfect grace. From dawn to dusk the once-smitten Shepherd was lovingly occupied with His scattered sheep, seeking them out, and bringing their hearts and minds into union and communion with Himself. We may indeed say, nowhere more graciously than by the four evangelists, in their records of the day of His resurrection is unfolded the truth, “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and for ever."
Before the dawn Mary had come to His sepulcher, drawn thither by love to Himself, whom she reckoned to he in the grave. She found the great stone that had been rolled down into its place over the doorway into the tomb in the rock removed. This wonderful news she communicated to the disciples, and then again repaired to the sepulcher. Led on by love, she entered the outer chamber—the hall, as we may term it—of the royal grave, and looked into the inner chamber, and lo, before her there sat two angels, one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of the Lord had lain. Mary seems to have been quite at ease in the presence of these angels. Was it that the spirit of adoration so possessed them all, that insensibly to her, she was one with them in heart? Was it that, in spirit outside this world, she was as are those who behold the angels in their dying hours? Was it that her heart was so absorbed with thoughts of Christ, that even angels who spoke to her had no place there? Be it what it may, she stayed not with the angels, but turned herself round towards the opening of the sepulcher, into the gloom of which was entering the light of the breaking day. There she saw One, whom she recognized not standing before her. It was Jesus!
He had come back to the very precincts of His tomb for her sake. She thought He was the gardener, and earnestly besought to know where His body was. So full was her heart of Jesus that she did not so much as mention the name of Him who filled it, “If thou have borne Him hence, tell me where thou halt laid Him."
Then spake the Good Shepherd. He uttered but one word. His sheep know His voice, He calls them by their names. Jesus said unto her, “Mary.” In an instant she knew the voice; she cast herself at His feet, saying “Rabboni."
The Lord, risen from the dead, personally and graciously greeted the heart which loved Him. How will it be at the moment when the spirit of the believer enters His presence—absent from the body, present with the Lord? One word of His will be the eternal welcome home.
As we read His last words to His disciples, how often did He draw up their hearts to the fact that He was going to His Father. He was returning whence He had come. "If ye loved Me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father" (John 14:2828Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I. (John 14:28)), He said; and they told Him they believed, and knew surely that He had come out from God because of His words (ch. 16:30).
But when the secret thoughts of these beloved men are opened to us by God the Spirit, we find that the deliverance of Israel (Luke 24:2121But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done. (Luke 24:21)) rather than the presence of the Father was their expectation. And how well did the Good Shepherd know all this, even as He knows our dullness and our want of union of heart with Himself.
He gave to Mary to be His messenger from the gateway of the empty grave to His church, leading us by His message, to His own thoughts concerning His Father and His people: "Go to My brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto My Father, and your Father; and to My God, and your God." (John 20:1717Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. (John 20:17))
What He had said to them before His death respecting His going to His Father was surely to be accomplished; it would be all fulfilled, though they might think the grave was their Lord's resting place.
Wonderful was the message unfolding the grace-made relationship between God and God's people— His Father is our Father, His God our God. During His ministry He had told His disciples many things concerning Jerusalem and the world. He is the great Prophet, and prophetically had He spoken, but, just before His cross, He had opened to them secret things concerning Himself, and, when so doing, had dealt with them as friends: " I call you not servants...I have called you friends " (ch. 15:15). "His servants " are shown the things that must shortly come to pass, says the Apostle John (Rev. 1:11The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: (Revelation 1:1)), but such an opening out of His heart of love as occurred just prior to His death was for friends, not servants. But now that the grave was passed, atonement accomplished, victory obtained, Jesus called His people brethren; “Go to My brethren!” Nearer than friends were they to Him now! He had lifted them up, and brought them to His God, and His Father, and to Himself, in the power of His victory over death on their account, and He called them brethren.
Before the early morning had passed, the Lord showed Himself to other of the holy women who were also coming to the sepulcher, burdened with their mistaken love-offerings of spices. They knew not that His body needed no embalming with earth's good gifts, no tribute of honor such as is paid to the dead. As they departed from His sepulcher at the angels' bidding Jesus met them. "All hail," He said, and they fell at His feet, and worshipped Him.
Thus had the Good Shepherd in His love waited near the place of His sepulcher in gracious recognition of the love of these disciples to Himself. They knew not the Scriptures; they had misunderstood His own words as to His rising again, but their hearts were void without Him, and Him (though dead, as they conceived), they would honor with their ointments and their spices. But He valued the holy fragrance of their love, and He Himself appeared to them, and none could deprive them of their assurance that Jesus had spoken to them.
The accounts of these holy women were the subject of much wonder among the disciples, “Certain women of our company made us astonished" (Luke 24:2222Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre; (Luke 24:22)), but their testimony was not fully credited. Peter and John, indeed, came to the grave to see for themselves, and found it empty as the women had said, and then they went away again to their own homes.
As this day of days wore on, the Good Shepherd sought out one sheep, one who of all others most needed His care. Peter had been within His empty grave, and had seen with his own eyes the unquestionable evidence of the Lord's resurrection. The linen clothes that had been wrapped about His body were in one place, the napkin that had been about His head lay in another, Reverent care had disposed them in order. Perhaps some of His servants, the angels, had done this service. And what were Peter's thoughts as he returned to his home! No true disciple could ever deny the Lord without deep subsequent grief and shame. What were Peter's burnings of heart? What his self-reproaches? What his thoughts as to what his Lord would say? Here is a gracious occasion for the silence of scripture.
But we know that the Lord sought out Peter. He found him. And what He said to His servant He and His servant know. It is not like the Master to expose one of His servants to the rest; it is like Him Himself to restore the soul that errs. Peter's heart was full of Christ risen, so full that he was enabled to fill the hearts of the others with the joy of Christ's resurrection. It was no longer certain women of our company making us astonished, but the one common exultation of the company of believers. "The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon." (Luke 24:3434Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. (Luke 24:34).)
On the evening of this day, two of the disciples had left the rest and bent their way toward Emmaus. Their hearts were sad. They reasoned as they talked together by the way. One, only one theme was theirs—the suffering and the death of their Lord. And as they thus paced sorrowfully on, absorbed with their thoughts of Him, a Stranger drew near. Unconsciously He led them out. They told Him all that was in their hearts, minutely described their unbelief in the face of overwhelming testimony, and then upon their unbelief did they erect their shattered hopes for His eye to look upon Then this Stranger opened to them the Scriptures. He spake from the whole book, Moses, Psalms, and Prophets, and as He did so, everywhere that book shone. And though unbelieving words escaped their lips, their hearts burned within them as they listened to His words. Their eyes were holden, so that they should not know Him, but their hearts were deeply stirred.
“Abide with us," they said, as He made as if He would go further. Their hearts needed Him, He was their Comforter, their Refuge.
“Other refuge have I none,
Hangs my helpless soul on Thee;
Leave, ah leave me not alone,
Still support and comfort me."
He entered with them into the house, and sat down with them. Had He not found them, and walked with them, to bring them into the position of being at rest with Himself? And then the evening meal was served, and as the Stranger—now, indeed, their Host—took the bread and blessed and brake it, their holden eyes were loosed, they recognized Him in His way in the breaking of the bread, and in His giving it to them. And in a moment He was gone from their sight.
What could these two men do? Just what the women in the morning had done. Hasten back to the rest, and tell them the wonderful things they had seen and heard. We may be sure they were swift of foot on such an errand. And when they reached Jerusalem, they found the disciples gathered together, saying, with one accord, "The Lord is risen indeed." And as they related how it had happened to them in the way, and how He was known of them in breaking of bread, and as all hearts were full of the great reality, Jesus Himself stood in their midst, and said, "Peace be unto you." The Good Shepherd had sought out and gathered the sheep together.
May we not say, that as it was on that His resurrection day, so is it now, and that that day is a sample of His loving care over His flock of the day that dates from the time of His resurrection to that of His coming again.
KEY TO ENIGMA
2. Idd O...2 Chron. 9:29; 12:15; 13:2229Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat? (2 Chronicles 9:29)
15Now the acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the book of Shemaiah the prophet, and of Iddo the seer concerning genealogies? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually. (2 Chronicles 12:15)
22And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways, and his sayings, are written in the story of the prophet Iddo. (2 Chronicles 13:22).
6. Hulda H...2 Chron 34:22.
SCRIPTURE ENIGMA.
1. A man, who by a woman's hand was slain,
2. And she, whose earnest prayer was not in vain.
3. A city chamberlain, once only named,
4. And one in Asia, as backslider famed.
5. A valiant warrior, one of brothers three.
6. A town of much importance, near the sea,
7. Th' Egyptian mother of an archer bold.
8. A god, who prostrate fell in days of old.
9. A king, whose bed was noted for its size.
10. The father of a leader, strong and wise.
11. A queen, whose wisdom made her people glad,
12. She, who an offering gave of all she had.
13. A man who was a kinsman of St, Paul,
14. And he on whom a piece of stone did fall.
15. The birthplace of a noted man of God.
16. That which by wondrous change became a rod,
17. The grandson of an ancient patriarch.
18. The son of him on whom God set a mark.
19. A woman once in an Epistle named.
20. A land for rich and costly mineral famed.
21. He who once touched the ark with hand profane.
22. A king whose mother gave him counsel plain,
23. And he whose craft ensured him "no small gain."
O commendation sweet, from lips divine!
From One who knew her motive through and through.
How blest to have the Lord's approving smile I
May you, young Christian reader, earn it too!