SECTION XX.

THE MESSIAH IN HIS RESURRECTION, COMING FORTH IN HIS ETERNAL ROYAL GLORY — HIS GREAT VICTORY, HIS ENDLESS KINGDOM, HIS MESSAGE TO THE WORLD, AND HIS PEACE.

The same women who, on the evening of the day of Jesus' death, had sat late over against His tomb, went again early in the morning of the third day to see His sepulchre.

It was, says Matthew, at the end of the bygone week, as it began to dawn towards the first day of the week, — that is, in the morning twilight, before the hour with which Sunday began.¹ He seems to have intentionally chosen this expression, in order to mark the expiration of the olden Sabbath time and the beginning of a new.

So the women wished to see the Lord's sepulchre: this was the true motive which made them hasten to it so early. And, behold, says Matthew, there was a great earthquake; for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow; and for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.

Thus heaven, which was in league with Christ, brought to shame the plans of His enemies. The angel of heaven could with freedom and ease roll away the stone and sit upon the seal, which symbolized the authority of the Jewish hierarchy; and before him the soldiers, who represented the might of Rome, became powerless images of death.

And when the women came to the place where this great change had taken place, he saluted them with the words, 'Fear not; for I know that ye seek Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay: and go quickly, and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead; and, behold, He goeth before you into Galilee: lo, I have told you.' Then they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy, and did run to bring His disciples word.

Thus the angel's message announced to the women the victory of Christ, and made them messengers of His resurrection, with a charge to the entire body of the disciples (the whole Church of the disciples in the wider sense) that it was the Lord's will to meet with them in Galilee.

Then the Lord Himself appeared as the Risen One, and disclosed His victory first in demolishing the doubts and fears of the women. For as they went to tell His disciples the angel's message, behold, Jesus met them, saying, 'All hail.' And they came and held Him by the feet, and worshipped Him. Then said Jesus unto them, 'Be not afraid: go tell My brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see Me.'

But His victory over His enemies had also to become clearly manifest. For while the women were hastening (like men full of divine joy) to announce the resurrection of Jesus to His friends, the priestly princes of the new world, some of the watch came (like faint-hearted women) and showed to the chief priests all the things that had come to pass. Thus the priests received an official notification of the great event which they had sought to prevent with the weapons of Rome. Hence they saw themselves compelled to take counsel with the elders. History is silent regarding the conclusion arrived at. In what a state of perplexity they separated is shown by the circumstance, that immediately afterwards the chief priests bribed the soldiers with a large sum of money to spread abroad the report: His disciples came by night, and stole Him away while we slept. 'And if this come to the governor's ears,' added they, to assure the soldiers, 'we will persuade him, and secure you.' So the soldiers took the money, and did as they were taught. The Evangelist adds: And this saying is commonly reported among the Jews unto this day. This fresh contrivance, this wretched gossip, did not in the least disquiet the spirit of the Gospel. Matthew rather relates this fact just to show to what schemes of impotent despair the council descended when the tidings of Christ's resurrection were brought to them with official confirmation. This utter baseness of the council, in which they sought their safety in corrupting heathen soldiers and in a miserable and contradictory fabrication, could not fail to set in the clearest light the lofty sublimity of our Lord, and His victory over such opponents.

But as our Lord set at nought the last machinations of His enemies, so He also triumphed over the last doubts in His Church. He revealed Himself to His whole Church as the King of the world, and the sole and only Comforter of His followers. The eleven disciples, says Matthew, went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. The Evangelist gives marked prominence to the fact that our Lord willed to hold the most decisive meeting with them here in Galilee, not in Judea, not in Jerusalem, the centre of the old hierarchy. What follows show^s in what brightness of His kingly glory Christ appeared here to the disciples. And when they saw Him, they worshipped Him; but some (of the general body of the disciples which the eleven represented) doubted (in respect to this measure of reverence given to Christ). And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, 'All power is given unto Me in heaven ancl in earth.' By this He declared His divinity, and indicated His eternal kingdom. He then consecrated them to be His messengers to the world: * Go ye, therefore, and make disciples of all nations (in contrast to the eleven).' And He sent them to the whole world in the name of the Three-one God, into whose glory He was received up, as expressed in the following charge: 'Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.' And with what certainty he expected that the whole world should do homage to Him, and that this allegiance would come to be perfect allegiance, is shown by the additional clause: 'Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.'

Finally, He comforted them with the assurance of His unalterable royal favour, and eternal abiding with them (in His kingly Spirit), in the words, 'And, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end (even unto the consummation) of the world.'

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