and said unto the women, Fear | disciples that he is risen from not ye: for I know that ye the dead; and, behold, he goseek Jesus, which was crucified. eth before you into Galilee; 6 He is not here; for he is there shall ye sce him: lo, I risen, as he said. f Come, see have told you. the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly, and tell his e Ps.105.3,4. ƒ c.27.63. 8 And they departed quickly g Lu.24.34. 1Co.15.4. h ver. 16,17. The body of Christ was laid in the tomb before sunset on Friday-and he rose early on the morning of Sunday. He therefore rose on the third day, having lain in the tomb during one whole day and a part of two othersin all, not far from thirty-six hours. regard to the blind men at Jericho, 6. He is not here. This was the consoling message to the affrighted disciples that Christ, though not there, was where His promise had appointed-not dead and buried any longer, but alive and faithful. They needed an angel message to remind them of Christ's word. They were looking for Him other than in the way of His appointment-and they should not find Him there. They were guided by natural expectations, and not by the calculations of faith grounded on the express word of promise. See the place. This was a niche in the inner chamber of the tomb. The angel thus convinces them of Christ's having actually risen, and of his own Divine commission to assure them of the fact. He calls the Saviour "the Lord."-A glorious appellation, says Bengel. The object of the angel was to remind them of Christ's promise to rise on the third day, which was fulfilled, and of His appointment to meet them in Galilee, which was ready to be fulfilled. So our finding one promise made good, increases our faith in all the promises. 7. Go quickly. Bengel remarks that the apostles especially ought to have believed before they had the sight. Therefore, they shall be informed of these scenes by the women, and their faith shall be tried.¶ Tell His disciples. Mark adds, emphatically, "and tell Peter." What a tender care had Christ for the faith of this unfaithful apostle, who had so lately denied Him. This accords well with His praying for him, that his faith fail not-an angel message now to rally his faith.- -¶ He is risen. This was the animating word-" risen from the dead." ¶ He goeth before you. How faithful was Christ, though they were so unbelieving. Why had they not hurried to Galilee instead of to the tomb? Alas, notwithstanding the very word of promise, they had gone to the sepulchre with spices to embalm His corpse! Yet Christ is faithful! He went where He had appointed, and waited for them there. How He goes before us-anticipates our promptest movements. This was only a hint of what His anticipating, foregoing grace should always do-going before us even where we have promisesand being beforehand with us. "Before that Philip called thee, &c., Jno. 1. 48. 162. THE WOMEN RETURN TO THE CITY. JESUS MEETS THEM.-FIRST day of the week. from the sepulchre, with fear | Be not afraid : go tell my brethand great joy, and did run to ren that they go into Galilee, bring his disciples word. and there shall they see me. 8. And they departed quickly-literally, went out of, or from the sepulchre. This is a hint in the language, that they had been inside, as the other Evangelists mention. -T Fear and great joy. Fear, at the astounding sights of the angels and the vacant sepulchre-and great joy, at the Divine messages, and at their new views of the promises. So "we tremble and rejoice" in our discoveries of Christ's gracious words and ways.- Quickly. At the thought of seeing Christ as had been promised (vs. 7), and with zeal to convey the glad news to the rest. 9. And as they went. This was plainly our Lord's first appearing, for though Mark speaks of His having appeared first to Mary Magdalene (16. 9), yet the term is used relatively. It was the first of those several appearings, which Mark records. Mary Magdalene was not with the other women at this appearing, as we infer from her language to Peter and John (John 20. 2). She had not yet seen the Lord. See the narratives harmonized at the end.)-T All Hailor rather, Hail. A term of salutation. The literal meaning of the Greek word is, rejoice-i. e., joy to thee! ¶ Held Him by the feet. This phrase, with the next term which signifies the act of prostration on the ground in reverence (see note 2. 2), describes their earnest and overjoyed devotion. They cast themselves before Him, and took Him by the feet. So promptly did they find that He was verily the same Lord that was crucified. And if He was indeed their RISEN LORD they must needs pay Him Divine 11 Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done. j He.2.11. homage. It is intimated that their holding Him by the feet was an expression of their dread of separating from Him again, even for an instant. This explains the opening of vs. 10. 10. Be not afraid that is, to part from me on this errand, especially, when it is to meet me with the rest, in a place beyond. This meeting now by the way was more than Christ had promised. He will sometimes do more than He has said for His people, to confirm them in all that He has said. We may go out from our closet interviews on our errands of Christian duty-for he has appointed to meet us beyond. In the way of our cheerful obedience He will often meet us, crying, Hail! Peace!—¶ My brethren. How tender the message. It was not enough to have promised-He must every way remind and assure them that He would keep His promise. Surely this was Christ, "Thy speech bewrayeth thee!" He is "the first-born among many brethren " (Rom. 8. 29. comp. Heb. 3. 11).——¶ Galilee. He went up to Jerusalem to be crucified. He would now go to Galilee, where most of His mighty works were done. There was His nativity, and the place where He had been brought up. It was Galilee of the Gentiles where the light had sprung up upon the region and shadow of death. ch. 4. 13-16. OBSERVE, (1.) "The sign of the prophet Jonas" is given (ch. 16. 4). Let us enter the vacant sepulchre, and, like John, SEE AND BELIEVE (John 20. 8). (2.) Christ proves to us His resurrection, by meeting us, and confirming to us His promises. 12 And when they were as- | him away while we slept. sembled with the elders, and had 14 And if this come to the gov· ernor's ears, we will persuade him, and secure you. taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers, 13 Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole k c.26.64. 15 So they took the money, and did as they were taught: showed their perfidy-their eagerness to contradict the facts, even after they were convinced-their extreme corruption that would resort to such iniquitous means-and especially their unhappy extremity, that could find no possible escape from the overwhelming proofs, and must bribe the soldiers to lie, against all probability, and in peril of their own life, to get a shadow of pretence against the resur 11. When they were going, or rather when they had gone. The guard (or keepers, vs. 4), having now recovered sufficiently from their stunning fright, and seeing their own liability to charges for not having kept the tomb safely, went to make report of all that had occurred.- Unto the chief priests. The chief priests were well understood to be the parties interested, and the active agents in Christ's death, though the charge and condem-rection. Yet what a gross absurdity nation before Pilate had been one which concerned the state. Moreover the guard had been put at command of the chief priests (ch. 27.65). The guards themselves were convinced of a miraculous work at the sepulchre. 12. At this astounding news, they convene the Sanhedrim.- - Large money-literally sufficient, in the sense of abundant. They could think now only of lying and bribery. The statements of the guards satisfied them that there was no need of searching for the body, or investigating the case. They did not think of possible collusion. And now if He had risen, the last point was harder to kick against than the first (ch. 27. 64).- - Unto the soldiers. Ordinarily the soldiers might have been open to bribe. But in this case, they would expose themselves to the penalty of the Roman law, which was death, if it should appear that they had been asleep at their posts, and with such fatal results. The conduct of the chief priests here, was involved in this falsehood. If the guards were asleep, how could they know of the body's being stolen away by the disciples? Their very lack of fidelity so confessed, would destroy their testimony. 14. The governor's ears. They must give the soldiers this warrant against the fatal consequences of such a confession. The penalty of being asleep would be death-and yet, this pledge is given of influencing Pilate, so that they should escape the law. ¶ Persuade. It was well understood that money could operate with Pilate, so that the soldiers need not fear. The governor was evidently known as being open to this kind of persuasion. Philo testifies to this point in his character. and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day. sion of our Lord's disappearance from the sepulchre. This fabrication was most industriously circulated by the Jews in distant countries, as Justin Martyr certifies. (Dialogue with Trypho, p. 202 and 335.) The same story is related in the Jewish Talmudical writings. Until this day, viz., the date of Matthew's gospel. Such an event as Christ's rising from the tomb, was seen to be so confounding an argument for all His claims, that the chief priests took utmost precaution against the shadow of any pretence to this effect (ch. 27. 63, 64). They had provided most completely against the very measures which they afterwards declare to have been taken, viz., the stealing of the body by the disciples. It was to prevent all possibility of this, that they had a guard of sixty men stationed around the tomb. Could all their laborious and abundant precautions have been defeated by these disciples? But the disciples carried spices to the sepulchre to embalm the body in death! Besides, could a Roman guard of sixty men have been all so soundly asleep at the same time and throughout such a transaction? This would have been a miracle. Could the disciples have given life to the body? It was abundantly testified that He appeared alive, by many infallible proofs (Acts 1.3). Besides, what motive could His followers have had for 16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Je Z c.26.32. removing His dead body out of so honourable a sepulchre? Did the chief priests believe that His body was in possession of the disciples? They would surely have instituted search in the morning, so short a time after the event. The very report of the transaction given by the soldiers, and currently circulated among the Jews, carries its own refutation. And notwithstanding the false witness of the Jews, and their industrious circulation of it, multitudes of Jews and Gentiles believed. And this was no more wonderful an event than many of His miracles had been. OBSERVE, The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead must be admitted as the crowning proof of His claims and the highest token of the acceptance of His work in heaven. It establishes our faith (John 20. 8), and gives believers a pledge of their resurrection and redemption, since He is risen for us (1 Cor. 15. 20-23). It shows that Christ died not as others, but for a specific purpose as covenanted with the Father. And at once upon the accomplishment of this great end of His death, He triumphantly rose again (Heb. 1. 3). This therefore proves the object of His death to have been substantially attained. We are begotten again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1 Pet. 1. 3–5). dred and twenty, Acts 1. 15), and Galilee hadbeen the principal sphere of His labours, and was the chief seat of His followers. 17. When they saw Him. What a sight! What a glorious confirmation of their faith! John entered within the sepulchre and "saw and believed" (ch. 20. 8), not only that Christ had risen, but that His work was stamped with the seal of Divine authority and acceptance, and that He was a Divine Saviour. Now, at the sight of their identical Master, and at this fulfilment of His promise to meet them, how could they avoid worshipping Flim as their Divine Lord ?- -T But some doubted. There were some there doubtless, who had not before beheld Him, nor had palpable proofs of His real appearance. All the natural doubts, therefore, now rose and struggled in their breasts. They doubted the evidence of their senses, that this could be the same Lord and Master risen. How plainly all the narrative implies that it was Christ in His identical flesh, as they had before known Him. The print of the nails and the very open wounds, were shown to Thomas. He ate" the broil 16. Away into Galilee. Here it is recognized that the apostolic circle was now reduced by the apostacy and death of Judas, so as to number but eleven. Referring to John's record, which supplies mainly the deficiencies of the rest, we find those interesting narratives of the fishing, and Christ's appearing after their unsuccessful night, directing them where to cast-the prompt and marvellous success in following His directions-Peter's springing out from the fishers' boat into the sea-their feeding afterward on the fish, where Christ showed His identity and humanity, by eating with them—and His special conversations with Peter, testing his love, and forewarning him of his violent death.———¶ A mountain where Jesus had appointed. This appointment is recorded in ch. 26. 32, but no mountain is spoken of either there or in His promise (vs.10), or by the angel (vs.4). Our Lord may have designated a mountain, though the apostles make no record of it. Or, the Transfiguration Mount may have been understood as the spot. Many ("above five hundred brethren at once") had assembled there (1 Cor. 15. 6), as was natural enough from the report of such an ap-ed fish and honeycomb" before them pointment among Christ's followers, circulating more than eight days before the time, and the lively expectations excited both in Jerusalem and Galilee. He appointed this meeting in GALILEE, because there were but few disciples in Jerusalem (the number of the names being about a hun (Luke 24. 42), to show them that it was really and personally He, in the same flesh, for "they believed not yet for joy, and wondered" (vs. 41). 18. Then Jesus came and spake unto them-i. e., the cleven (vs. 16), of whom alone Matthew has spoken. The apostolic commission is given by |