THE ROUND TABLE FOR RESEARCH AND DISCUSSION. List of those who saw the risen Christ. List of Christ's eleven appearances during the forty Comparison of the resurrection accounts of the four Proofs of Christ's resurrection. Bearing of Christ's resurrection on our immortality. PLAN OF THE LESSON. I. PROOFS OF THE RESURRECTION, Matt. 28: 1-8. Women witnesses. Supernatural signs. "Tell his disciples." Other proofs. eleven times to the disciples, ascending to heaven on Thursday, May 18. LEARN BY HEART Verse 6; 1 Cor. 15: 20-22, 55-57. THE TEACHER'S LIBRARY An admirable article on the resurrection of Christ by Prof. W. H. Griffith Thomas in The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Orr's The Resurrection of Jesus. Simpson's The Resurrection and Modern Thought. Westcott's The Historic Faith and The Gospel of the Resurrection. "A Question-Box on the Resurrection," by Rev. James Elmer Russell, in The Christian Endeavor World of April 1, 1915. "Ian Mac II. APPEARANCES OF THE RISEN CHRIST, laren's " Children of the Resurrection. Matt. 28: 9, 1o. Other appearances (Luke 24; 1 Cor. 15:1-11) THE LESSON IN ITS SETTING Time and Place. -- Jesus was crucified and buried on Friday, April 7, A.D. 30 (Andrews), and rose on Sunday, April 9. During forty days he appeared Boardman's Our Risen King's Forty Days. Boyd Carpenter's Forty Days of the Risen Life. Campbell Morgan's The Crises of the Christ. Riggenbach's The Resurrection of Jesus. A Picture of the Resurrection, by Rev. James M. Gray, D.D., is a most helpful commentary on 1 Cor. 15. Aitken's Eastertide. Grenfell's On Immortality. A valuable recent volume, Immortality and the Future, by Prof. H. R. Mackintosh, of New College, Edinburgh. In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. 2. And, behold, 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. I. PROOFS OF THE RESURRECTION, Matt. 28: 1-8. Last Sunday we studied the nature and work of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the World. This Sunday we celebrate Easter by studying the climax of Christ's life, the great event which gave us a living Christ rather than the mere memory of a dead hero. 1. In the end of the sabbath. R. V., "late on the sabbath day," Saturday, the Jewish sabbath. The first day of the week, our Sunday. One of the strong proofs of the resurrection of Christ is the fact that our day of rest and worship is Sunday rather than Saturday. At first the Christians observed both days, but soon the joyous day when Christ rose from the dead superseded the sad day when he lay in the grave. Every Sunday is a commemoration of Christ's resurrection. Mary Magdalene, out of whom Christ had cast seven devils, who ever since had been his devoted follower. And the other Mary, the mother of James the Less and Joses (Matt. 27:56). Luke and Mark tell us that with them were Salome the mother of John, Joanna the wife of Chuza, and other women, all of whom came with spices for embalming the body of Jesus. Women were 'last at his cross and earliest at his grave," thus excelling in zeal even Peter, James, and John. That the risen Lord should be shown as manifesting himself first to women, and not to the leading apostles, or to Herod or Pilate or the members of the Sanhedrin, is another powerful evidence of the truth of the narrative and the fact of the resurrection. No false historian would have written thus. 66 66 2. There was a great earthquake, before the women reached the tomb. The (R. V., an") angel of the Lord descended, as was to be expected if Christ had come 3. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: 4. And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. 5. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. 6. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. from heaven. Rolled back the stone, the circular stone which moved in a groove, filling up the opening of the cave-tomb. This the Romans had carefully sealed, to prevent the disciples from stealing Christ's body and then claiming that he had risen from the grave. The angel's face, gleaming light, and his dazzling garments, marked him as a visitor from the world of spirits. The brevity, simplicity, and naturalness Tomb with Rolling Stone. of these supernatural features of the narrative indicate its genuineness, being in strong contrast with the writings known to be false, such as the apocryphal Gospel of Peter, which represents Christ as marching from the tomb so tall that he reached the sky, while his cross marched after him! 4. The keepers (R. V., " watchers ") did quake. The Roman guard, not used to quaking. These the Jewish authorities afterwards bribed (vs. 11-15) to say that the disciples had stolen Christ's body while they slept, an explanation of the resurrection in which the Jews persisted. But to sleep on guard was an offence punishable by death; and while now and then a single soldier might be guilty of it, it is impossible to believe that a whole company of them would sleep on guard, or that they would ever risk their lives by admitting it if they had done so. Besides, if the body had been stolen, what became of it? Surely the Jews would have hunted it up and produced it. 5. Fear not ye. This word of the angel is the message of Easter: Fear not death, for Christ has conquered it for you! Fear not trouble, or evil, or poverty, or any difficulty, for you can be more than conquerors over all in the power of the risen Lord! Do 6. He is not here. That simple sentence embodies the Easter comfort. not mourn over the dead body, over the cold grave. The dear one is not there, but has left all such trammels far behind. Think of your loved ones in the midst of all joy and beauty, all health and strength and peace. He is risen, as he said. Christ's prophecy of his resurrection (Matt. 12: 38-40; 16: 21; 17:9, 23; 20: 19, etc.) was commonly known, even to those outside the circle of his followers (Matt. 27: 6266). In Christ's view of it, his resurrection was the culmination of his ministry. To deny it is to deny Christ's understanding of his own mission. 7. Tell his disciples. We read (Mark 16: 11) that when the disciples learned of Christ's resurrection, they disbelieved a strange thing to be recorded if it were not so, for it was hardly to their credit, after all that Christ had said about it. The fact plainly is that the resurrection came as a complete and glorious surprise to the disciples, transforming them instantly from broken-hearted, hopeless men into confident, flaming evangelists, whose faith and zeal never afterward left them. How could anything but a genuine resurrection have accomplished this? And what ground is left for the infidel theory that the resurrection was a myth that grew up in response to the 8. And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word. disciples' expectation of a resurrection ? There was no such expectation, and there was no time for a myth to grow. He OTHER PRoofs. 1. Paul's lawyer-like mind would not have stopped short of thorough investigation of the contemporary evidence for Christ's resurrection. must have talked with scores of eyewitnesses of the risen Saviour, and he was thoroughly convinced. He made Christ's resurrection the basis of his missionary sermons (Acts 13:30-37, etc.), and his letters, the earliest of which were written within twenty-five years of the resurrection, are full of triumphant assertions of that fact. Indeed, it was Paul's own sight of the risen Christ that transformed him from persecutor into apostle and changed his whole career. 2. "It is now admitted on all hands that the church of Christ came into existence as the result of a belief in the resurrection of Christ.". Prof. W. H. Griffith Thomas. Nothing else could have brought about its establishment and growth. See the opening chapters of Acts. 3. The resurrection was the only legitimate and reasonable conclusion to such a life as that of Jesus. "There was nothing in Cæsar, for example, or in his work, which would lead us to feel the appropriateness of his resurrection : but in the case of such a unique personality as Jesus, with such a ministry, anything less than the resurrection crown and culmination would leave us feeling bewildered and disappointed.' Rev. James Elmer Russell. Roman Soldier in Complete From Trajan's Column. THE MIRACLE OF THE RESURRECTION. "Those who have studied anatomy and physiology are better able than other people to understand how stupendous a miracle is involved in the thought of the resurrection of a dead body. They will tell us how, when once the vital energy is departed, and the circulation ceases, all the elaborate machinery of the human body at once becomes clogged in every part, and utterly incapable of being restored, by any natural process, to the exercise of its proper functions. The blood that but a few moments ago carried sustenance and vigor to every part of the organism, supplying the waste of action, and thus maintaining the capacity of activity, now becomes stagnant and congealed, and commences in every tiny duct and artery throughout the system the work of ruin and dissolution. It is not merely that the vital energy departs from the body at death, but along with it the body loses the potentiality of life; it is no longer a vehicle capable of being employed by that energy.' -W. Hay Aitken. AN ILLUSTRATION FROM EXPERIENCE. "It was a personal experience which once and for all converted me to a belief in immortality. I had some years ago an illness which lasted many months, brought on by overwork. The machinery of the brain was out of gear. I could just do my ordinary business, but could not write or read to any purpose. I found my mind or spirit criticising and being sorry for the inactivity of the brain. This continued for many months, until at last very gradually the mechanical part of the brain began to perceive. I became aware that the spirit was the thing that was untouched by illness or disability. It was there all the time, fresh and strong, in no sense impaired by the bodily failure, and it seemed to me that if the brain had not recovered the spirit would have continued to exist.” — A. C. Benson. A FAMOUS PHYSICIAN'S BELIEF. "When now I read over the story of the resurrection as told by a doctor, a fisherman, a scribe, and a political servant in the four Gospels, I see no inherent reason for disbelieving it. The ecclesiastical party of that day would have stopped at nothing to discredit it. They were not altogether fools. Yet they themselves sealed the tomb, newly hewn in the solid rock, and positively procured a Roman guard to watch it, to whom failure in duty meant inevitable death. Thus they set at least the best certificate which mortal man could on the genuineness of the accounts. And they did this against their will. Even the trouble of the poor women who came with their offerings, that they could not possibly roll the heavy stone up the hill by themselves, is a subtle proof for these gospel historians to have 9. And as they went to tell his disciples, 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. IO. invented. They had at that time but poor payment to expect for their extraordinary zeal in lying, if the whole story were an invention. The historical continuity of the great body of believers in the resurrection is to me an additional evidence." Wilfred T. Grenfell. 9, IO. Dr. The ac II. APPEARANCES OF THE RISEN CHRIST, Matt. 28: counts in the four Gospels contain some seeming discrepancies, but "the record as we have it is so brief that we have no right to say that the various differing details would not fit into one another perfectly if we had the whole story before us. Moreover, even if there are differences in the narratives of the resurrection which have not yet been explained, it is nevertheless true that the writers of the New Testament are unanimous in asserting the fact of the resurrection." - Rev. James Elmer Russell. 9. Jesus met them. Mary Magdalene seems to have left the tomb before the other women, running to tell Peter and John; then Jesus met her as she returned to the empty grave. Then, as the other women, during Mary's absence, left upon the same errand, Jesus met them also, this being his second appearance. Saying, All hail. This was the usual Greek salutation. At once they recognized him, clasped his feet in joy, and worshipped him, falling on their knees and touching the ground with their foreheads in the Oriental way. 10. Be not afraid. Jesus knew that his appearance after death would be' likely to terrify the disciples, especially as they were not expecting it, just as the angel's appearance had terrified the guards. Go tell my brethren (still his brethren, though the Lord had entered into the risen life). They were to be told about Christ's resurrection, that they go into Galilee. There, amid the scenes most familiar to them, they OTHER APPEARANCES OF THE RISEN CHRIST. These were ten in all, so far as they were recorded. Third Appearance, to Peter alone, near Jerusalem (Luke 24: 34). Fourth Appearance, to two disciples going to Emmaus (Luke 24: 1331). Fifth Appearance, to all the apostles, except Thomas (John 20: 1925). These five appearances were on Easter Sunday. Sixth Appearance, a week later, in Jerusalem, to the apostles, Thomas being present (John 20: 26-29). Seventh Appearance, the last of April or the first of May, to seven disciples fishing in the Sea of Galilee (John 21:1-13). Eighth Appearance, to the eleven disciples on a mount in Galilee (Matt. 28: 16-20). Ninth Appearance, to more than five hundred disciples at one time, in Galilee (1 Cor. 15:6). Most of these were living when Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthians. Tenth Appearance, to James alone, probably in Jerusalem (1 Cor. 15 : 7). Eleventh Appearance, to all the apostles, at his ascension from the Mount of Olives, near Bethany (Luke 24: 50, 51; Acts 1: 6-12). This was on Thursday, May 18, forty days after the resurrection. The appearances had become less and less frequent, as if to accustom the disciples to the permanent disappearance of their Lord. Last of all (the Twelfth Appearance), as to one born out of due time," Christ appeared to Paul on the road near Damascus (1 Cor. 15:8). This was six years later, in A.D. 36. These twelve appearances, so well vouched for, described with such simplicity and manifest honesty, constitute a most convincing proof of the reality of Christ's resurrection. "The resurrection is the best-attested fact in human history." Thomas Arnold, of Rugby. "The res urrection is the rock from which all the hammers of criticism have never chipped a single fragment."-Archbishop of Armagh. And if the great fundamental mira cle of the resurrection is proved, why should any one hesitate to accept as true the other miracles recorded of Jesus? LESSONS FROM THE DOCTRINE OF IMMORTALITY. "The eternal life in its fullest sense must be entered upon here and now.". Sir Oliver Lodge. Church of the Ascension. Mount of Olives. "Those who hope for no other life are dead even for this.". "The angels from their thrones on high Goethe. "Thy treasures up in heaven laid From the German. We scarce take heed a stone to lay." "At the funeral of Jonah Davies, one of the victims in a Welsh colliery explosion, his mother, over ninety years of age and blind, came forward and placed both hands on the coffin, saying, 'Good-by, Jonah, only for a little while; we'll meet again soon. Good-by.' How bitter would that parting have been but for the blessed assurance that as surely as God raised up Jesus Christ, he will raise us up by his own power." Sunday School Chronicle. RECOGNITION IN HEAVEN. "In every eight years the body entirely changes. You had a friend visit you the other day from California, who had been gone twentyfour years. His body has entirely changed. Every particle of it has been changing three times since you saw him. He has not a grain of that body about him now that he had when you saw him last; and yet you know him, because his soul is the same." Russell H. Conwell, D.D. So our dear ones will be the same in heaven, even after the decay of death. III. THE MEANING OF CHRIST'S RESURRECTION, I Cor. 15: 12-58. "This chapter is one of the deepest and most mysterious in the Bible. It ranks with the profound exposition of the principles of Justification in the Epistle to the Romans, and the weighty but most difficult enunciation of the doctrine of God's foreknowledge and man's call in the first chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians." Cambridge Bible. After setting forth the proof of Christ's resurrection by enumerating the witnesses of the fact, Paul treats the great theme in five sections. 1. Christ's resurrection is the foundation of all Christianity (vs. 12-19). Christ's credibility depends upon it, for he repeatedly asserted that it would occur. The credibility of the apostles depends upon it, for they all declared that it had occurred. If this crowning miracle is false, so are all Christ's miracles and the entire gospel story with which they are interwoven. If Christ perished like a mere man, and his body remains in a Syrian grave, farewell to the joy of redemption through the sacrifice of |