The History of Christianity - John S. C. Abbott (bookstand for reading .txt) 📗

bodies should remain upon the cross over the sabbath, applied to Pilate to hasten the lingering death of the crucified by breaking their legs. The brutal Roman soldiers did this brutally to the two men who were crucified with Jesus. But when they came to Jesus, and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers, to make it certain that life was extinct, thrust his spear deeply into his side. The outflow of blood and water indicated that the spear had pierced both the pericardium and the heart.

It is recorded that these things were done that the scripture might be fulfilled, “A bone of him shall not be broken;” and, “They shall look on him whom they pierced.” Thus, also, the executioners of Jesus divided his garments among themselves, and drew lots for his seamless coat; “that the scripture might be fulfilled which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots.”

The evening drew nigh. One of the disciples of Jesus, a wealthy man by the name of Joseph, from Arimathea, being a man of high position, went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Pilate, marvelling that he was so soon dead, granted his request. Nicodemus also, the timid man who visited Jesus by night, and once during his career ventured to speak a cautious word in his favor, now came by night, with a hundred-pound weight of myrrh and aloes, to embalm the dead body of one whom he had not the moral courage to confess when that living one was struggling against his foes.

Joseph took the body of Jesus from the cross, wrapped it in a linen robe, and deposited it in a newly-constructed tomb of his own which he had hewn out of a solid rock. The door of the tomb was closed by a heavy stone. Several women, the friends of Jesus, followed his remains to the sepulchre. This was Friday, called the “preparation-day,” because, on that day, the Jews prepared for the solemn rest of the sabbath.

The next morning, the morning of the sabbath, the chief priests and Pharisees, remembering that Jesus had declared that he would rise again on the third day, held a council, and called upon Pilate, requesting him to appoint a sure guard at the tomb until after the third day, “lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead.”72

Pilate authorized them to make the watch as sure as they could, employing a guard of Roman soldiers which had been placed at the command of the Jewish rulers. A detachment of these soldiers was marched to the tomb to guard it, and in some way sealing the stone at the door with the public signet of the Sanhedrim. Thus every thing was done which caution could suggest to prevent any deceit; and these precautions established beyond all possibility of doubt the reality of the resurrection.

The night of Friday, the sabbath, and the night succeeding the sabbath, passed in quiet. Early in the morning of the third day (which was the first day of the week), “at the rising of the sun,” Mary Magdalene, and another Mary, the mother of James, came to the sepulchre. As they approached the closed door, there was a violent earthquake, which rolled back the stone which had closed the entrance. An angel, radiant with exceeding beauty and clothed in celestial robes, sat upon the stone. The guard fainted in excessive terror. The angel addressed the women, saying,—

“Fear not ye; for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here; for he is risen, as he said. Come see the place where the Lord lay.”73

Entering the sepulchre, they saw an angel, in the form of a young man, sitting on the right side, also clothed in the white robe which is the emblematic garment of heaven. The angel repeated the declaration which had just been made by his companion, and added,—

“Go your way; tell his disciples and Peter74 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.”

Greatly agitated and overjoyed, they ran to communicate the glad tidings to the disciples. On their way, Jesus met them, and greeted them with the words, “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.”

Some of the guard also, as they recovered from their swoon, hastened into the city to report to the chief priests what had transpired. Alarmed by these tidings, they held a council, and bribed the soldiers to say that they all fell asleep in the night; and, while they slept, the disciples of Jesus came and stole the body. This was the best story they could fabricate; though it was obvious, that, if they were asleep, they could not know that the disciples had stolen the body. Moreover, it was death for a Roman soldier to be found sleeping at his post. The rulers, however, promised that they would intercede with Pilate, and secure them from harm.

The women hastened to the residence of John, who had taken home with him the mother of Jesus. There they met him and Peter, and informed them of what had happened. The two disciples immediately started upon the run for the sepulchre. John reached the sepulchre first, and, looking in, saw the tomb to be empty, and the grave-clothes of Jesus lying in a corner. He, however, did not venture in. The impetuous Peter soon arrived, and immediately entered the tomb. John followed after him. The body of Jesus was gone: the grave-clothes alone remained. Thoughtfully they returned to their home.

Mary Magdalene had probably accompanied John and Peter to the tomb; and, after they had left, she remained near the door, weeping. As she wept, she looked into the sepulchre, and saw “two angels in white, sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.” One of the angels said to her, “Woman, why weepest thou?” She replied, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.” It seems that she still thought that the enemies of Jesus had taken away his remains.

As she said this, she turned around, and saw a man standing at her side. It was Jesus; but she knew him not. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou?” She, supposing him to be the gardener, replied, “Sir, if thou hast borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her (probably then assuming his well-known voice), “Mary!” Instantly she recognized him, and, astonished and overjoyed, could only exclaim, “Master!” Jesus added,—

“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.”

Then probably he disappeared. Mary went into the city, and informed the bewildered and weeping disciples of what she had seen; “and they, when they had heard that he was alive and had been seen of her, believed not.”

At a later hour of that same day, two of the disciples went to the village of Emmaus, about six or seven miles west from Jerusalem. As they walked along, they were conversing about the wonderful events which were transpiring. While thus engaged in conversation, Jesus joined them, but in a form which they did not recognize.

“What manner of communications are these,” said he, “that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?”

One of the disciples, whose name was Cleopas, replied, “Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?”

“What things?” inquired Jesus.

“Concerning Jesus of Nazareth,” was the answer, “which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people; and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel. And, besides all this, to-day is the third day since these things were done. Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre; and, when they found not his body, they came, saying that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said; but him they saw not.”

Jesus replied, “O fools,75 and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?

“And, beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. And they drew nigh unto the village whither they went; and he made as though he would have gone farther: but they constrained him, saying, Abide with us; for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them. And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.”76

Greatly excited by this event, the two disciples hastened back that same evening to Jerusalem, where they found the eleven apostles assembled together. In the mean time, Jesus had appeared to Peter; but when, and under what circumstances, this happened, is not recorded.77

The brethren from Emmaus told the eleven apostles how Jesus had revealed himself to them in the breaking of bread. The apostles were in a room, with the door closed, from fear of the Jews. As the disciples were giving their narrative, suddenly “Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts78 arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.

“And, when he had thus spoken, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye any meat? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of a honeycomb; and he took it, and did eat before them. Then Jesus said to them again,—

“Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And, when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said, Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.”79

After Jesus had retired, Thomas, who had been absent for the few moments when Jesus was present, came in, and upon being told by the apostles, “We have seen the Lord,” replied in despondency and grief,—

“Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side,