twelve in all. This was after his ascension into heaven. To this the
apostle Paul refers, when he says, “And last of all he was seen of me
also.” I. Cor. xv: 8. This was when he had that wonderful vision near
Damascus. Then the great apostle to the Gentiles, saw the same Lord
Jesus, in the same body which had been seen by others. Unless it were so,
this would be no proof that Jesus was risen from the dead. It was not a
_fancy_ therefore that he had seen him. It was not _revealed_ to him,
that Jesus was risen. “Last of all he was _seen_ of me.” With his bodily
eyes, St. Paul actually saw, in a bodily form, that same Jesus who had
died upon the cross; who had been buried in that rocky sepulchre; who had
risen from the dead and had ascended into heaven. Such were the witnesses
of the resurrection, as to their number.
And now look at the _character_ of these witnesses. They were _sensible_
men. They knew what they were doing. They could not be mistaken about the
fact of Christ’s resurrection. They had seen him put to death upon the
cross. They had seen him buried. On the third day after his burial they
had found his tomb empty. His body was gone. Then they saw him alive.
They could not be mistaken about his person. They knew him too well for
this. They had seen the print of the nails in his hands. This made the
proof of his resurrection perfect.
And then they were _honest_ men. They had no motive for preaching the
resurrection of Christ but the sincere belief that it was true. If they
could have made money or gained honor by preaching the resurrection, that
would have been a reason for their doing so even if it had not been true.
But the very opposite of this was the case. Preaching the resurrection
brought on them the loss of all they had in the world. It caused them
to be persecuted, imprisoned, and put to death. And yet they went on
preaching that Christ had risen. And they would have been guilty of the
greatest folly if they had done this without being thoroughly convinced
that it was true. But they were perfectly satisfied of the truth of what
they preached, and _this_ was the reason why they went on preaching it.
And then, if Christ had not risen from the dead, it would have been the
easiest thing in the world for the enemies of his cause to have denied
it. That would have ended the matter. _But they never did this._ And the
only reason why they did not do so, was that they knew it was true that
Christ had risen. They could not deny the fact. And when we put these
things all together, we see how perfectly convincing is the proof of the
resurrection of Christ.
And now let us look at some of the lessons taught us by our Lord’s
resurrection.
_The first lesson we may learn from this great fact is about—THE POWER OF
CHRIST._
We know of nothing that is harder to do than to bring the dead back to
life. Men can do many things, but this is one thing which they cannot
do. All the men in the world and all the angels in heaven could never,
by their own strength, restore life to the dead. When the blood stops
flowing through the veins, and the heart stands still, there is nothing
but the power of God that can make the heart begin to beat, and the
blood begin to flow again. But Jesus had the power to do this. He raised
Lazarus to life after he had lain in the grave four days. And he did
the same to the widow’s son, and to the daughter of Jairus. And what he
did for others in this matter, he did for himself also. And he did it
by his own power. On one occasion, when speaking to his disciples about
his death, or, as he called it, laying down his life, he said, “I lay
it down of myself; _I have power to lay it down, and I have power to
take it again_.” And he did this on the morning of the resurrection. He
exercised his own power to give new life to his dead body. Here we have
a grand lesson about the power of Christ. And it is very comforting to
know how great the power of Jesus is, because we so often need to have
him exercise that power to help us when we are in trouble. And he is
exercising his power in this way continually.
Let us look at some of the ways in which he does this.
“The Power of Christ to Save.” A young man, the son of a pious mother,
was wandering away from the paths in which he had been trained to walk.
He had given up going to church, and in the summer time generally spent
his Sundays in sailing on the river in a boat with his gay companions.
One Sunday the boat upset. He could not swim and he went down in the deep
water. As he rose to the surface for the last time, he was seized and
his cold and apparently lifeless body was brought to the shore. He was
carried home. Everything possible was done for his recovery, but for a
long time it seemed uncertain whether he would come back to life. There
was a feeble flutter about the wrist, just enough to keep hope alive.
His mother knelt by his bedside, and prayed in her agony that he might be
spared at least till he could seek and find pardon. As she thus prayed,
the cold hand held in hers gave a feeble pressure. The eyelids quivered
a little, but did not open. After a while he looked at his mother, and
said, in a low whisper, “Mother I am saved.” Supposing that he meant
saved from drowning, she replied, “Yes, dear, thank God you are saved.”
And then in broken sentences, with long intervals between them, he gave
this remarkable experience:
“Mother, I heard you praying: if I had died you would have thought me
lost: but I am saved. When I let go my hold upon the boat, the thought
flashed across my mind—I am lost. I am going into eternity with all
my sins unpardoned. I lifted up my heart to heaven, and said, ‘God
be merciful to me a sinner. Lord save me!’ I seemed to hear a voice
distinctly saying, ‘I will save thee, trust me.’ I am sure it was the
voice of Jesus. All my fear was gone. But after that I knew nothing until
I heard you praying for me. You would have mourned for me as lost; but
mother I am saved.”
And the result proved that he was right. As soon as he recovered his
health and strength, he gave up all his wicked ways, and lived the life
of an earnest and devoted Christian. How wonderful is the power of Jesus
to save!
“The Power of Jesus to Provide.” A Christian widow was dying. She was
very poor, and had four young children to leave helpless and alone in the
world. As she took leave of her little ones, Nettie, the oldest girl,
about fourteen years of age, said amidst heart-breaking sobs and tears,
“O, mother dear, what shall we do when you are gone?”
“Nettie, darling,” said the mother, “God’s hand will help you. It is an
omnipotent hand. Never let go of it.”
The mother died and was buried. Towards evening of the next day, little
Dick, the youngest of the children, came to Nettie and said, “Nettie,
Dick’s awful hungry. Isn’t there a bit of crust anywhere?” “Poor Dick,”
said Nettie, “what shall we do?” And then, remembering what her dying
mother had said about the Omnipotent hand, she dropped on her knees, and
said, “O God, our God, and our mother’s God, look on these hungry little
ones, left in my care, and send them some food for Christ’s sake. Amen.”
A rich merchant of the town was going home that evening. He was a
widower, but had no children. Without knowing why, he took a different
way home from the one ordinarily taken. As he walked slowly along he
happened to be just under the open window when Nettie made that prayer
for bread. The tone of deep sadness in it touched his heart. He stopped.
He knocked at the door. Nettie opened it, and asked him in. He found out
the sad condition of those helpless orphans. He gave them money to get
what they needed. He continued to visit them, and finally became so much
interested in them that he took them to live with him in his own home.
Nettie felt the blessedness of holding on to the Omnipotent hand. Here we
see the power of Jesus to provide.
One other illustration shows us—“The Power of Jesus to Protect.”
A young Christian woman, whose family were very well off, was confined to
her sick bed for many years. She seldom had any one in the room with her
at night. On one occasion she lay awake about midnight. The family were
all asleep and the house was very still, when the door of her chamber
opened and a man walked softly in. He came towards her bed and then
stopped a moment. Her little night lamp was shining on them both, from
the stand by her bedside. She did not scream, or cry. The robber looked
at this lovely girl, as she gazed on him with perfect calmness. Lifting
her finger, and pointing solemnly towards heaven, she said, “Do you know
that God sees you?” The man waited a moment, but made no reply. Then he
turned and walked quietly away. He had opened no other doors than the
street door and the door of her chamber. The omnipotent hand was there,
too. What a blessed thing it is to hold on to that hand! Here we see the
power of Jesus to protect. The power he had to raise himself from the
dead, he has still, to use for the help and comfort of his people.
_The second lesson to be learned from the resurrection is a lesson
about—THE TENDERNESS OF CHRIST._
We learn this lesson from two little incidents connected with the
resurrection.
You remember that on the night of our Saviour’s trial, though all the
disciples forsook him, yet Peter was the only one of them who denied
him. In the very presence of Jesus, he declared with oaths and curses,
that he did not know him. How painful this must have been to the blessed
Saviour! It might have been expected that when he met Peter again, for
the first time after this, he would have had some sharp rebuke to give
him. But it was not so. Instead of this, we find that when the angels at
the empty tomb met the women who had come early to anoint the body of
Jesus, they told them that he had risen from the dead, and then charged
them to go and tell the good news to “his disciples, _and Peter_.” He
was the only one of all the disciples who was mentioned by name in this
message of the angels. “Tell his disciples, _and Peter_!” How strange
this was! The angels did not do it of their own accord. No doubt Jesus
had told them to say this. And why did he do so? What led him to do
it? It was the tenderness of his loving heart. He knew how badly Peter
had been feeling about his shameful denial of him. He knew what bitter
tears he had been shedding over his sin. And he wished to let him know
that, notwithstanding what he had done, his injured Master had no unkind
feeling in his heart towards him. And so he told the angels to say to the
women that they should—“go tell his disciples, _and Peter_,” that their
Lord was risen. Here we see the tenderness of Jesus.
[Illustration: Peter and John in the Sepulchre
Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the
sepulchre. So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun
Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. And he stooping down _and looking
in_, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. Then cometh Simon
Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen
clothes lie. And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the
linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. Then went in
also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw
and believed. For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise
again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again unto their own
home.—_St. John xx: 3-10._
_NOTE BY THE ARTIST_
_The peculiar construction of the tomb furnishes an interesting
commentary upon the text, of which this picture is an illustration. John
is described as coming first to the sepulchre “and he stooping down and
looking in saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.” Why? Because
from his position at the entrance, he could perceive in the uncertain
light the outline of the grave-clothes, and he hastily concluded from
their undisturbed appearance that the body of his Master was still there.
Peter, with characteristic impulsiveness, entered in, and announced the
startling discovery that the body of Jesus was indeed removed. “Then
went in also that other disciple,” and further examination revealed the
well-nigh incredible fact that the grave-clothes and the head-napkin had
simply fallen together in a manner only compatible with the supposition
that they had not been unwound, but that in some mysterious way the body
of the Lord Jesus had actually risen through the cerements of the tomb,
leaving not a fold disturbed. As yet the two disciples had not grasped
the meaning of their Master’s words that he should rise again, nor of the
prophetic utterance of David; but now, they “saw and believed.”_
73]
And then there was another incident connected with the resurrection of
Jesus which shows his tenderness still more touchingly. He arranged
matters so that Peter might have a private interview with him, early in
the day on which he rose from the dead. St. Luke tells us, Ch. xxiv: 34,
that Jesus “appeared unto Simon.” And St. Paul says that—“he was seen of
Cephas.” I. Cor. xv: 5. This was a meeting that Peter had with the Master
whom he had denied, _all by himself_. We are not told what took place at
this meeting. Peter never said a word about it; and it was too sacred for
any one else to intrude upon. But we can very well imagine what was said
and done. We can imagine how the poor penitent disciple would sob, as if
his heart were breaking, when he saw his injured Master. We can fancy
we see him throwing himself at the feet of Jesus and bathing them with
bitter, burning tears, as he begged to be forgiven. And then we can think
of the kind and gentle words that Jesus would speak to him. How tenderly
he would assure him of his free forgiveness! How he would tell him that
he loved him still! and how willing he was to put him back in his old
place as a disciple, and let him go and preach salvation for lost sinners
through his death and resurrection! How kind it was in Jesus thus to give
Peter an opportunity of making up with him, when they were all alone by
themselves!
Let us never forget the tenderness of Jesus, as shown by these two
incidents. And let us try, like him, to be loving and gentle and kind to
all. See how much good may be done by those who imitate the example of
Christ in this respect.
“The Power of Kindness.” An English merchant had taken passage on board a
Turkish vessel, on the Mediterranean Sea. During the voyage his attention
was called to an interesting man on the vessel, who was a slave belonging
to the captain. He had frequent conversations with him and found him to
be a kind-hearted, active, and intelligent person. In the course of their
conversations together, he learned that the man had been born free, but
had been taken captive in war, and was now a slave for life.
The merchant felt a great sympathy for the poor captive and had a desire
to get him released. He inquired what it would cost to purchase his
freedom. The sum named was more than the whole profit of his voyage.
Still he could not give up the thought. He offered the captain a
price for his slave. The offer was accepted. The slave overheard this
conversation. He supposed the merchant was going to purchase him, that
he might keep him as his own slave. This made him very angry. He sprang
forward and said, with great excitement, “You call yourself a lover of
freedom, an enemy to slavery, wherever found, and yet you are purchasing
me!”
The merchant turned and looked kindly on him, as he calmly said, “_My
friend, I have bought you to set you at liberty. Now you are a free man._”
In a moment the storm of passion was stilled. The slave burst into tears;
and falling at the feet of his deliverer, he exclaimed, “_You have taken
my heart captive! I am your servant forever!_”
Few of us may have the opportunity of showing kindness as this merchant
did. But every boy and girl in the land may follow the example of the
noble lad whose kindness to the aged is told in these simple lines:
SOMEBODY’S MOTHER.
“The woman was old, and ragged and gray,
And bent with the chill of the winter’s day;
The street was wet with recent snow,
And the woman’s feet were aged and slow.
She stood at the crossing, and waited long,
Alone, uncared for, amid the throng
Of human beings who passed her by,
None heeded the glance of her anxious eye.
“Down the street, with laughter and shout,
Glad in the freedom of ‘school let out,’
Came the boys, like a flock of sheep,
Hailing the snow piled white and deep.
Past the woman so old and gray,
Hastened the children on their way,
Nor offered a helping hand to her
So meek, so timid, afraid to stir
“Lest the carriage-wheels, or the horses’ feet
Should crowd her down in the slippery street.
At last came one of the merry troop,
The gayest laddie of the group;
He paused beside her and whispered low
‘I’ll help you across if you wish to go.’
Her aged hand on his strong young arm
She placed, and so, without hurt, or harm,
“He guided the trembling feet along,
Glad that his own were firm and strong.
Then back again to his friends he went,
His young heart happy and well content.
‘She’s somebody’s mother, you know,
Altho’ she is aged, and poor, and slow;
And I hope some fellow will lend a hand
To help my mother, you understand,
“‘If ever she’s poor, and old, and gray,
When her own dear boy is far away.’
And ‘somebody’s mother’ bowed low her head
In her home that night, and the prayer she said
Was, ‘God be kind to that noble boy,
Who is somebody’s son, and pride, and joy!’”
Let us never forget the lesson of tenderness which Jesus taught on the
morning of his resurrection.
_The only other lesson, in connection with the resurrection of Christ, of
which we would now speak is about—THE WAY OF SHOWING OUR LOVE TO HIM._
This lesson was taught on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Some of the
disciples of Jesus had gone back to their old trade of fishing. On one
occasion they had been out all night, but had caught nothing. The next
morning, Jesus stood on the shore of the lake, but they did not know
him. He asked them if they had anything to eat. They said no. He told
them to cast the net on the right side of the ship, and they would find
plenty of fish. They did so, and their nets were filled at once. Then
John, the loving disciple, was the first to find out who it was. He said
to Peter, “It is the Lord.” As soon as Peter heard this, he fastened his
fishing coat about him, plunged into the sea, and swam to the shore. The
other disciples rowed to land in their boat. As soon as they landed, they
found a fire of coals, with fish and bread all ready for eating. Jesus
invited them to come and dine with him. They did so, and when the dinner
was over, he had a long conversation with them. As they were talking
together, he said to Peter, “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?” He
saith unto him, “Yea, Lord; Thou knowest that I love thee.” He saith unto
him, “Feed my lambs.” This question was repeated by Jesus the second and
the third time. Peter gave the same answer each time. The reply of Jesus
was—“Feed my sheep.” The lambs of Christ’s flock mean the children, or
young members of his church. The sheep of Christ mean the older members
of his church. By feeding his lambs and his sheep, Jesus meant teaching
his people, both young an old, about himself, and what he has done for
their salvation. And by what Jesus said on this occasion, he meant to
teach Peter, and you and me, and all his people, that if we really love
him, the way in which he wishes us to show that love, is by being kind to
others—by teaching them about him, and by trying to get them to love and
serve him, too.
This is a good lesson for ministers to learn; for parents, for teachers,
and for all who love Jesus. When we have found what a faithful friend,
what a loving Saviour, what a kind and tender comforter we have in him,
then he wishes us to do all we can to help others to know him, and love
him, and serve him. This is what we should all be trying to do.
Let us look at some of the ways in which we may do this.
“The Unexpected Friend.” The Rev. Mr. Moffatt,—the missionary to Southern
Africa, tells an interesting story which illustrates very strikingly
this part of our subject. “In one of my early journeys in this land,” he
says, “I came, with my companions, to a heathen village on the banks of a
river. We had travelled far, and were hungry and thirsty and very weary.
The people of the village would not let us come near them. We asked for
water and they would not give us any. We offered to buy milk, but they
refused to sell us any. We had no prospect but that of spending the night
without anything to eat, or to drink. But at the close of the day a woman
came to us from the village. She bore on her head a bundle of wood, and
had a vessel of milk in her hand. Without saying a word, she handed us
the milk. She laid down the wood and returned to the village. Presently
she came again with a cooking vessel on her head, with a leg of mutton
in one hand and a vessel of water in the other. Silently she kindled
the fire and put on the meat. Again and again we asked her who she was
and why she was doing all this for us strangers. At last she said that
years before there had been a missionary in her neighborhood. He had gone
away a long while ago; but from him she had learned to know the Saviour.
‘I love him,’ she said, ‘whose servants you are, and I wish to show my
love to him by doing what I can to help you.’ ‘I asked her,’ said Mr.
Moffatt, ‘how she, alone in that dark land, without a minister, without a
church, and without any Christian friends, had kept up the light of God
in her heart?’ She drew from her bosom a soiled and worn copy of the New
Testament, which the missionary had given her. ‘This,’ she said, ‘is the
fountain from which I drink; this is the oil that makes my lamp burn.’”
“How a Boy Showed his Love for Christ.” Some time ago a dreadful accident
took place on the river Thames, in England. A steamer, called the
_Princess Alice_, when crowded with passengers, on an excursion, was
run into by another vessel and sunk. Fearful screams filled the air as
the great crowd of people were plunged into the water. Among those who
were drawn to the spot was a good Christian boy, about sixteen years of
age, who worked in the neighborhood. Being a good swimmer, he at once
plunged into the water, took hold of the first struggler he met with, and
bore him away in safety to the shore. He did the same the second time,
and then the third. As he was nearing the shore the third time he saw a
small bundle floating on the water, which he thought must be a baby. He
caught it with his teeth, and thus was the means of saving four lives on
that terrible occasion. By the time he had done this, his strength was
exhausted, and he was unable to venture again among the drowning ones.
But he carried the baby home to his mother’s humble dwelling, and placing
the little orphan in her arms, he said, “Here, mother, _suppose you nurse
this baby for our blessed Saviour; and I will work for its support as
long as I live_.”
A noble boy that was! and a beautiful illustration he gave of the way in
which we should show our love to Jesus, by feeding and taking care of his
lambs, and doing good to his people.
I never saw the lesson now before us better expressed than in the
following simple lines:
SHINING FOR JESUS.
“Are you _shining_ for Jesus children? You have given your hearts to Him;
But is the light strong within them, or is it but pale and dim?
Can _everybody_ see it—that Jesus is all for you?
That your love to Him is burning with radiance warm and true?
Is the seal upon your forehead, so that it must be known
That you are ‘all for Jesus,’ that your hearts are all His own?
“Are you shining for Jesus, children, so that the holy light
May enter the hearts of others, and make them glad and bright?
Have you spoken a word for Jesus, and told to some around—
Who do not care about Him,—what a Saviour you have found?
Have you lifted the lamp for others, that has guided your own glad feet?
Have you echoed the loving message, that seemed to you so sweet?
“Are you shining for Jesus, children, shining just everywhere?
Not only in easy places, not only just here or there?
Shining in happy gatherings, where all are loved and known?
Shining where all are strangers,—shining when quite alone?
Shining at home, and making true sunshine all around?
Shining at school, and faithful—perhaps among faithless—found?