149. First truth. The disciples never expected Jesus to die, least of all on the cross. Indeed, the general expectation was that the Messiah must abide forever (John 12:34). So when he spoke of his death, they did not even understand what he meant. (See Mark 9:32; Luke 9:45; Luke 18:34.) At one time when Jesus spoke of all this, Peter even ventured to rebuke him (Matt. 16:22).

150. Second truth. From the above it is most apparent that they never even thought of a resurrection (see Mark 9:10). When they saw him die, and knew from the physical signs of the blood and water that he was dead, they at once gave up all hope in him as the expected Messiah. This is apparent from the remark of the two to the Master as they were going to Emmaus (Luke 24:21). Their remark implies that now they had given up any such hope. But more than this. Had they thought of any resurrection, would they not have remained near the garden where his body was laid? Surely John and the Master's mother would not have abandoned that garden for Jerusalem. Nor would they have prepared spices for his final entombment had they had any reasonable hope of his resurrection. What took the women to the tomb on that Easter morning was not any remotest hope that they might find him alive, but only the completion of plans for his final burial. All this is apparent from the unvarnished narrative of all of the evangelists. Rightly read, the narrative reveals the one fact that they had not the least hope that they would ever see him alive in this world.

151. Third truth. When the tomb was found empty on that Easter morning, even that did not awaken any thought that the Lord had risen. This is proved by the whole story of Mary on that day (John 20). All her thought was, where is the body? Even when Jesus appeared to Mary, she did not recognize him at first, so far was it from her thought that he could be living. And when the women reported to the disciples that they had seen him alive, their words seemed to the Apostles as "idle talk" (Luke 24:11). So when Peter and John ran to the tomb and found not his body, they simply believed that it had been taken away by some one, and not at all that he had risen from the dead, for as yet they knew not the truth that he must rise (John 20:9).

152. Fourth truth. When the women were convinced that the Lord was really risen, still the men remained unconvinced. The two on their way to Emmaus did not recognize him, for they never thought that it could be he. Peter seems to have been convinced when the Lord appeared to him, but in that upper chamber, when they all (excepting Thomas) saw him, still they would not believe that it was really he, but thought that they saw a spirit (Luke 24:36-40). It took physical demonstration to prove to these men that he was really in their presence. No, they were not the "credulous" men that the critics would have us believe.

153. Fifth truth. But as yet Thomas would not believe, and a whole week of arguing on the part of the other disciples did not move him. It took the personal appearance of the Master himself to convince Thomas that the others had not been deceived (John 20:24-29). All this is proof positive that the critics are wrong in this matter and that the evangelists are telling the simple truth about the physical resurrection of our blessed Lord.

154. Sixth truth. If the body had not risen, but was still in the grave, it would have been easy for the Jews to disprove the story of the physical resurrection. All they would have had to do was to say, "Here we have the body, and to talk of resurrection under these circumstances is absurd." The concocted falsehood (Matt. 28:11-15) shows that the body was not in the grave. But for the disciples to steal it while the Roman soldiers were on guard was absolutely impossible. This is why money had to be given to the soldiers, and they made sure that Pilate would be "fixed" also, and so the soldiers be saved from punishment.

155. The Conclusion.—No, the arguments offered to convince us that Jesus' body did not rise are all based on unbelief, and buttressed by false presentation of the whole case. To all these we simply respond, "Now IS Christ risen from the dead."

The appearances of the Master, given in their order, so far as we can arrange it, are as follows:

1. To Mary at the tomb (John 20:11-18).

2. To the women as they were returning from the empty tomb (Matt. 28:9).