[270]"The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him. 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."—John 20:1-8.
[271]Added to the testimony of these four witnesses is that of St. Paul, who had a miraculous vision of the Lord on his way to Damascus. Concerning the resurrection of the dead the Apostle later testified: "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures; and that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: after that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time."—1 Corinthians 15:3-8.
[272]St. John, subsequently writing concerning the Lord, emphasizes the fact that they saw with their own eyes, saying: "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full."—1 John 1:1-4.
[273]Thus we see there were more than five hundred witnesses who testified to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. This alone should establish the fact beyond any question of a doubt; but when we see the reason for the Lord's resurrection, the whole matter not only becomes clear but brings great joy to the heart of one who does see it. We must furthermore consider that these faithful witnesses of the Lord did not go to some isolated place to give their testimony concerning his resurrection, but they gave it openly before the tribunals, before Jews and heathen philosophers, courtiers, lawyers, as well as the common people. They did not wait until years afterward to begin to give their testimony concerning his resurrection, but did so immediately after the great event took place. They were so bold in declaring it that had there been a possibility of refuting their testimony we may be sure that the Pharisees would have attempted it. They did not give this testimony for the purpose of gaining fame, glory, or riches. But, on the contrary, they knew that they would bring upon themselves the indignation of the Pharisees and rulers and would expose themselves to suffering and death.
[274]At Pentecost, only fifty days after the resurrection of the Lord, the apostle Peter stood forth before the multitude and proclaimed to the men of Judea and all that dwelt in Jerusalem concerning the resurrection of the Lord. In his eloquence he exclaimed: "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ". (Acts 2:36) So persuasive and convincing was the Apostle's argument that the Jews who had participated in having the Lord put to death "were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?" Some of them suffered death and martyrdom because they preached Christ and his resurrection. (Acts 7:59) The apostles and early Christians received much persecution because they testified boldly that Jesus was raised from the dead. They would not have done this had they been trying to carry out some fraudulent imposition. Their motive in preaching these doctrines was to be witnesses for the Lord concerning the fulfillment of his great plan for the redemption and deliverance of mankind.
CHRIST THE LORD DIVINE
[275]Jesus was put to death in the flesh and was resurrected a divine being. (1 Peter 3:18) God had promised to grant unto him the divine nature, giving him the power and authority to have inherent life. Only divine beings have life within themselves and need nothing to sustain life. Jesus said: "For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself". (John 5:26) When on earth he was a man. When he arose from the dead he was the express image of Jehovah God. "Who being the brightness of his [Jehovah's] glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high; being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they." (Hebrews 1:3,4) He was begotten to the divine nature at the time of his baptism in the Jordan. He was born on the divine plane to the divine nature at his resurrection. When he arose from the dead he was both Lord and Christ. (Acts 2:36) Lord means one who owns; one who has power and authority, and one whom his followers acknowledge as Master and Lord. Christ means the anointed one; the one appointed by Jehovah to carry out his great plan. So now being raised from the dead he is both owner of all things and endowed with power and authority to carry out Jehovah's plan. The name Jesus means Savior of the people. That was his earthly name. It is more particularly associated with him as the sin-bearer, or one who made his soul an offering for sin, who suffered for us and who bore our sins—the one whom the Prophet describes as "the man of sorrows".
[276]When he arose from the dead Jehovah highly exalted him and gave him a name above all other names. He was once a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Now, resurrected from the dead, he is the exalted one; hence the Apostle declares: "Being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name; that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth and things under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."—Philippians 2:8-11.
[277]God has decreed that since the earth was the scene of Jesus' suffering it shall be the scene of his glory, and all creatures shall bow at the name of Jesus, and that every creature shall confess that Jesus is Christ and is the Lord.
[278]On the day Jesus arose from the dead and on several occasions thereafter he appeared unto his disciples and others who specially loved him. He did not appear to them in the same body which was crucified; nor with the same clothing in which he was buried. The Scriptural account is that the clothing and a napkin were folded up and laid aside in the tomb. Had he appeared in the same body that was crucified, those who were with him for three and a half years would have readily recognized him. Surely Mary would have known him. He appeared to her as a gardener on one occasion, and only when he spoke her name in the tone so familiar to her did she recognize him. The Scriptural account of his appearing to the disciples and other witnesses is briefly noted as follows: