"And Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of Joses, and the women also which came with him from Galilee, followed after" Joseph and Nicodemus, "and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid." And they returned and prepared spices and ointments, in order that the process of embalming, hastily begun by Joseph and Nicodemus, might be properly finished after the Sabbath should be past. Having made their preparations, they "rested the sabbath day, according to the commandment."

By comparing the accounts of all that happened after Jesus was laid in the tomb, we find that though the greater number of the women went away, as has been said, two of them remained watching the spot which now contained the body of Him whom they so loved and reverenced: for we read, "And there was Mary Magdalene and the other Mary (the mother of James and Joses) sitting over against the sepulchre." There they stayed, probably till the Sabbath had begun, when, of course, it was too late for them to prepare their share of spices, without breaking the fourth commandment.

"Now the next day that followed the day of the preparation" (this seems to mean in the beginning of the Sabbath, soon after 6 o'clock on Friday evening, just after the burial of our Lord), "the Chief Priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch."

Thus did the Lord make these Priests and Pharisees bear witness to Christ's resurrection. It was little likely that the Apostles would make any attempt to carry off the body, and still less likely that they could succeed in any such an attempt; but what was now done rendered it impossible; for there was no way of carrying the body out of the sepulchre but through the door, which was closed by a heavy stone, and was now watched by a guard of soldiers, who would not allow any one even to touch the stone, which could not be moved without making much noise. It was essential that there should never be any doubt as to the fact of Christ's having risen from the dead, and therefore His very enemies were made to furnish the strongest proofs of His resurrection. Thinking they had made the sepulchre sure, they went away to rest on the Sabbath. But

Jesus laid in the grave all through the Sabbath, from 6 o'clock on Friday evening to 6 o'clock on Saturday evening. The Sabbath was now past; the first day in the week, called by us Sunday, was begun. "And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of Joses, and Salome," who had not had time to make any preparations before the Sabbath, set out from their homes to go to the sepulchre; and they "had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him." But while they were on their way, "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. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: and for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men."

The time and circumstances of Jesus's rising from the dead, are veiled in mystery. He had evidently left the sepulchre before the stone was rolled away. All that we know is, that Christ rose, and was the "first fruits of them that slept"; and He rose on the day when the first fruits of the harvest were presented in thankfulness to the Lord God Almightly. His resurrection secured ours; and, as a sign that it did so, "many bodies of the saints which slept arose out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the city, and appeared unto many." The graves were opened when Jesus gave up His life on the cross: when He arose, the bodies which lay in them arose also, testifying to His triumph over death and the grave.

Wonderful indeed were all the events which took place at this time! In their several accounts of what happened after our Saviour had risen, some of the Evangelists mention one thing, and some another; but as clever men, who have considered the subject, show us how all the events mentioned must have followed one another, we shall keep to their account.

We have said that before the earthquake took place, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, accompanied by Salome, who had joined them, set out to go to the sepulchre: knowing that it was closed by a great stone, they naturally, as they drew near, "at the rising of the sun, said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?" Of the watch set there, they probably knew nothing. But on coming close, this difficulty was at an end, "for when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great." Very probably Mary Magdalene was the first who observed this fact, for St. John speaks especially of her, and says, "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."

Here you must understand, that the Hebrew sepulchres had two divisions, or chambers. The inner division, or chamber, in which the body was laid, was separated from the outer division by a door, closed, as we have heard, by a large stone. The outer chamber, or porch, had an open door, or entrance.

As soon as Mary Magdalene and her companions came near, they could see, through the open entrance of the outer chamber, that the door of the inner chamber was also open, and that the great stone, which they had seen placed there after Jesus was laid in the tomb, had been taken away: but they did not see either the stone itself or the angel sitting upon it, on the right-hand side of the door; as this could not be seen without going into the porch, or outer chamber. As soon, then, as Mary Magdalene saw, through the open entrance of the porch, that the stone was rolled away from the door of the inner chamber, or sepulchre, she, concluding that some persons, either friends or enemies, had opened it, and carried away the body of Jesus, "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."

After Mary Magdalene had left them, the other Mary and Salome went into the outer division, and, "entering into the sepulchre" (that is, into the porch), "they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. And the angel answered, and said unto the women, Fear not ye; be not affrighted; for I know that ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay; behold the place where they laid him." Having thus assured these women that the Lord was indeed risen from the dead, the angel bade them make the good tidings known to others, saying, "But go your way quickly, tell his disciples and Peter that he is risen from the dead, and that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you; lo, I have told you. And they departed quickly from the sepulchre, with fear, and fled; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they anything to any man."

These women were so confused and overpowered with surprise, fear, and joy, that they scarcely knew what to say or do: so they told no man what they had seen or heard as they went along, but "with great joy did run to bring his disciples word" of what the angel had said.

It must have been a great comfort to Peter to hear that he had been particularly mentioned by name, as it showed that Jesus had not cast him off, but still looked upon him as a disciple, notwithstanding his sin in denying his Lord and Master.

It seems that when the disciples saw their Lord condemned and crucified, they must have forgotten all that He had told them as to His rising again; and, instead of going early to the sepulchre on the third day, they appear to have remained at home, mourning and lamenting His death. Now, however, Mary Magdalene's tidings must have brought their Lord's words to remembrance. "Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple (John), 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." The clothes in which the body had been wrapped were there; but the body itself was gone. No angel was now to be seen, nor did the disciples know that one had been seen at all; for Mary Magdalene had left the sepulchre before her two companions went into the porch of the sepulchre.

"Then cometh Simon Peter, following John, 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." This circumstance was very important. If the body of Jesus had been stolen away, either by friends or enemies, they would have carried it away as it was, and not waited to unwind the linen clothes, and more especially not to have folded the napkin up and laid it in a separate place. The astonishment of Peter when he saw the burial clothes thus lying in order caused John also to go into the sepulchre: "and he saw and believed." "For as yet they knew not the Scripture, that he must rise again from the dead."