DID THE DISCIPLES EXPECT THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST?
By Elder William Covert
EARLY the third day from the crucifixion they hurried to the consecrated sepulcher, supposing they were going there to perform a burial rite upon the crucified body which they had seen laid in Joseph's tomb. On their way they talked of the heavy stone that they should encounter at the mouth of the grave. With them the question was, "Who shall roll away the stone?" While these women had courage to show a general interest in the Lord, his brethren shut themselves away in secret to mourn and weep in the bitterness of their disappointment. When the women arrived at the sepulcher, they found the stone rolled away, the body gone, and an angel seated there, who told them that Jesus had risen from the dead. He also told them to go and tell his disciples (and Peter, who had denied him) that he was risen. Having seen the angel, and heard him talk of the resurrection, they were affrighted and fled from the sepulcher. Mark 16:3-8. Yet they reported to his disciples what they had seen, but "their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not." Luke 24:11. Yet Peter and John ran to the sepulcher to investigate the situation, and saw that the tomb was emptied of its sacred charge; yet they were perplexed about what had happened. It was then that they believed that Jesus was not in the tomb where he had been placed, but how to understand what had occurred they knew not; "for as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead." John 20:9. Having investigated thus far, "then the disciples went away again unto their own home." Verse 10. But Mary Magdalene lingered at the tomb weeping. It was when the disciples had gone away, and Mary remained there weeping, that she saw two angels sitting one at the head and the other at the feet where the body had lain. Verses 11, 12. When these angels asked her why she was weeping, she replied, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him." When she turned from looking into the sepulcher, Jesus himself was there, and he also asked her why she was weeping. She, supposing the gardener was addressing her and not yet believing that he had risen, answered, "Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away." Verse 15. But Jesus called her name in such a manner as to cause himself to be recognized. It then became necessary in her overjoy that she should be restrained in her demonstrations of affection for her risen Lord; he therefore said to her, "Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father." He must first see his Father, and have him accept of the offering that he had made for man, before he would ask man to do so. But Mary's love for the Saviour held him from his Father's presence until he could make her understand that he was alive. This would prevent a further search for his missing body while he should be away with the Father. This manifestation of the Saviour to Mary is also reported in Mark 16:9. There the writer says: "She went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept. And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed it not." Verses 10, 11. Later in the day he joined in company with two of his disciples as they were walking in the country, and they, not knowing who he was, told him of the mighty things that their Master had done, and how he had been condemned and crucified; they also related the story of the early visits to the sepulcher, and what had been reported about angels being seen, who had said that he was risen. Yet they had not indorsed the theory of the resurrection. But at this juncture they told the Saviour what had been their hopes about his redeeming Israel, referring, of course, to their expectation of an earthly kingdom. He then explained to them the scriptural teaching concerning the Messiah, and his suffering and death, and then made himself known unto them. He then ceased to be seen of them, and they hurried back to Jerusalem to tell the other disciples that the Lord had appeared unto them and that he was actually alive. But they would not believe it even then. See Mark 16:12, 13. When the two disciples arrived from Emmaus, they found the others had closed themselves in for fear of the Jews. Being friends they were permitted to enter, and, doubtless, the Saviour entered with them unseen, and withheld himself from their vision until they had time to manifest their unbelief in his resurrection when it was told them by the brethren who had seen him at the country village. He then manifested himself to them, and said unto them, "Peace be unto you." But, instead of being ready to believe it was he, at first they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed they had seen a spirit. Then he showed them his hands and his feet, and invited them to handle him and see that he was a real being, having a literal, tangible body, composed of flesh and bones. He then called for food, and when it was given him, he ate a piece of fish and honeycomb in their presence, before they would believe their own eyes. Luke 24:36-43. He then upbraided6them with their hardness of heart and unbelief, because they had refused to believe those who had seen him after he was risen. Mark 16:14. By this time the resurrection day was past, but the disciples were not all convinced of the resurrection yet. There was Thomas, who had not seen him since he had risen. He, being as faithless as his brethren had been, still held to his skepticism, and said he would not believe unless he could see and handle him. So, after eight days from the close of the resurrection day, Thomas saw him and believed that the resurrection had occurred. But not one of the disciples of Christ comprehended the significance of what had been accomplished in all that had taken place. This they could not know until they were anointed with the Spirit; but this anointing could not be given until self should be surrendered. Their false notion concerning the kingdom and mission of Christ stood in the way of their being instructed upon the subject of the atonement through his blood. Their minds had not yet been emptied of this erroneous theory when the Lord ascended to heaven; for, just as they were about to witness his departure from the earth, they asked him if he would not at that time restore again the kingdom to Israel. Acts 1:6. Thus it is seen that all through the ministry of Christ, and through all his teaching them after his resurrection from the dead, they held onto their own mistaken idea of the work and mission of Christ, and that notion was of such a character as to keep their minds occupied with selfish emotions and thereby prevent them from seeing the real truths of the gospel of Christ. The parting instruction given by the risen Lord was, "Tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high." Luke 24:49. "It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you." John 16:7. When they should seek the Lord with all their hearts and repent of their selfishness and yield up their own mistaken ideas, they would be in a condition to receive the heavenly anointing whereby they could discern spiritual things. Not until then could they teach and appreciate the real significance of the death and resurrection of the Saviour. Considering all that has been shown in the above, of what folly must those persons be guilty who teach that the disciples, together with the Saviour, celebrated the event and especially honored the day of the resurrection, on the resurrection day and onward to the ascension, and because of this that the disciples ever afterward kept it up. Never was anything more flatly contradicted and shown to be wholly false by the facts in the case. No person that will let go of false theories so that he can reach down to the depths of truth, and in that spiritual condition study the history of the disciples' connection with the ministry, death, and resurrection of Christ, can continue to believe that Sunday sacredness has its source in these things. Verily, it had a very different origin.