LESSON XI.-SABBATH, DECEMBER 15, 1894

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Dec 3, 1894

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 20, No. 56.

LESSON XI.—SABBATH, DECEMBER 15, 1894

BURIAL AND RESURRECTION.

Lesson Scripture, Luke 23: 50-56; 24: 1-12.

AND behold, a man named Joseph, who was a councillor, a good man and a righteous
(He had not consented to their counsel and deed), a man of Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who was looking for the kingdom of God:
This man went to Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus.
And he took it down, and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid him in a tomb that was hewn in stone, where never man had yet lain.
And it was the day of the preparation, and the Sabbath drew on.
And the women, which had come with him out of Galilee, followed after, and beheld the tomb, and how his body was laid.
And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments. And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came unto the tomb, bringing the spices which they had prepared.
And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb.
And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.
And it came to pass, while they were perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel;
And as they were affrighted, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?
He is not here, but is risen; remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,
Saying that the Son of Man must be delivered up into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.
And they remembered his words,
And returned from the tomb, and told all these things to the eleven, and to all the rest.
Now they were Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James; and the other women with them told these things unto the apostles.
And these words appeared in their sight as idle talk; and they disbelieved them.
But Peter arose, and ran unto the tomb; and stooping and looking in, he seeth the linen cloths by themselves; and he departed to his home, wondering at that which was come to pass.
WHO followed Jesus afar off, and beheld what was done to him?
Who went to Pilate and begged the body of Jesus?
What was Joseph's position?
What was his character?
What did he do with the body of Jesus?
What day was it on which all this was done?
Who saw Jesus laid in the sepulcher?
What did they then do?
Why did they not immediately anoint Jesus?
To what were they obedient?
On what day did they come to anoint him?
What was then past? Mark 16: 1, 2.
When they came to the sepulcher, what did they find?
As they were perplexed over the matter, who stood by them?
What did the angels say to them?
Of what did the angels remind them?
What did the disciples then do?
Who was it that told these things unto the apostles?
How did their words seem to the apostles?
Who ran to see if these things were so?
Did he understand what had taken place?

NOTE.

IN this lesson there is the clearest evidence as to the day of the Sabbath, and also to the fact that there has never been any change made in it. It is the evidence of the Holy Spirit, who inspired the writing of the record years after the events took place. Let us note a few points:— (a) The day on which Jesus was crucified was the preparation day. Ex. 16: 22, 23 tells us what day was the preparation for the Sabbath. It was the sixth day of the week. (b) The women went at once and bought the spices and ointments, and then they "rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment." (c) It was the first day of the week when they came to the sepulcher to anoint Jesus. They came very early in the morning, yet "the Sabbath was past." Mark 16: 1. Therefore, since the Sabbath was the very day before they came to the sepulcher, and they came to the sepulcher on the first day of the week, and there are only seven days in a week, it is very plain that "the Sabbath day according to the commandment" is the seventh day of the week. So that, although the fourth commandment does not use the word "week" when it says that "the seventh day is the Sabbath," the Scripture plainly tells us that it is not an indefinite seventh part of time that is meant, but the definite seventh day of the week. (d) We do not count anything on the example of the disciples. Human example is not what we are to follow. We are not to keep the Sabbath because they did, but for the same reason that they did, namely, because the commandment of God requires it. Moreover, it makes not the slightest difference that Jesus had not yet risen from the dead when the disciples rested on the seventh day of the week. It is the Holy Spirit that records the fact, and he calls the seventh day of the week "the Sabbath day according to the commandment." Whatever men may say of the Old Testament, there is no disagreement about the fact that the New Testament was written for Christians, and that the language of the New Testament is the language for Christians. Therefore the seventh day of the week is the Sabbath for Christians, and the first day of the week is an ordinary working day.