| Devotional Hours with the Bible |
Chapter 40 |
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In their disappointment the women had a vision which brought great comfort to them. They saw two forms in dazzling apparel keeping watch over Christ’s tomb. One of the evangelists speaks of them as young men. All heavenly life is young. It is a pleasant fancy of Swedenborg’s that in heaven the oldest angels are the youngest. The longer they dwell in the glory of that happy home, the younger they become. In heaven all life is toward youth. In this world we grow ever toward feebleness and decay. But in the immortal life all this is reversed. The angels were young men, although they were created before the human race began.
As we look into this empty tomb there are several lessons we should learn. We are assured by it, first, that Jesus actually died. Certainly He was buried there. His head lay there, and His feet lay there. He was surely dead, for Pilate had official inquiry made, and received assurance of the fact before he would give leave for the removal of the body. If any doubt had existed concerning His death, there certainly could be none after the soldier had thrust the spear into His side. Here are the grave cloths, the pieces of fine linen which gentle hands had wound about His limbs. Here is the napkin that covered His face, lying neatly folded by itself. Look closely at the place, for He was here — He was actually dead.
But He is not now in the grave. There is no dead form lying there where He lay yesterday. The grave is empty. But are we sure that He is risen? May not His body have been stolen away? No; for a great stone was rolled to the door and by Pilate’s order sealed, so that is could not be removed without breaking the seal. Further, at the request of the rulers a guard of Roman soldiers was stationed by the tomb to watch it. These precautions of Christ’s enemies, taken in order that His body might not be disturbed and a story of resurrection started, form important links in the evidence of His resurrection.
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