New jerusalem-church-the-life-of-the-lord-in-159-sequences-and-7-maps-of-palestine-george-de-charms-1962

THE LIFE

OF THE LORD

BY GEORGE DE CHARMS

ACADEMY BOOK ROOM

BRYN ATHYN, PENNSYLVANIA

1 962

First printing, 1948, 1500 copies

Second printing, 1962, 1000 copies

Copyright 1948 and 1962

THE ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCH

KEY
1. Jemsalem. 9. Nain.
2. Bethlehem. 10. Nazareth.
3. Bethany. 11. Cana.
4. Jericho. 12. Capemaum.
5. Bethabara. 13. Bethsaida.
6. Emmaus. 14. Magdala.
7. Ephraim. 15. The Mount.
8. Sychar. 16. Gadara.
17. Caesarea Philippi.

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PALESTINE IN THE TIME OF THE LORD
Key to Nu.mbers:
1. Jerusalem 4. Jericho 7. Ephraim 10. Nazareth 13. Bethsaida 16. Gedara
2. Bethlehem 5. Bethabara 8. Sychar 11. Cana 14. Magdala 17. Caesarea
3. Bethany 6. Emmaus 9. Nain 12. Capernaum 15. The Mount Philippi

MAP I

PERIOD PRECEDING THE PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE

Matt. Mark Luke John
1. The Word in the Beginning ........ 1:1-5

2. Matthew's Genealogy ............. 1: 1-17

3. Preface to the Gospel of Luke ...... 1: 1-4

4. The Promise of John the Baptist..... 1: 5-25

5. The Annunciation ................. 1:26-38

6. Mary Visi ts Elizabeth ............. 1: 39-56

7. The Birth of John the Baptist ...... 1:57-80
8. An Angel Appears to Joseph ........ 1: 18-25

9. The Birth of the Lord ............. 2: 1-7

10. Angels Appear to the Shepherds..... 2: 8-20

11. Circumcision of the Child .......... 2:21

r. BETHLEHEM TO JERUSALEM
12. Presentation in the Temple ......... 2:22-39

4

MAP II

FROM THE PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE TO THE SECOND
VISIT TO JERUSALEM AT THE AGE OF TWELVE YEARS

I. JERUSALEM TO BETHLEHEM
13. The Adoration of the Wise Men ..... 2: 1-12
11. BETHLEHEM TO EGYPT
14. The Flight into Egypt. ............ 2:13-15

15. Herod's Wrath ................... 2: 16-18

Ill. EGYPT TO NAZARETH
16. Return to Nazareth ............... 2: 19-23

IV. NAZARETH TO J ER USALEM
17. Visit to Jerusalem at the Age of Twelve
years .......................... 2:40-50

96

MAP III
FROM THE SECOND VISIT TO JERUSALEM AT THE AGE OF
TWELVE YEARS TO THE THIRD VISIT AT
THE AGE OF THIRTY YEARS

I. JERUSALEM TO NAZARETH
18. Eighteen Years in Nazareth ........ 2:51-52
19. Ministry of John the Baptist ....... 3: 1-12 1: 1-8 3: 1-20 1: 6-18
n. NAZARETH TO THE FORDS OF
JORDAN
20. The Baptism of the Lord .......... 3: 13-17 1: 9-11 3:21-22
21. The Genealogy in Luke ............ 3:23-38
Ill. THE FORDS OF JORDAN TO
THE WILDERNESS AND
RETURN
22. Temptations in the Wilderness ...... 4: 1-11 1:12,13 4: 1-13
23. Testimony of John the Baptist ...... 1: 19-34
24. First Three Disciples Called ........ 1: 35-42
IV. THE FORDS OF JORDAN TO
CANA
25. Phi lip and Nathanael Called ........ 1:43-51
26. The Marriage in Cana ............. 2: 1-11
V. CANA TO CAPERNAUM
27. Sojourn in Capernaum ............. 2: 12
VI. CAPERNAUM TO JERUSALEM
28. First Cleansing of the Temple ...... 2: 13-22
29. Discourse with Nicodemus ......... 2:23-3: 13
3: 14-21

114

MAP IV
FROM THE THIRD VISIT TO JERUSALEM TO THE FOURTH VISIT
AT THE PASSOVER, ONE YEAR LATER

1. JERUSALEM TO CANA
30. Baptizing in J udea ................ 3:22-24

31. Further Testimony of John the Baptist 3:25-36
32. Departure for Galilee .............. 4: 12 1: 14a 4: 14a 4: 1-3

33. Discourse with the Woman of Samaria 4: 4-42
34. Public Teaching in Galilee ......... 1:14b,15 4: 14b, 15 4:43-45

35. Healing the Nobleman's Son ........ 4:46-54

11. CANA TO NAZARETH AND

CAPERNAUM

36. First Rejection at Nazareth ........ 4: 16-30

37. Departure to Capernaum .......... 4: 13-17 4:31,32

38. Call of Peter, Andrew, James and John 4: 18-22 1:16-20
39. Healing of Demoniac in the Synagogue 1:21-28 4:33-37
40. Healing of Peter's Wife's Mother and
Others ......................... 1:29-34 4:38-41
Ill. FIRST TOUR OF GALILEE
41. First Tour of Galilee .............. 4: 23-25 1: 35-39 4:42-44

42. Miraculous Draught of Fishes ...... 5: 1-11
43. Healing of the Leper .............. 1:40-45 5: 12-16

44. Healing of the Paralytic ........... 2: 1-12 5: 17-26

45. Call of Matthew .................. 2: 13-22 5:27-39

IV. CAPERNAUM TO JERUSALEM
46. Healing the Infirm Man at the Pool of
Bethesda ...................... 5: 1-16
5: 17-47

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MAP V

FROM THE FOURTH VISIT TO JERUSALEM TO THE FIFTH, AT THE
FEAST OF TABERNACLES, EIGHTEEN MONTHS LATER

I. JERUSALEM TO THE MOUNT

. 47. Plucking Corn on the Sabbath . 2: 23-28 6: 1-6

48. Healing of the Withered Hand ....•............. 3: Hi 6: 6-11

49. The Lord Followed by Multitudes at the Sea of

Tiberias . 3: 7-12

50. Choosing of tbe Twelve •..•••••................ 3: 13-21 6: 12-19

51. Sermon on the Mount.......................... 6: 1-12

5: 13-8: 1 6: 20-49

II. THE MOUNT TO CAPERNAUM
52. Second Healing of the Leper. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. B: 2-l

53. Healing of the Centurion's Servant. • • . . . . . . . . . . 8: 6-13 7: 1-10

Ill. SECOND TOUR OF GALILEE

54. Raising of the Widow's Son .•......... , . 7: 11-17

55. Inquiry of John the Baptist. , . 7: 18-36

56. The Lord Anointed in the House of Simon the Pharisee 7:36-60
IV. THIRD TOUR OF GALILEE
57. Villages near Capemaum (North) . 8: 1-3

58. Sin against the Holy Spirit. .............•....... 3:22-30 8: 4-18

59. Denial of Mother and Brethren . 3:31-35 8: 19-21

60. Parables ........•............................. 4: 1-34

61. Second Healing of Peter's Wife's Mother. . . . . . ... 8: 14-17

V. CAPERNAUM TO GADARA AND RETURN
62. Stilling of the Tempest. • • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 8: 18-27 4: 35-41 8: 22-25

63. Two Demoniacs Healed. . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 8: 28-34 6: 1-21 8: 26-40

64. Second Healing of the Paralytic. • • • . . . . . . . . . . . .. 9: 1-8

65. Second Call of Matthew.. • .. .. .. .. .. . .. . .. .. ... 9: 9-17

66. Raising of Jairus's Daughter. . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 9: 18-26 6:22-43 8: 41-56

VI. FOURTH TOUR OF GALILEE (CAPERNAUM

TO NAZARETH AND RETURN)

67. Two Blind Men Healed ....•................... 9:27-M

68. Second Rejection at Nazareth .••................ 6: 1-6

69. Fourth TOUT of Gali'lee 9:35-11: 1 6: 6-13 9: l-{i
70. John the Baptist's Last Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 11: 2-19

71. Woes Against Cities tbat Rejected Him 11: 20-30

72. Second Plucking of Corn •...................... 12: 1-8

73. Second Healing of Withered Hand ..........•.... 12: 9-21·

74. Healing of Blind and Dumb Man ...........•.... 12: 22-37

75. Scribes and Pharisees Seek Sign 12: 38-45

76. Second Denial of Mother and Brethren 12: 46-50

77. Parables 13: 1-52

78. Third Rejection at Nazareth ...................• 13: 63-68

79. Deatb of John the Baptist H: 1-12 6: 14-29 9: 7...1)
VII. CAPERNAUM TO NORTHEAST COAST OF

GALlLEE AND RETURN

80. Feeding the Five Thousand. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. H: 18-21 6: 30-46 9: 10-17 6: 1-15

81. Walking on the Sea 14: 22-36 6: 47-56 6: 16-21

82. Discourse on the Bread of Life . 6:22-7:1
83. Discourse on Eating with Unwashen Hands. . . . . .. 15: 1-20 7: 1-23

VIII. CAPERNAUM TO PHOENICIA
84. Healing the Daughter of the Syrophoenician Woman 16: 21-28 7: 24-30

IX. PHOENICIA TO DECAPOLIS
85. Return through Decapolis ....•................. 16: 29-31 7:31-37

86. Feeding of the Four Thousand 16: 32-38 8: 1...1)
X. DECAPOLIS TO DALMANUTHA. BETHSAIDA

AND CAESAREA PHILIPPI

87. Pharisees and Saducees Ask a Sign 16: 39-16: 12 8: 10-21

88. Blind Man Healed . 8: 22-26

89. Peter's Profession 16: 18-20 8: 27-30 si: 18-21

90. Death and Resurrection Foretold 16: 21-28 8: 31-9: 1 9: 22-27

91. Transfiguration 17: 1-13 9: 2-13 9: 28-36

XI. CAESAREA PHLLIPPI TO CAPERNAUM
92. The Demoniac Boy 17: H-21 9: 14-29 9:37-4.2
93. Death and Resurrection Foretold Again .........• 17: 22-23 9: 30-32 9: 43-45

94. Shekel in the Fish's Mouth. . . . . . 17: 24-27

95. Exhortation to Humility and Forgiveness. . 18: 1-35 9: 33-50 9: 46-50

XII. CAPERNAUM TO JERUSALEM
96. Departure for the Feast of Tabernacles. Incidents

in Samaria 19: 1-2 10: 1 9: 51-62 '1: 2-10

97. Seventy Instructed and Sent Out . 10: 1-16

98. Public Teaching at Feast of Tabernacles . 7: 11-16

7: 16-53

99. Woman Taken in Adultery . 8: 1-11

100. Further Public Teaching . 8: 12-59

101. Return of the Seventy ......................•... 10 17-24

102. Lawyer Instructed. Good Samaritan . 10 25-37

103. Visit to Martha and Mary . 10 38-42

104. Disciples Again Taught How to Pray .....•...... 11 1-13

105. Dumb Spirit Cast Out. ..•........ 11 14-36

106. Woes Against the Pharisees . 11 37-54

107. Discourse to the Multitude . 12 I-59

108. Slaughter of the Galileans. Parable of the Fig Tree 13 1...1)
109. Man Born Blind Healed . 9: 1-41

110. Further Teaching .•............................ 10: 1-21

111. Feast of Dedication ••••••.....•................ 10:22-3B

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MAP VI
FROM THE FIFTH VISIT TO JERUSALEM TO THE SIXTH, SIX
MONTHS LATER, WHEN THE CRUCIFIXION TOOK PLACE

I. JERUSALEM TO BETHABARA

112. Retirement beyond Jordan . 10: 39-42

11. BETHABARA TO BETIlANY

113. Raising of Lazarus .••............... 11: 1-46

Ill. BETHANY TO EPHRAIM
114. Withdrawal to Ephraim •............ 11:47-57
IV. EPHRAIM TO PEROEA. AsCENT
TOWARD JERUSALEM

115. Woman Healed on the Sabbath . 13: 10-21

116. Journey Toward Jerusalem. Warned

Against Herod . 13:22-35

117. The Lord Dines with the Chief Pharisee 14: 1-24

118. Further Teaching ...••••............ 14: 25-18: 14

119. Concerning Divorce 19: 3-12 10: 2-12

120. Children Blessed ..•................. 19: 13-15 10: 13-16 18: 15-17

121. Rich Young Man. Parable of the La
borers 19: 16-20: 16 10: 17-31 18: 18-30

122. Death and Resurrection Foretold for the -

Third Time 20: 17-111 10: 32-34 18: 31-34

123. Request of James and John 20: 20-28 10: 35--45

V. PEROEA TO JERJCHO TO BETHANY

124. Healing Blind Men near Jericho •...... 20: 29-34 10: 46-52 18:35-43

125. Visit to Zacchaeus .......•........... 19: 1-10

126. Parable of the Minae . 19: 11-28

127. Incidents in Bethany .•.............. 12: 1-11

VI. BETHANY TO JERUSALEM

128. Public Entry into Jerusalem 21: 1-11 11: 1-11 19: 29--44 12: 12-19

129. Barren Fig Tree Cursed . 11: 12-14

130. Second Cleansing of Temple......... 21: 12-17 11: 15-19 19: 45--48

131. The Fig Tree Withered. . . . . . . . . . . . .. 21: 18-22 11:20-26

132. Discussions with the Jews in the Temple 21: 23-23: 39 11: 27-12: 40 20: 1--47

133. The Widow's Mite .••............... 12: 41--44 21: 1-4

134. Greeks Desire to See the Lord . 12: 20-36

135. Unbelief of the Jews . 12: 37-50

136. The Lord Foretells the Destruction of {24: 1-6 13: 1-37 21: 5-38

the Temple and the Last Judgment... 24: 7-28

24: 29-35

24: 36-46

137. Lord Anointed in the House of Simon

the Leper 26: 1-13 14: 1-9

138. Treachery of Judas 26: 14-16 H:1o-11 22 Hi

139. Preparation for the Passover. 26: 17-19 H:12-16 22 7-13

140. The Last Supper. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 26: 20-29 H:17-25 22 14-30 13: 1-17: 26

141. Peter's Profession of Faith 26: 30-35 H:26-31 22 31-38

142. Prayer in Gethsemane. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 26: 36-46 14: 32--42 22 39-46 18:

143. Betrayal and Arrest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 26: 47-56 14: 43-52 22 47-53 18: 2-11

144. Trial before Caiaphas 26: 57-75 14: 53-72 22 54-71 18: 12-27

145. Repentance of Judas 2·7: 1-10

146. Trial before Pilate 27: 11-25 15 1-14 23 1-23 18: 28--40

147. The Lord Delivered to be Crucified 27: 26-34 15 15-23 23 24-32 19: 1-16

148. The Crucifur:ion. . . . . . . . . 27: 35-56 15 24--41 23 33--49 19.: 17-37

149. The Burial. 27: 57-61 15 42--47 23 50-56 19: 38--42

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MAP VII

FROM THE BURIAL TO THE ASCENSION

150. The Watch at the Sepulchre ... 27:62-66
151. The Morning of the Resurrection 28: 1-10 16: 1-11 24: 1-12 20: 1-18

152. Report of the Watch .......... 28: 11-15

153. The Walk to Emmaus ........
154. Appearance to the Ten ........
155. Appearance to the Eleven .....
16: 12-13

16: 14
. 24: 13-35

24:36-43 20: 19-25

20:26-31
156. Appearance to the Seven ...... 21: 1-24

157. Appearance on the Mountain .. 28: 16-20 16: 15-18

158. The Ascension ............... 16: 19-20 24:44-53

159. Conclusion of John's Gospel ... 21:25

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CHAPTER LXII

The Prayer in Gethsemane

Betrayal and Arrest

(Luke 22: 39-53. Map Nos. 142, 143)

Luke 22: 39. And He came out, and went, as He was wont, to the
Mount of Olives; and His disciples also followed Him.

I T WAS, you remember, late at night. The Lord had partaken
of the Last Supper with His Disciples in the upper chamber in Jerusa
lem. Departing thence they had all walked together to the East Gate
of the city. Descending the steep road to the valley of Kidron, they
crossed that stream and came into the Garden of Gethsemane on the
western slope of the Mount of OIiv~s.
The name "Gethsemane" means "oil press," and the garden was so
called because it contained a grove of olive trees. The place is still
marked by a few very old trees carefully preserved and protected by
the government. They are situated near the foot of the mountain,
just off the road leading to the summit.
Here the Lord stopped to rest.
Luke 22: 40. And when He was at the place, He said unto them,
Pray that ye enter not into temptation..
In Matthew and Mark we are told that the Lord bade the other
Disciples to sit and wait for Him, but took Peter, James, and John,
some little distance away, saying to them, "Tarry ye here, and watch
with me." Then He Himself "went a little farther." This last with
drawal is probably what is now referred to.
Luke 22: 41, 42. And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's
cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, saying, Father, if Thou be willing,
remove this cup from me: nevertheless, not my will, but Thine be
done.
459

A "stone's cast" is the distance one could throw a stone-far enough
so that He was alone, surrounded by the darkness of the night.
Here it is said, the Lord "kneeled down," but in Matthew we are
told that He "fell on His face." In ancient times the sign of the
greatest humility and most profound worship was first to kneel, and
then to throw one's self prone upon the ground.
The Lord was undergoing the most grievous of all His temptations.
He seemed to Himself to be utterly alone, weak and helpless as any
mortal man, and He prayed to the Father as if to someone outside of
Himself. He was really struggling within Himself as if He were two
persons. We all have a similar experience whenever we are tempted
to do something that we know is wrong. It is as if we had two selves.
One prompts us to do the wrong thing, and the other urges us to turn
away from it and do what is right. We are free to decide either way.
And whatever decision we make, it is we ourselves who take the
action. The truth is that evil spirits are present with us, and also
angels, and both are trying to lead us to do what they desire. The
evil spirits want us to do what is wrong, and the angels want us to do
what is right; and we must decide to follow either one or the other.
The angels prompt us to pray to the Lord for help. They lead us to
think of the Word, and of what the Lord commands us to do. But
the evil spirits make us think that we know better than the Lord-that
if we do the wrong thing we will gain a happiness that will be lost if
we do what the Lord says is right. Sometimes to do the Lord's Will
means that we must give up something we want very much, because
the Lord knows it would not be good for us to have it.
The Lord's temptations were far more severe than any that men
can possibly undergo. All the hells combined in an effort to destroy
Him, and they attacked Him repeatedly throughout His life on earth.
You will recall how the devil tempted Him three times in the wilder-
ness immediately after He had been baptized by John. (See Chapter
XX.) But this temptation was even deeper, for now He fought even
against the angels of heaven. These angels were very wise, but they
were not wise enough to know why the Lord should have to suffer
death upon the cross. Because they loved the Lord with all their
heart they wanted to protect Him from His enemies, and to save Him
from suffering. But the Lord knew it was right that He shOUld lay
down His life when His work on earth was finished, and He had to
cling to this conviction even against the angels. For this reason He
had to fight alone.

Betrayal and Arrest
He prayed, saying, "Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup
from me: nevertheless, not my will, but Thine be done." We have
explained why a "cup" means the suffering of temptation. It is be-
cause in ancient times a cup was used in giving bitter medicine.
The Lord was now referring to His approaching death. If it were
the Will of God, He asked that He might be spared this suffering.
But if, in the sight of God, it were right and necessary that He should
suffer in order that He might save the human race-if this were the
only way in which men could be restored to a true faith, and rescued
from the power of hell-then He wanted to lay down His life.
Luke 22: 43. And there appeared an angel unto Him from heaven,
strengthening Him.
We have said that the Lord here was fighting even against the
angels; and so He was. But when He had conquered in the tempta-
tion-when He had made the decision to do what He knew was right,
then the angels who had wished to spare Him the suffering of death
because they knew He was the Lord and believed in Him far more
implicitly than did any of His Disciples on earth-accepted His deci-
sion and supported Him in it. They knew that He must do whatever
was the Will of God.
We may gather some idea of this from the case of a mother who
dearly loves her son. If war should break out and he were called to
defend his country, she would wish to protect him from the danger of
)
being killed. But as soon as she knew that the country needed him,
and that it was his duty to fig.ht for its protection, she would not hold

l him back, although her heart were breaking. She would encourage
him, and help him in every way. So it was that the angels "strength-
. ened" the Lord.
Luke 22: 44. And being in an agony He prayed more earnestly: and
His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the
ground.
It was not for Himself that the Lord was praying. He feared
neither death nor the suffering of the cross. He was thinking of the
Disciples who were about to be left, as it were, alone. He was think-
ing of all the evils in the hearts of men that would prevent them from
receiving His Word. He knew that long centuries must pass, and
that many must endure great suffering before His Kingdom could at
last be established on the earth. It seemed to Him as though if He

should be taken from them, they would indeed be like sheep without a
shepherd, at the mercy of the wild beasts; and there would be no possi
bility of protecting them against the hells. This was the appearance
when He was in a state of temptation. And yet He knew that it was
not true. He knew that He would be far more present with men after
He had risen than He had been before. He knew that unless He laid
aside the material body and appeared in His glorified Human, no one
could know that He was indeed God, the Creator of the universe. And
clinging to this knowledge He overcame the appearance, and com
pelled Himself to do what was right and needful to save mankind.
We cannot understand how terrible this conflict was, because even
the worst of our temptations is as nothing when compared to it. But
as a sign of the awful struggle the Lord was undergoing it is said that
"His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the
ground."
Luke 22: 45, 46. And when He rose up from prayer, and was come
to His disciples, He found them sleeping for sorrow, and said unto
them, Why sleep ye? Rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.
The Disciples did not realize what was about to take place. They
knew that the Lord was very sad, but they did not know why.
They, too, were sorrowful, because they loved Him; but they had no
such temptation to meet, and being weary, when the Lord had left
them they fell asleep.
In the other Gospels we are told that the Lord returned to them
three times, and each time found them asleep.
The Lord knew that they also would be tempted to the very limit
of their endurance. He knew that they would undergo a supreme
test of their faith-a test so severe that if they had realized it before
hand they would have been unable to meet it. The Lord continually
protects us by not allowing us to know the trials we will have to face
in the future, lest in our weakness we should find a way to avoid them,
and thus be deprived of the benefits the Lord wishes to impart by
means of them. So now the Disciples were guarded against knowing
ahead of time that the Lord was to be crucified. Even though the
Lord Himself told them, they did not realize what He meant. Only
after it happened did they remember, and then they began to under
stand.
Prayer opens our minds and hearts to the entrance of the Lord,

Betrayal and Arrest

and prepares us to meet with courage whatever dangers or hardships
we may be called upon to pass through. This is the purpose of prayer,
and it is the reason why we should pray every day, so as to keep the
Lord and the angels near, to give us strength in the hour of need. And
this is why the Lord on the eve of His crucifixion urged His Disciples
to pray. It was also the reason why the Lord Himself prayed. For
His prayer, and the temptation that accompanied it, prepared Him
to meet calmly the terrible suffering that was in store for Him.
Luke 22: 47. And while He yet spake, behold a multitude, and he
that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew
near unto Jesus to kiss Him.
In the Gospel of John it is said: "Judas also, which betrayed Him,
knew the place: for Jesus ofttimes resorted thither with His disciples.
Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief
priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and
weapons." That is to say, when Judas had departed from the Last
Supper, he went to the chief priests and told them that he was now
ready to lead them to the Lord, that they might arrest Him. Think-
ing that the Disciples might fight to protect their Master, the priests
gathered a band of soldiers armed with spears and knives, and with
burning torches to light their way along the dark streets and roads.
Judas then went with them, guiding them out of the city by the East
Gate. And the Disciples, looking from the garden, could see them
as they descended the cliff to the valley below. They did not know
what it meant. They had no idea that the Lord was to be arrested.
They merely waited and watched the band of soldiers as they came
nearer.
When they had reached the garden, Judas, who was leading them,
went directly to the Lord and kissed Him. For this was the sign
that had been agreed upon. The soldiers did not know who the Lord
was until Judas made Him known to them by this sign.
Luke 22: 48. But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the
Son of man with a kiss?
A kiss is a token of love and friendship. But Judas at this moment
did not love the Lord. He merely pretended to love Him in order
that he might betray Him. However! the Lord knew what was in
his heart.

Luke 22: 49, 50. When they which were about Him saw what
would follow, they said unto Him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword?
And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his
right ear.
The Disciples now realized for the first time that these soldiers had
come to arrest the Lord. They wanted to fight to protect Him.
Wherefore they said, "Lord, shall we smite with the sword?"
Nearly every one at that day, if he went on a journey, was armed
with some weapon. For there were many robber bands that infested
the roads, and the soldiers were not able to protect travelers as the
police do in our modern times. It was not strange therefore that
some of the Disciples should have swords on them.
In John it is said that Peter was the one who drew his sword, and
that Malchus was the name of the servant whose right ear was cut off.
Luke 22: 51. And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far.
And He touched his ear, and healed him.
Many Christians have taken this action of the Lord to imply that
it is wrong for us to fight under any circumstances. They think the
Lord intended to teach that regardless of what our enemies might do to
us, we should meekly submit, and by no means resist them with
violence. For this reason they refuse to go to war even when their
country is threatened with invasion.
But this was not what the Lord meant. He intended to teach
that we should not fight against something that the Lord has in
dicated is necessary. We should not resist the leading of Provi
dence. It was needful that the Lord should be arrested and put to
death. This was the final means whereby He was to overcome the
hells and liberate men from the power of evil. This is clear from
what He said to Peter, as related in the Gospel of Matthew: "Thinkest
thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and He shall presently give
me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the
scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?" The Lord could have
prevented His arrest. He did not need His Disciples to fight in His
defence. He could have escaped, and "walked through the midst of
them," even as He had done on several occasions before, and they
would have had no power against Him. But now His time was come.
He Himself, of His own Will, was permitting these soldiers to arrest
Him, in order that He might accomplish the end for which He had

Betrayal and Arrest
come into the world. He did not want the Disciples to interfere with
this Divine purpose. That is the reason why He commanded them
not to fight, and why He healed the ear of Malchus.

Luke 22: 52, 53. Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and cap
tains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to Him, Be ye
come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves? When I was
daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me:
but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.
You can wen understand that neither evil spirits nor men could
attack the Lord as He is in the sun of the spiritual world, far above
the heavens. He had to put on a body of flesh and blood by birth into
the world in order that they might attack Him, and that He then might
conquer them, and reduce the hells to order.
When He was in the Temple He was always surrounded by multi
tudes who believed on Him; and in the other world He was surrounded
by all the heavens. Because the Temple was the Lord's House, dedi
cated to the worship of Him, it was holy; and the evil spirits were
restrained by fear from attacking Him.
But now the Lord was in the Garden of Gethsemane, outside the
city, at the foot of the Mount of Olives, in a lonely spot, surrounded
by the Disciples; and it was the middle of the night. Here the evil
spirits were able to attack Him, since He was, as it were,' removed
from the protecting sphere of the Temple, from the light of day, and
from the multitudes who were His friends. So it is with all criminals
and evil men. They are cowards. They strike in the dark, and when
their victim is alone and unarmed.
But the Lord had deliberately come to this spot. He had calmly
waited for them here. He had allowed time for Judas to consult the
priests, to gather the soldiers, and to bring them here in order that
they might arrest Him, and so doing might make manifest their wicked
hatred against Him for all good men to see, and thus might condemn
themselves. This is why He said, "This is your hour, and the power
of darkness."
The priests, the Pharisees, the elders of the Jews pretended to be
good. They pretended to love J ehovah and to keep the Law of the
Word. They deceived the simple people who followed them because
they thought they were wise and God-fearing men. The only way

in which the good people could be delivered from their power was
for these men to show, by their words and their deeds, how evil
they were at heart. When this was known the good would no longer
follow them, and their power would be broken. And so the Lord al
lowed them to come to the Garden of Gethsemane by night and arrest
Him, and later to condemn Him and put Him to death as the one
means whereby the power of the hells through them might be broken,
and the human race might be liberated.
We are told in the Gospel of Mark (14 :50--52) that when the sol
diers seized the Lord to lead Him away, the Disciples "all forsook
Him and fled. And there followed Him a certain young man, having
a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold
on him: and he left the linen cloth, and.fled from them naked." This
young man is not elsewhere mentioned. It is supposed that he was
John Mark, the one who later was called by the Lord to write the
Gospel of Mark. The fact that he was speaking of himself would
explain why he did not mention his name.

r.

CHAPTER LXIII

Trial Before Caiaphas

Repentance ofJudas

(Luke 22: 54-71; Matthew 27: 1-10. Map Nos. 144, 145)

Luke 22: 54. Then took they Him, and led Him, and brought Him
unto the high priest's house. And Peter followed afar off.

THE soldiers now led the Lord back into the city, first to the house
of Annas, and then to that of Caiaphas. Annas was the father-in-law
of Caiaphas. He had been High Priest several years before, and now
as an old man he was assisting Caiaphas. His opinion was highly
regarded, and the priests and scribes wished to hear his judgment as
to what should be done with the Lord. He ~efused to pass judgment,
however, and referred them to Caiaphas.
Evidently, although it was the middle of the night, Caiap~as had
sent out and gathered together in his home the members of the Sanhe
drin, while the soldiers were arresting the Lord and bringing Him from
the garden. The Sanhedrin was the highest court for the administration
of Jewish Law. It consisted of seventy judges, but as few as twenty
three could act in the name of the tribunal. The usual meeting place
was a room of the Temple, but on this occasion, when great haste was
desired, they gathered in the house of the High Priest.
All the Disciples had fled and scattered, but Peter followed the
soldiers at a safe distance to watch where they went. John also fol
lowed them, as we learn from John 18: 15. Caiaphas had known John,
probably because he had received instruction from the priests, and he
was admitted into the room where the Lord's trial was to take place.
But Peter waited outside near the entrance. When John saw him
there he spoke to one of the servants, saying that Peter was a friend
of his, whereupon Peter was admitted, not into the council chamber,
46 7

468 Trial Before Caiaphas - Repentance of Judas

but into an adjoining courtyard, whence through an open doorway
he could see what was taking place.
Luke 22: 55-62. And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of
the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them. But
a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked
upon him, and said, This man was also with Him. And he denied Him
saying, Woman, I know Him not. And after a little while another
saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I
am not. And about the space of one hour after another confidently
affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with Him: for he is
a Calilaean. And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest.
And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew. And the Lord
turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of
the Lord, how He had said, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me
thrice. And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.
In the midst of the courtyard a fire had been lit, and a number of
servants were gathered round it. Peter joined them, listening to their
talk. While he thus sat, a woman openly accused him of being one of
the Lord's Disciples, but he denied it. Later a man also accused him.
Again he denied that he knew the Lord. An hour later, another, hav
ing heard him speak, said that he must be a Disciple of the Lord be
cause his speech betrayed him as a native of Galilee, where the Lord
had spent most of His life on earth. For the third time Peter denied
that he knew the Lord, and at once the cock crowed. The Lord who
was standing before His judges, bound and under guard of the soldiers
who had arrested Him, turned and looked at Peter through the door.
And Peter, remembering what the Lord had said of him, went out and
wept bitterly. He had loved the Lord. He had been willing to die
for Him. Yet the shock and the fear of what had happened had been
too strong, and he had lied to protect himself. But he was not evil
at heart, and when he realized what he had done he repented at once,
weeping bitterly. And from that time forward he remained true to
the Lord, proving his courage in the face of persecution and suffering,
and at last giving up his life for his faith.
The fact that the cock crowed indicates that the dawn was just
beginning to break.
Luke 22: 63-65. And the men that held Jesus mocked Him, and
smote Him. And when they had blindfolded Him, they struck Him

Trial Before Caiaphas - Repentance of Judas 469
on the face, and asked Him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote
Thee? And many other things blasphemously spake they against
Him.
Apparently this took place while they were waiting for the elders,
the scribes, and the priests, who were the judges, to assemble in suf
ficient numbers to hold a trial.
Luke 22: 66. And as soon as it was day, the elders of the people and
the chief priests and the scribes came together, and led Him into their
council,
Up to this time there had been no ordered meeting, but just an in
formal gathering. But when enough of them had arrived they took
their regular places, with Caiaphas presiding, and the Lord was led
into the midst of them before the judgment seat.
Then they caned for witnesses to testify against Him. However,
the Lord had committed no crime for which He could legally be con
demned. Then the priests induced certain ones to come forward and
testify falsely. But their accusations contradicted each other. At
last two witnesses came, saying, "This fellow said, I am able to de
stroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days." (Matthew
26: 61.) This was not what the Lord had said. His words had been,
"Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." (John
2: 19.) But He was speaking of the temple of His body', which
was to be put to death on the cross, and raised up again on the third
day. The High Priest said unto Him, "Answerest Thou nothing?
what is it which these witness against Thee?" (Mark 14: 60.) But
the Lord refused to reply, because the testimony had been false.
Luke 22: 66-71. Saying, Art Thou the Christ? tell us. And He said
unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe: and if I also ask you, ye
will not answer me, nor let me go. Hereafter shall the Son of man
sit on the right hand of the power of God. Then said they all, Art
Thou then the Son of God? And He said unto them, Ye say that I
am. And they said, What need we any further witness? for we
ourselves have heard of His own mouth.
The Lord would not answer their questions as long as they were
bringing false accusations against Him. But when they asked if He
were the Son of God, He replied at once that He was. This was true,

470 Trial Bejore Caiaphas - Repentance oj Judas

and He would not deny it, whatever the consequences might be. And
they quickly seized upon this admission to condemn Him to death.
The whole proceeding was illegal. It was forbidden in Jewish Law
to try criminals at night. It was against the law to pass judgment on
the same day the trial was held. And it was also against the law to
try a criminal on the day before the Sabbath. All this the judges
weB knew. But they were determined to put the Lord to death, and
they feared greatly that if they delayed, His followers would gather
and create a disturbance that would cause the Roman Governor to
interfere, and bring punishment upon them for breaking the peace.
Also they knew that it was against the law to execute a criminal on the
Sabbath; and unless they were to delay their deed until the following
week, they must have the Lord condemned and put to death that same
day. For all these reasons they acted with the utmost haste, and
without regard to the laws intended to protect a prisoner from in
justice, giving every opportunity for his friends to bring forward evi
dence in his defence.
The Jewish Law required that no man should be condemned on the
testimony of one witness. There must be at least two who accused
him, and the testimony of these two must be in harmony. In the case
of the Lord they had failed to find two witnesses whose accusations
agreed. But at last they had received what they considered to be a
confession of guilt from the Lord Himself. He had said that He was
the Son of God. This they regarded as blasphemy against God, and
blasphemy among the Jews was punishable by death. So now He
was pronounced guilty and sentenced to die.
But under the Roman Law, while the Jews were allowed to punish
criminals for minor offences, they were not permitted to put any man
to death without the permission of the Roman Governor. So they had
to go before Pilate to secure his sanction of the Lord's execution.
Matthew 27: 1, 2. When the morning was come, all the chief priests
and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put Him to
death: and when they had bound Him, they led Him away, and de
livered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor.
After Caiaphas had condemned the Lord, the Sanhedrin still had
to consider how they were to carry out the sentence against Him
without incurring the wrath of the Romans. This is what is meant by
their taking counsel to put Him to death. The charge of blasphemy,


because the Lord had said He was the Son of God, would not be re
garded by the Romans as serious--certainly not as worthy.of death.
Pilate would not understand why the Jews should be so enraged
against the Lord. The judges therefore had to plan how to present
the case in such a way as to convince Pilate that their condemnation
was just. All this required time, and probably two or three hours
elapsed before they were ready to leave the house of Caiaphas and
take the Lord to Pilate. It is also probable that Pilate would not sit
in judgment so early in the morning, and that they had to wait until his
court had been opened.
Matthew 27: 3-5. Then Judas, which had betrayed Him, when he
saw that He was condemned, rePented himself, and brought again the
thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, I have
sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said,
What is that to us? See thou to that. And he -cast down the pieces
of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.
Judas was with the soldiers. He must have been present at the
trial in the house of Caiaphas. And when he realized that the Lord
had actually been condemned to death, he awoke to the enormity of
his own crime in betraying one whom he knew was innocent of any
evil. He appealed to the priests, saying that he had sinned, and that
he knew the Lord was innocent, hoping that they would release Him.
But the priests cared nothing about Judas, nor how he felt. They
had merely used him as a tool to accomplish their purpose. They
would not take back the money they had given him, nor would they
consider his testimony of the Lord's innocence.
Then in despair and remorse, Judas went to the Temple, threw
down__ the thirty pieces of silver, and went and hanged himself.
We do not know whether at heart Judas was an evil man. Cer
tainly his betrayal of the Lord was an act of treachery that is beneath
contempt, inspired by the devils of hell. But why did he do it?
What was his secret motive? Was it because he really hated the
Lord and wanted to see His life destroyed? This can be known only
to the Lord. But there is a possibility that Judas wanted the Lord
to prove His Divinity by a miracle that would persuade all men to
believe in Him. He may have thought that if he delivered the Lord
into the hands of His enemies, the Lord would demonstrate that they
had no power to injure Him, and by some wonderful means would

472 Trial Before Caiaphas - Repentance of Judas

set them at nought, so that He would reign supreme and establish His
Kingdom at once. If this were so it would explain why he repented
as soon as he saw that this would not happen, and that the Lord would
actually be put to death.
Even then, of course, what he did was wrong. For he was trying to
force the Lord to do what he wanted Him to do, instead of acknow
ledging that the Lord was all-wise, and that if He refused to be a
natural king it must be for a Divine reason. It was because he in
sisted upon his own will, instead of following the Lord, that he com
mitted himself into the hands of the evil spirits and allowed them to
lead him into so dire a sin. But if this was because of ignorance and
misunderstanding, rather than the result of hatred against the Lord,
he could repent and be forgiven by the Lord.
That Judas was forgiven would seem to be implied by the fact that
as we are taught in the Writings, on the nineteenth day of June in
the year 1770, the Lord "called together His Twelve Disciples who
followed Him in the world; and the next day He sent them all forth
throughout the whole spiritual world to preach the Gospel that THE
LORD GOD JESUS CHRIST reigns." (T.C.R.791.) Still, we are no
where told that Judas went to heaven. The sin he committed was in
itself the worst of all evils, and at the time he committed it he was
being used by the lowest hells, where the devils are in hatred against
the Lord.
Matthew 27: 6-10. And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and
said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is
the price of blood. And they took counsel, and bought with them
the potter's field, to bury strangers in. Wherefore that field is called,
The field of blood unto this day. Then was fulfilled that which was
spoken by J eremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces
of silver, the price of Him that was valued, whom they of the children
of Israel did value; and gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord
appointed me.
Money that had been paid to betray the Lord could not make an
acceptable offering in worship. That which had been given in hatred
against the Lord could not be a token of love to Him. The priests
could not keep it themselves without seeming to admit that they too
had repented of what they had done. So with the thirty pieces of
silver they decided to buy a field wherein penniless strangers might be


buried-people who were not considered worthy to lie in the same
burial ground with the bodies of the faithful.
Perhaps you can understand a little of what this means. The
silver money given to Judas for betraying the Lord represents the Truth
of the Word which had been given them by the Lord in order that
they might worship Him from the heart. But they had perverted this
Truth and falsified it, using it to confirm their hatred against the Lord.
That this silver should be used to buy a potter's field wherein strangers
were to be buried, meant that the Truth they had so misused would be
taken from them and given to Gentile peoples who would receive it
gladly, and would be given the blessings of heaven by means of it. It
meant that a new church was to be raised up among other nations
more worthy than the Jews.
That this would be the case had been prophesied long years before
as written in Zechariah 11: 12, 13.

CHAPTER LXIV

Trial Before Pilate
The Lord Delivered to be Crucified
(Matthew 27: 11-34. Map Nos. 146, 147)

Matthew 27: 11. And Jesus stood before the governor: and the gov
ernor asked Him, saying, Art Thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus
said unto him, Thou sayest.

ELATE had been appointed Procurator, or Governor of Judea
by Tiberius Caesar in the year A. D. 26, and he retained this office
for ten years. The Romans had attached Judea to the larger prov
ince of Syria, and Pilate's official residence was in Caesarea. But
at the time of the Jewish Passover the garrison at Jerusalem was
strengthened as a precaution against a possible outbreak when so
many of the Jews were gathered together. Pilate then took l,lp tem
porary residence in Herod's palace.
Here it was that the Lord was brought after He had been condemned
by the Sanhedrin. The palace contained a large hall of judgment
where the governor held court. But the Jews, on this occasion, would
not enter into the house of a Gentile, because this, according to their
law, would render them unclean, and would prevent them from cele
brating the Passover. They remained outside, therefore, while the
Lord was taken in by the soldiers and presented to Pilate for judgment.
Pilate then went out to them, asking "What accusation bring ye
against this man?" They replied, "If He were not a malef~tor, we
would not have delivered Him up unto thee." The Greek word here
translated "malefactor" means a "disturber of the peace." This was
a very vague charge, and might be made for quite a minor offence.
Pilate wondered why, if it were such a small matter, they should
trouble him about it. Wherefore he said, "Take ye Him, and judge
Him according to your law." But now the real reason appeared why
474

Delivered to be Crucified 475
they had come to him, for t1!ey said, "It is not lawful for us to put any

--.-
man to death." But why should He be put to death if He were only a
"disturber~~ ~e"? This was the question they had to answer
befure Pilate would do what they wanted. They could not use the

i charge of blasphemy, on which He had been condemned by the
Sanhedrin, for thIS would not be regarded as worthy of death. So
now they began to accuse Him on other grounds, saying, "We found
( tpis kIlOW'" p~rti;;:g the nation, andforbidding...!2. give tribute to
) Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ a King." (Luke 23: 2.)
( This was ind~d a serious charge-a charge of treason against the
EJ.!lp~!:£lr. Pilate therefore went back into the judgment hall~s
tion the Lord about it. "Art Thou the King of the Jews?" he asked.
"Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others
tell it thee of me? Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? ~hine o~on
~ - and the chief priests have delivered Thee unto me: what hast Thou
ck>ne? Jesu-; ans;-ered, My kingdom is ;rt ~is world: if my king-
dom were of this world, then would _m servantught 1J1at I should
2.. not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
Pilate therefore said unto Him, A.!.t Thou a king then? Je.sus answered,

j Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this
cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth.
Everyone that is of the truth heareth my voice. Pilate saith unto
Him, What is truth? And when he had said this he went 'out again
unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in Him no fault at all."
(John 18:34-38.)
The Lord made it perfectly clear that although He was a King,
come to establish a Heavenly Kingdom, he was not stirring up revolt
{ against the Roman Government. He could not therefore be found
guilty of treason as the Jews had charged. Furthermore, Pilate knew
that t.h.iS was not the real reason why they wante.d to put Him to death.
For the Jewish Sanhedrin had no love for Caesar. The would not
become so incensed against one who sought to deliver them f~he
f power of Rome. He saw clearly, therefore, fliat t ey were moved,
not by loyalty to Caesar, but Qyjealousy ~ain~~J~n because
He had gained such a wide following, and because He had refused to
{ recognize their authority. This was no ground on which Pilate could
justly condemn Him to death.
Yet, although he knew the Lord was innocent, Pilate was afraid ()f
wh t wou!sUIap~n if he refused to take action to unish one who was

.-J' ~ vJ''''"""? ~ fv> -.J~ '1 .H...t -r J ~
~..... / ~- ~4 JJ...:.. I·"...... 1 Ji-.'A 7 /!,r
( Trial Before Pilate

accused of treason against the Emperor. The Jews would spread
n~ors questioning his own loyalty. They wOcld sellii a report oithe
IJ [ incident to Rome, a~ng him of neglecting to defend the Emperor.
-
I I 1
He feared that he would lose favor and be de rived of his office. He
did not want to condemn an innocent man, but he was afraid to defy
the anger o~ J ewish rulers.

----
Matthew 27: 12-14. And when He was accused of the chief priests
and elders, He answered nothing. Then Pilate said unto Him, Hearest
Thou not how many things they witness against Thee? A He a_n
swered him never a word,. insomuch that the governor marvelled
greatly.
When Pilate declared that he found no fault in the Lord, the mob
outside was still more infuriated. For they were determined to take
the Lord's life. And they shouted out many accusations against the
---
Lord, insomuch that He could hear them from within the judgment
(hall. But He remained silent, offering no word of explanation or de
~ fence. And since His life was at stake, Pilate marvelled that He
I refused to defend Himself.
As they were reviling Him they said, "He stirreili.. u the .2~e,
( teaching thrQ..ughout all ~!"y, b.-eginniDg from Ga~lee to this place.
) When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a GaU
I laean. And as soon e new that He belong~ unto Herod's jurisdic
{tion he Him to Herod, who himself was at Jersalem at that time."
(Luke 23: 5-7.) Herod Antipas was the Tetrarch of Galilee, and
crimes committed in that province would naturally come before him
for judgment. Pilate at once thought to avoid responsibility by turn
--..
i~g the Lord over to Herpd, who, as it happened, had come to Jerusa
(lem for the feast. It _cwpears also that ther_e h ill feeling
) between these t~yo governors over some uestion of jurisdic!!on, and
Pilate seized upon this opportunity to make a courteous gesture of
I reconciliation, publicly acknowledging the prior authority of Herod
l within his own territory.
Pilate therefore sent the Lord, under military guard, to Herod, and
there t~b following Him repeated their false accusations.""'It is
( said that Herod was glad, having desired for a long time to see the
JLord-not that he loved Him nor believed in His teachings, but because
) of all the wonderful miracles that had been reported of Him. -~d
was curious, and hoped to see Him perform some miracles, although

he believed they were accomplished by trickery. However, when
the Lord refused to satisfy his curiosity, and remained silent in the
( face of His accusers, Herod joined with the soldiers in mocking~,
and he arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe, as if He were indeed to be
1 hailed a king, and sent Himback to Pilate, refusing to pass judgment
on the case.
"And Pilate, when he had called toget;E.er the chief Pliests and the
) rulers of the eople, said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto
me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, havin.g examined
) Him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things
l whereof ye accuse Him : No, nor yet Herod: for I have sent you to
(him; and, 10, nothing worthy of death is done unto Him. I will there
) fore chastise Him, and release Him." (Luke 23: 13-16.) He offered a
' compromise, namely, that the Lord should be punished as if He had
I committed some minor offence, although He had done nothing ~ng.
In order to roted himself, Pilate was willin to disregard !ustice and

i a~g.~~~rved punishm~nt, but not to put an innocent man to
death.
Matthew 27: 15-18. Now at that feast the governor was wont to
release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would. And t&y had
then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas. Therefore when they were
gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release
unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ? For h kn w
that f~vy they had deliv~im.
Nothing is known of the origin of the custom, but each year at the
·Passover Feast the governor would release some prisone~ fuuequest
Sof the Jewish eople. This was probably a means of impressing them
, ;itlithe magnani~ity of their conquerors, at a time, when if their
passions were roused, there was danger of mob violence.
Barabbas was a robber who had committed murder in the course of
an insurrection. Both the Roman and the Jewish Law had con
demned him to death, and he was now in prison awaiting execution.
Matthew 27: 19. When he was set down on the judgment seat, his
wif!!. sent unto him, Flying, Have thou nothing to do with that j;;;t
man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of
Him.
The Jews would not enter into the hall of judgment because of the
Passover. A 'udgment seat, therefore was laced outside the palace

47 8 Trial Before Pilate

on a paved terrace called "Gabbatha." Here Pilate now sat to render
his decision, and the Lord was brought forth to stand before him.
Meanwhile Pilate's wife sent a messen er to her husband warning
' him not to condemn a ju~n. She had had a dream con~ing..Q1e
I L~d that fgghtened her, and she regarded it as a sign that He was in
nocent, and was by no means to be condemned, lest His judge be guilty
of great injustice.
(Matthew 27: 20-23. But the chief ,£riests and elders persuaded the
) multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. The
1 governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye
5 that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. Pilate saith unto
I them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? '!.!!:§y

-
( all say unto him, Let Him be crucified.
Pilate did not want to condemn the Lord. In every way that would
( not jeopardize his own position, he tried to rotect the Lord against
) ~rY' of the multi~de crying for His blood. But he was w@k.
:§;e did not have the c02.~ag~ to do what he knew was just and right in
the face of violent opposition. He could not ut aside thought
5 of his own p'ersonal welfare, nor ignore the danger that he might 10;
1 the favor of the Emperor.
Three times Pilate asked the Jews to let him release the Lord, say
ing, "What evil hath He done? I have found no cause of death in
Him: I will therefore chastise Him and let Him go. And they were
J instant with loud voices, requiring that He might be cruc~A~e
1 v~s of them and of the chief priests prevailed." (Luke 23: 22, 23.)
) Matthew 27: 24, 25. When Pilate saw that he could prevail noth
ing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his
hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this
just person: see ye to it. Then (lnswered all the eop!:e, and said, His
1 blood be on us, and on our children.
.)1 Pilate refused to condemn the Lord, but he allowed Him to b~ci
fied. He could not avoid the responsibility of his office, whereby he
J ';;s called upon not only to condemn the guilty but also to protect the
1 innocent. T~ protectio.!!..he now refused to gi,ye because he fe~ed
h· ~ q{ --- l the consequences to himself. No water could wash away the guilt
of this cowardly act. Still it was true that the chief guilt lay with
. the priests, the scribes, the elders, and the Pharisees, whomre crying
- ....

out in rage for the Lord's life. They were quite willing that His blood
si10iiidbeon them and on their children.
Matthew 27: 26. Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when
he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.
It was the Roman custom to scourge or whip a criminal before he
was executed.
Matthew 27: 27-31. Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus
into the common hall, and gathered unto Him the whole band of sol
diers. And they stripped Him, and put on Him a scarlet robe. And
when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon His head,
and a reed in His right hand: and they bowed the knee before Him,
and mocked Him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! And they spit
upon Him, and took the reed, and smote Him on the head. And after
that they had mocked Him, they took the robe off from Him, and put
His own raiment on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.
The soldiers who had arrested the Lord were employed by the
priests. But when sentence had been pronounced, He was taken in
charge by the soldiers under the direct command of Pilate. Both
groups of soldiers, however, participated in the mockery of crowning
Him with thorns, and subjecting Him to every indignity.
Matthew 27: 32. And as they came out, they found a ,man of
Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear His cross.
Leaving the hall of judgment, the soldiers led the way through the
streets of Jerusalem toward the North Gate. One about to be crucified
was required to carry, or help to carry his own cross to the place of
execution. But a Cyrenian named Simon, who returning from the
country happened to pass by, was compelled by the soldiers to bear the
cross of the Lord.
Matthew 27: 33, 34. And when they were come unto a place called
Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, they gave Him vinegar to
drink mingled with gall: and when He had tasted thereof, He would
not drink.
Golgotha was the name of a rocky hill just outside the North Gate
of the city. It was so called because from a distance it looked like a
skull.

480 Trial Before Pilate
Criminals were executed in prominent places, in order to strike fear
into the hearts of others who might be tempted to commit similar
crimes. So here there was a place of execution along the road where
all travelers entering or leaving the city toward the north would have
to pass close by.
Vinegar was supposed to dull the sense of pain. It is s~e,
and re resents what is false, as ood wine repi.ese.D~th. The Lord
had been condemned by false accusations to which He had made no
reply. To have taken the vinegar would have meant an admission
that these accusations were true, and this the Lord refused to do.

CHAPTER LXV

The Crucifixion

The Burial

(Matthew 27: 35-61. Map Nos. 148, 149.)

Matthew 27: 35. And they crucified Him, and parted His garments,
casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the
prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture
did they cast a lot.

A ROUGH cross of wood was planted upright in the ground, and
the Lord was fastened to it with nails through His hands and His feet.
The soldiers, acting on the order of Pilate, crucified the Lord, divid
ing His outer garments among them, each taking one. But there
was an inner garment, woven in a single piece, and instead of destroy
ing this they cast lots for it. (John 19: 23,24_) That this would be
done had been foretold in Psalm 22: 18. But no one had realized
what the phophecy meant until after it had been fulfilled.

Matthew 27: 36. And sitting down they watched Him there:
Among those who witnessed the crucifixion, besides the soldiers,
were the crowds of priests, elders, scribes, and Pharisees who had
plotted with so much hatred to put the Lord to death. A number of
His followers watched from a distance. But Mary, the Mother of the
Lord, and her sister, and Mary Magdalene, together with John the
beloved Apostle, stood near the cross. Then the Lord, looking upon
His Mother, said to her, "Woman, behold thy son I" And turning His
eyes upon John, He said, "Behold thy mother! And from that hour
that disciple took her unto his own home." (John 19: 26, 27.)

Matthew 27: 37. And set up over His head, His accusation written,
THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

The Crucifixion - The Burial
These words were written by Pilate, and he commanded that they
be fastened at the head of the cross. They were repeated in three
different languages, Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. The natural reason
for this was that all might read them, whatever their nationality might
be. But there was a further meaning, unknown to Pilate and not
understood even by the Disciples. For it was not then realized that
the Lord at His Second Coming would give a final Divine Revelation
written in the Latin tongue. But now we know that the Lord led
Pilate to do this because the universal Truth taught in the Word is that
Jesus Christ is indeed the King of Kings, the God of heaven and
earth. This is proclaimed throughout the Old Testament which is
written in Hebrew. It is proclaimed in the New Testament which
has been preserved to us in the Greek language. And it is proclaimed
everywhere in the Writings now given in the Latin tongue.
The Jews did not like this superscription. They went to Pilate
and asked him to change it to read, "He said, I am King of the
Jews." But Pilate refused, saying, "What I have written, I have
written." (John 19: 20-22.)
Matthew 27: 38. Then were there two thieves crucified with Him,
one on the right hand, and another on the left.
One of these thieves "railed on Hi!ll' saying, If Thou be Christ, save
Thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost
not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And
we indeed jusfly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this
man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remem
ber me when Thou earnest into Thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto
him, Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise."
(Luke 23: 39-43.) Both the malefactors had committed serious
crimes. One was not sorry for what he had done, but merely wished
to escape punishment. He did not believe in the Lord, and joined
with those who were mocking Him. But the other acknowledged his
evil, was willing to take his punishment, and repenting, asked the Lord
to forgive him. The Lord is always ready to forgive one who sin
. cerely repents, whatever his sin may have been. Both these criminals
were evil in the sight of men. But the Lord knew their hearts, and
He knew that one could be saved in the other world, while the other
could not. Wherefore He said to the repentant sinner, "today shalt
thou be with me in paradise."

T he Crucifixion·- The Burial
This declaration of the Lord teaches us very openly, that as the
Writings explain, every man rises again immediately after the body
dies. Yet in spite of this, most Christians persist in the false idea
that no one will rise after death until the "last day" at some future
time, when as they suppose the sun will be darkened, the moon will not
give its light, and the stars will faH from heaven, and the Lord will
create a new world for them to live in.
Matthew 27: 39-44. And they that passed by reviled Him, wagging
their heads, and saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and build-
est it in three days, save Thyself. If Thou be the Son of God, come
down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocking Him,
with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others; Himself He cannot
save. If He be the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the
cross, and we will believe Him. He trusted in God; let Him deliver
Him now, if He will have Him: for He said, I am the Son of God.
The thieves also, which were crucified with Him, cast the same in His
teeth.
The Jews who did this were inspired by the hells with malice and
hatred. The evil spirits putting words of derision in their mouth
were jubilant, supposing that they had destroyed the Lord.
They clamored for Him to come down from the cross, declaring that
if He did so then they would believe in Him. But the Lord knew
that they would not believe, even if He did as they desired. Nothing
would convince them of His Divinity because they did not want to
believe. It would have been with them as it had been with their
fathers, who, even while Moses was receiving the Ten Command-
ments on Mount Sinai, forsook the worship of the Lord to adore a
golden calf. If the Lord had come down from the cross, as indeed
He could have done, they would have been compelled to acknowledge
Him outwardly, but they would still have hated Him, and would have
continued to plot against Him. Also, while then the Lord would
have returned to life on earth, He could not have revealed Himself
in His glorified Human to those, both in this world and in the other,
who loved Him. Nor could the Disciples have come to know Him
as they did after His resurrection. They would not have under-
stood the nature of His Kingdom in the heavens, and a truly spiritual
church could not have been raised up among-men. Because the Lord
knew all this He paid no attention to their wicked mockery, persist-

ing in His purpose to lay down His life-the life of the material body
for which He had no further need-and to take upon Himself the
glorified body in which He was to reign thereafter as the supreme
Ruler of the universe.
It is to be noted that the Jews, in thus yielding to the evil spirits
that inspired them, demonstrated before all good men how cruel, harsh,
and hateful they were, even though they pretended to be so devoted
to the Law of Moses. The Disciples afterwards could realize that the
Jewish Church was dead, and that a new church entirely distinct and
separate from it must be established by all those who believed in
the Lord. And the same thing happened in the spiritual world,
where the simple good spirits who had in ignorance accepted the
false teaching of the Jewish rabbis, came to see the selfishness, the
hypocrisy, the utter wickedness that had lain concealed under an out
ward pretense of worshiping J ehovah. In order to separate these
simple good in both worlds, from the evil who had held them in bond
age, the Lord permitted the Jews to do all these terrible things to Him,
and underwent the horrible suffering of the cross. For there was no
other means whereby He could save the human race from eternal death.
Matthew 27: 45. Now from the sixth hour there was darkness all
over the land unto the ninth hour.
It was about the sixth hour, according to Jewish reckoning, which
would be noon according to our time, when the Lord w~ crucified.
A great storm came up. Black clouds covered the sky and plunged
the world into a strange darkness that struck all men with awe, causing
them to wonder what was about to happen.
Matthew 27: 46-49. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a
loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, Lama sabachthani? That is to say, My
God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me? Some of them that stood
there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias. And
straightway one of them ran, and took a sponge, and filled it with
vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave Him to drink. The rest said,
Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save Him.
The Lord spoke in the Aramaic language used by the common
people of Palestine. But those who heard did not know what the
words meant. They thought that instead of calling upon God, He
was asking the Prophet Elias or Elijah to rescue Him.

They had offered the Lord vinegar before He was crucified, and
He refused it. But now when they offered Him vinegar on a reed
made of hyssop, He drank it. The reason is that the vinegar first
offered represented the falsities of the Jews who had the Word, and
who should have known better. They were in the falsity that is the
invention of an evil heart, and this the Lord utterly rejected. But
the vinegar now offered to Him represented the falsities of the Gen
tile peoples who were in ignorance, and yet who were searching for the
Truth. This falsity the Lord mercifully accepts as if it were the
Truth, until genuine instruction can be given. And the Lord is ever
ready to help and to teach those who sincerely come to Him, however
great the falsity in which they may be.
Matthew 27: 50. Jesus, when He had cried again with a loud voice,
yielded up the ghost.
By this is meant that the body died. The lungs ceased to function,
and the beating of the heart was stilled. This is what happens to
everyone when the time comes for the spirit to be separated from the
body, in order that he may awaken to life in the spiritual world.

Matthew 27: 51-53. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in
twain from the top to the bottom,. and the earth did quake, and the
rocks rent; and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the
saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after Hi~ resur
rection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
The veil of the temple marked the division between the Holy Place
where the priests ministered-providing the shewbread, tending the
lampstand, and burning incense-and the Holy of Holies where the
Ark of the Covenant was kept. This Holy of Holies was the special
abiding place of the Lord, whence He had spoken to Aaron, the High
Priest, from behind the veil. But this inner sanctuary of the Jews was
in total darkness because they did not really see the Lord, nor did they
understand truly who He was. But now He was to be made known
to all who were willing to receive Him. They were to see Him as He
is in heaven. They were to worship Him henceforth as a visible God,
seen and known as Jesus Christ, risen and glorified. This is the
reason why the veil was rent from the top to the bottom, flooding the
Holy of Holies with new light. It is the reason why in our Church
the sanctuary where the Word is kept is not hidden behind a veil.

The Crucifixion ~ The Burial
When we worship, the Word lies open upon the altar in full view.
This because the Lord has now revealed Himself to us in glory.
There was indeed an earthquake that caused the rocks to crack and
the walls of the houses to tremble, striking fear into the hearts of men.
But people who had been dead did not rise out of their graves in their
material bodies. Some, however, whose spiritual eyes were opened,
saw into the other world, and there beheld in vision some who they
knew had died.
But the greatest earthquake, and the one primarily meant here in
the Word, took place in the world of spirits, where the Lord was about
to set free the good spirits from the imprisonment in which they had
been kept by the evil. To these, because they now felt new hope and
new life, it seemed as though they had been dead and were now living,
experiencing a joy unutterable because they had seen the Lord, and
knew that He had come to save them.
Matthew 27: 54. Now when the centurion, and they, that were with
him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were
done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
The centurion was the Roman officer in charge of the soldiers who
had crucified the Lord. They were now frightened by the darkness
and the earthquake, and in their fear proclaimed their faith that this
must have been the Son of God, even as He had claimed. Whether
they continued to believe in Him and embraced the Christian Religion,
after He had risen, we do not know. Sometimes in moments of danger
we come to believe, and afterwards return to our unbelief when the
peril has passed. Probably in this case there were some who con
tinued to believe and others who did not.
Matthew 27: 55, 56. And many women were there beholding afar
off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto Him: among
which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and
Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's children.
Mary Magdalene, a native of Magdala in Galilee, was the one out
of whom the .Lord had cast seven devils. Mary the mother of J ames
and Joses, was probably the same as the one mentioned in John as
the wife of Cleophas. There were two Disciples called J ames. One
was the brother of John, the son of Zebedee; the other was the
son of Alphaeus, and was called J arries the Less. It is the mother of

this James and his brother Joses that is here referred to. This would
mean either that she was married twice, or that Cleophas was another
name for Alphaeus. As to this we have no sure knowledge. In
John this same Mary is said to be the sister of the Lord's Mother.
Some have supposed that she was a sister-in-law, her husband, Cleo
phas, possibly having been a brother of Joseph, the husband of Mary
the Lord's Mother. There is no historical evidence to support this
view, but it would explain the terms used in the Gospels to describe
these women who were present at the Lord's crucifixion. The wife of
Zebedee, who was the mother of .Tames and John, was Salome.
Matthew 27: 57, 58. When the even was come, there came a rich
man of Arimathea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' dis
ciple:he went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate
commanded the body to be delivered.
Joseph of Arimathea was a prominent counseUor, a member of the
Sanhedrin. He had believed in the Lord, but secretly, because he was
afraid of the Jews. And because he loved the Lord he had not "con
sented to the counsel and deed of them" (Luke 23: 51), that is, of
the judges who had condemned the Lord. He now came to Pilate and
asked if he might take the Lord's body down from the cross and bury
it. And Pilate gave him permission to do so.
From the Gospel of John we learn that another member of the
Sanhedrin came with him to assist in this act of love. This was
Nicodemus, who, you remember, had come to the Lord secretly by
night, to hear His Word. It is interesting and important to remem
ber that the two men who first ministered to the Lord after His cruci
fixion were members of the council of judges that had condemned
Him, but who accepted His teachings and at heart were among His
disciples. This shows us that even in the Sanhedrin which had al
lowed itself to become a tool of the hells, there were good men who did
not sanction the wickedness of the others.
Matthew 27: 59, 60. And when Joseph had taken the body, he
wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb,
which he had hewn out of the rock: and he rolled a great stone to
the door of the sepulchre, and departed.
Matthew does not mention Nicodemus, but we know that he was
with Joseph of Arimathea when he came to take away the body of
the Lord.

J oseph was a rich man. He had bought a plot of land not far from
Go1gotha, where he had hewn out a sepulchre and planted round it a
garden, as a place where he himself might be buried when he died;
for it is said to be "his own new tomb," and in John it is called "a
new sepulchre wherein was never man yet laid." Unwittingly, Joseph
had been led to do this in order that there might be a fitting place for
the Lord's burial and resurrection.
In ancient times the dead were wrapped in linen cloths called
"shrouds," and various kinds of spices were poured into the folds of
the cloth. When this had been done to the Lord's body, and it had
been placed tenderly in the cave, a great stone was rolled to the door
of the sepulchre.
Matthew 27: 61. And .there was Mary Magdalene, and the other
Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.
By the "other Mary" here is meant the wife of C1eophas. (See
Mark 15: 47.) These two evidently came nearer, but the other women
also followed at a distance, to see where the Lord's body was laid.
(Luke 23: SS.) And it is said that they returned then to their homes,
and prepared spices and ointments, that they also might perform what
they regarded as a last act of devotion to show their love for the Lord.
But the next day being the Sabbath, they rested quietly at home, be
lieving that it was against the Commandments for them to anoint the
dead on the Sabbath. This also was in Providence, that they might
not come until the morning of the Lord's resurrection.

Part VII

From the Burial to the Ascension

MAP VII

FROM THE BURIAL TO THE ASCENSION

150. The Watch at the Sepulchre ... 27: 62-66

151. The Morning of the Resurrection 28: 1-10 16: 1-11 24: 1-12 20: 1-18

152. Report of the Watch .......... 28: 11-15

153. The Walk to Emmaus ........ 16: 12-13 24: 13-35

154. Appearance to the Ten ........ 24: 36--43 20: 19-25

155. Appearance to the Eleven ..... 16: 14 20: 26-31

156. Appearance to the Seven ...... 21: 1-24

157. Appearance on the l·lountain .. 28:16-20 16: 15-18

158. The Ascension ............... 16:19-20 24:44-53

159. Conclusion of John's Gospel. .. 21:25

490

2 4

A A

8 .8

c

3

o

30' :W.:· 30'

E E

4

CHAPTER LXVI

The Watch at the Sepulchre
The Morning of the Resurrection
(Matthew 27: 62-66; 28: 1-10. Map Nos. 150, 151)

Matthew 27: 62-64. Now the next day, that followed the day of
preparation, 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 diciples 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.

THE "day of preparation" was the day before the Sa~bath. Since
no work was to be done on the Sabbath Day, food had to be prepared
the day before, and other arrangements had to be made for domestic
and other necessities. It was on this "day of preparation" that the
Lord was crucified. But it was on the "next day" or the Sabbath that
the priests and Pharisees spoke to Pilate about guarding the sepulchre.
The rulers of the Jews, of course, did not at all believe that it was
possible for the Lord to rise from the dead. But they were afraid
that the Disciples would secretly remove His body from the sepulchre,
and then falsely proclaim that He had risen, as He had promised.
Wherefore they asked Pilate to place a guard at the sepulchre to pre
vent anyone from entering until after the three days had passed.
The priests reasoned among themselves that if the people continued
to have faith in the Lord, believing that He had risen from the dead,
then they would have failed of their purpose. For they wanted to
destroy not only the Lord Himself, but all faith in His teachings.
For these teachings had shaken the confidence of many people in the
traditional doctrines taught by the priests. They had deprived the
priests of power and influence, exposing their hypocrisy. This is
49 1

49 2 The Watch at the Sepulchre
what had goaded them to fury. For this injury they sought revenge
by personal violence against the Lord. But most of all they wanted
to regain their power. And this they could not do unless those who
ha.d become disciples of the Lord ceased to believe in Him and turned
back to the priests for instruction and leadership. If then they
should believe that the Lord had risen, and should remain faithful to
His words, their opposition to the priests would grow. This is why
they said, "the last error shall be worse than the first."
Matthew 27: 65, 66. 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.
The Jewish rulers had soldiers under their command to do police
duty and to relieve the Romans of the full responsibility for preserv
ing civil order. The Romans, while placing a strong garrison of
legions at strategic points in a conquered country, and making sure
that no armed force that might threaten their authority would be
mustered by the natives, yet permitted them a considerable measure
of self-government. This was a wise imperial policy, not only be
cause it relieved the Romans of a large burden of petty local govern
ment, requiring judgment with reference to customs and traditions
that they did not understand, and about which they cared nothing,
but also because it made the rule of the conqueror less irksome, less
obvious, and less apt to stir the spirit of revolt.
Pilate had no interest in the claim that the Lord would rise again.
The fear expressed by the priests was something he did not under
stand. He regarded the whole incident as merely the result of a
quarrel between two factions of the Jews. He refused therefore to
take sides or to commit the Roman soldiers to the menial duty of
serving the private interests of the despised people whom they had
conquered. But he gave the priests permission to set over the sepul
chre a guard of the soldiers under their command.
Therefore, they placed a seal over the door of the tomb. This
seal was a legal document, forbidding anyone to enter the sepul
chre on threat of punishment-probably by order of the Sanhedrin.
And the document was so fastened to the stone and to the wall of the
tomb that the stone could not be removed without breaking the seal.
And then they placed soldiers in front of the sepulchre, with others
to relieve them at stated hours, so that both day and night the tomb
would be protected against anyone that might try to break into it.

The Morning of the Resurrection 493
It was in the Divine Providence that this should have been done.
For it was of the utmost importance that there should be no room for
doubt as to the truth of the Lord's resurrection. If the sepulchre had
not been watched, the priests could have denied that the Lord had
risen, claiming that the Disciples themselves had removed His body.
But since every precaution had been taken to insure that this should
not happen, when the tomb was found empty, there was no other ex-
planation than that the prophecy of resurrection had been fulfilled.
Here we see a striking example of how the Lord uses evil men to ac-
complish a good end-the exact opposite of what they wish or intend
to do. All the efforts of the Jewish priests to make certain that no one
should have any ground for belief in the Lord's resurrection, were
the very means whereby all possible doubt was removed as to the truth
of His resurrection.
Matthew 28: 1. In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn to-
ward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other
Mary to see the sepulchre.
This was the dawn of the first Easter Sunday. This was the earliest
moment when the women who loved the Lord could come to anoint His
body, because they could not do this on the Sabbath Day without
breaking the Mosaic Law. They had prepared the sweet spices such
as were used for burial. This they had done quietly in their homes
during the Sabbath, so that they might be ready to seek the Lord very
early in the morning.
Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of J ames the Less, and Salome,
the mother of J ames and John, are distinctly mentioned as being
among those who came to the sepulchre. But there were "certain
others with them" whose names are not given. (Luke 24: 1.)
Matthew 28: 2-4. And 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 angel descended and the earthquake came before the women
arrived. There is no indication that they felt the tremor of the earth;
or if they did feel it, that they knew what it was. For we are told
that as they were approaching "they said among themselves, Who

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