Belief in the Resurrection

Belief in the Resurrection

(No. 3452)

A SERMON PUBLISHED ON THURSDAY, APRIL 1, 1915.

DELIVERED BY C. H. SPURGEON,

AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON, ON THURSDAY EVENING,
SEPTEMBER 15, 1870.

"He is risen." Mark 16:6.

OUR Lord always told His disciples that He would rise. They were
astonished to hear that He would die at all–they did not think it
possible that He could die by the terrible death which He often hinted
at. Had they understood and really believed that He would rise again,
they might not have been so surprised at His death. But as often as He
spoke of it, their minds seemed to have been like their eyes, on some
occasions–held back that they should not see! And if they perceived
His meaning, it ran so contrary to all their ideas of a Kingdom for a
Messiah, that they could not grasp it as a reality!

Now one of the first things that strikes the reader of the Chapter
before us shall furnish us with our first head of contemplation
tonight–

I. THE ALMOST UNIVERSAL POWER OF UNBELIEF IN THE CHURCH.

This is a good instance to illustrate a general fact, for our Savior
had told them in plain terms that He would rise again. Yet on the third
day not one that we know of expected Him to rise! When they were
informed that He had risen, by eyewitnesses–persons whom they had been
accustomed to treat as deserving of all credence, persons with whom
they had been long acquainted–they, everyone of them, were
incredulous! They could not believe it, though it were testified to
them again and again. As you read this Chapter through, you meet with
first one instance and then another of this general incredulity about a
thing on which all ought to have been sound believers! You find, first,
the women–very tender, very loving, always accustomed to minister to
Christ's necessities in the days of His flesh–now their very love
leads them to an unbelieving act! If He is risen and He said He would
rise, what need of grave cloths? What need of precious ointments, and
spikenard, and spices in which to embalm Him? 'Twas love that said,
"Embalm Him," but 'twas unbelieving love that made them think the thing
was necessary to be done! All through those tender hearts, wherein so
much of heavenly ardor for Christ was found, there was also found this
leaven of mischief. But the men–the stronger sex, will not they, also,
their hearts being full of love and having walked with Christ, having
strong judgments, many of them, having noticed and weighed what He
said–will not they believe? No! Peter and John, though they went to
the sepulch-er, went there with heavy hearts, evidently with no
expectation such as would have been excited by the belief that Christ
had risen. The whole brotherhood of the disciples appear to have gone
altogether over to an unbelief of the thought that Jesus Christ would
rise! But there were some favored ones–there were the eleven. These
were the elect out of the elect, the spiritual lifeguard, the very
bodyguard of the Savior! Surely, if faith is extinct everywhere else,
we shall find it in them! They were in the Garden at His Passion, some
of them were on Tabor at His Transfiguration, three of them, at any
rate. They were in the chamber where He raised the dead. They had seen
His miracles, they had, themselves, distributed the bread which by a
miraculous power He had multiplied for the feeding of the multitude.
They had seen Him walk the sea–one of them had, himself, walked on the
liquid wave and found it marble beneath his feet when Christ had bid
him come. They had marked the tempest hushed, they had seen devils
expelled, many marvelous displays of Divine Power had they, all of
them, beheld! These choice ones, especially those three mighty, those
chosen three, would surely believe! Yet they also were tinctured with
this same evil–they had not such a faith in their Master as they
should have had. And now this was but, I think, a portrait of what has
been, ever since–the great mischief in the Church of God. This sin of
sins– unbelief–is still at this very hour too common among the people
of God. Suppose I talk to the mass of God's people, the

quiet, humble people, who go about their business and serve God in
their households. Shall I find them all full of faith, giving glory to
God? No, I am not long with some of them but I hear their doubts as to
whether they are His or not! I hear some of them singing–

"Do Ilove the Lord or no; Am I His, or am I not?"

True, I see many of them happy and joyful, contented and trustful, but
not always so, even they. Sometimes even these seem to give way to
fears and suspicions–and they half think that He has forgotten to be
gracious–will be mindful of them no more! Truly is it written, "If the
Son of Man comes, shall He find faith upon the earth?" He may look for
it, and look for it long, for among His own believing people, yet is
faith all too rare a thing–hard to be found! It is true it is in its
essence always in the Church, but yet so feeble that oftentimes the
fire is rather that which trembles in the smoking flax and almost
expires, than the spark that seeks the Sun, the Father, the flame from
which at first it came! Now suppose I turn away from the mass of
Christians and select for myself those that take office in Christ's
Church, appointed by Him, gifted, and given, as the result of the
ascension, to the Church as the Church's treasure? My Brothers, what
shall I say about deacons, Elders, and such like in the Church of God?
How do I find you? Do I not discover oftentimes in church officers a
slackness of enterprise, a fear lest this should be too great a thing
or that too venturesome? Have I not heard–though certainly I may say I
have, by God's Grace, not experienced–have I not heard that sometimes
those that should lead the Church have held her back, and those that
should be first and foremost to sustain the Christian ministry in every
holy effort, have they not been, sometimes, a very drag upon the wheels
to hinder it? And if it is so in their official acting, I fear it is
not much better in their own private capacity before God. Alas, O
Israel, your captains are weak! Your mighty men tremble!

But suppose I select those God has especially favored and made the
winners of souls? Do I find these at all times confident in the God
whose Gospel they proclaim? Are they always calmly reliant upon that
eternal power which has ordained them to their work? We must, each man,
speak for himself, but I fear the most of us might take up a wailing
for ourselves and confess that we, also, too often must say, "Lord, I
believe. Help You my unbelief." The prayer of the Apostles is a
suitable prayer for ministers, "Lord increase our faith," for if our
faith is not increased, we cannot expect that the faith of the
multitude will be! Christ's ministers ought to be to Christ's army a
sort of spiritual Uhlans that ride on ahead to investigate the
country–to take hold of it before the main body comes up. They should
be the men to lead the forlorn hope! They should be first in the
trenches whenever a citadel is to be taken by storm. Their hearts
should never fail them–they should be men of large conceptions and
bold designs–men to fall back upon the Infinite and rely upon the
unseen! Are we always such, or such to such a degree as we ought to be?
No, I fear that the chapter of Church history which is being now
written is, in the sight of God, much blotted by the unbelief of all
His people. Faith there is–I bless God for it–and in some cases very
eminent faith, but taking us all round, alas, we must make up a
sorrowful confession of our shortcomings in the matter of our faith in
the living God. Now, turning to the Chapter again, we shall get our
second point of consideration–

II. THE GREAT CURE WHICH OUR LORD PRESCRIBED FOR THE MATTER OF
UNBELIEF.

As far as this Chapter goes, it lies in the fact that He is risen. He
is risen from the dead! You will observe everywhere here, where we meet
with the unbelief of man, we meet with the fact of the Resurrection of
Christ brought in like light to subdue the darkness. Here are the women
in difficulties–it is the Resurrection of Christ that removes the
difficulty! Who shall roll away the stone? The stone is rolled away
because Christ is risen! The angel has taken away the stone door of the
prison house because it was time that the Captive should go free. Now
here the Lord seems to tell us that the best and grandest cure of all
our fear about difficulty lies in this, "The Lord is risen." You serve
a living Savior. What is the difficulty? Is it a Providential one? He
is the Master of Providence, for "the government shall be upon His
shoulders, and His name shall be called Wonderful, The Counselor, The
Mighty God." That difficulty, then, which would obstruct you in your
pathway to Heaven, if you trust in Him, must vanish because Jesus
lives! If the Captain of the Host were dead, it would be an ill thing
for us to be serving a dead Captain, but since He lives, girt with
Omnipotence, difficulties must vanish before Him! Does it happen that
the difficulty which troubles us is one concerning our service to our
Lord? Have we a hard heart to deal with in the child whose conversion
we seek in our class, in the Sabbath school, or have we prejudices that
stop our way in the congregation that we address week by week–and that
we hope to convert to Jesus by His Spi-

rit? Are we called to plow an unthankful soil that breaks the
plowshare? Is there something just now before us that looks like a gate
of brass and a wall of iron? Here is the one comfort concerning it
all–the Lord lives! "He is not here; He is risen." He is not dead! His
power lies not paralyzed in the tomb! He lives and goes before you,
leading the van of all the noble, of those who died for His crown and
glory! On with you, then, in the name of God! Be this your might that
Jesus lives! From now on, let difficulties be only rejoiced in as
things to be overcome, as opportunities for glorifying Him by the
exercise of our faith in Him, which will be followed by the revelation
of His power! If unbelief raises difficulties, "The Lord is risen" is
the cure for them all!

Suppose our unbelief takes the shape of fright It does sometimes. It
did in the case of these good women–they were frightened, we are told,
in the 5th verse. We are told again in the 8th verse that they fled
from the sepulcher, for they trembled. Now we may be frightened at a
great many things. Some persons are so timid that they are frightened
at nothing– their own shadow will frighten them! But there may be real
matters that will cause us to tremble if we had not something better to
fall back upon than ourselves. Now a frightened Christian is like a man
out of his wits–he is pretty sure to do something that will make his
danger greater! Self-possession, calm composure, a quiet mind–these
have often saved lives and have frequently prevented the destruction of
a cause that was just then in peril. If you can be calm amidst
bewildering circumstances, confident of victory in the end, that will
win half the battle, itself. If you can rest in the Lord, or, to use
the words of Moses, "stand still and see the salvation of God," you
will surely come out unscathed from the evil. Now the best cure for
fright is the fact that Jesus is risen! Why, how am I to be afraid when
He who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords is my Shepherd and will
surely interpose for my protection? If my Lord were dead, then were I
unsafe, but while Jesus lives I am secure. "Because I live, you shall
live also." Oh, what a grand sentence is that! "I give unto My sheep
eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them
out of My hands." Who are you, then, that you should be afraid of a man
that shall die, and of the son of man that is but as the moth? Rest in
your living Savior! "Fear not. I am with you–I am with you–be not
dismayed, for I am your God." "I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help
you. I will uphold you with the right hand of My righteousness. When
you pass through the rivers, I will be with you; the floods shall not
overflow you. When you go through the fire, you shall not be burned,
neither shall the flame kindle upon you." "I am God, I change not;
therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed." Come back, then, if you
are tempest-tossed, terrified, trembling and frightened and, because
Jesus lives, be quiet and in patience possess your souls.

I notice in the Chapter that the next form of unbelief is
amazement.These good women, in addition to being afraid, were
amazed–could not make it out. It was too great a mystery. How could it
be? It troubled them–it troubled them. Now in all times of our
amazement about great Gospel Truths, we shall always find the best way
to get out of the amazement is to hold fast by faith to the veracity
and truthfulness of God–and to hold fast to what we can understand–to
a fact that has been proved better than other facts of history have
been proved–the fact that the Lord Jesus is risen from the dead! It is
generally when you are in trouble about some great Doctrine–a bad
thing to argue about that Doctrine while you are troubled about it.
Think more of what you do believe, of what you are sure of, than just
now of that matter which staggers you. You will find that if you
receive the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and rest in
that as being a guarantee of your resurrection, you have the key of
many other precious Truths of God! And as one Doctrine draws on another
as the links of a chain, you will find your amazement at some of the
most stupendous mysteries of the faith will be cured by your grasping
the first simplicity and fundamental Doctrine of the faith of the
Gospel, that the Lord Jesus, who suffered under Pontius Pilate, was
crucified, and dead, and buried, and the third day rose again in very
flesh and blood–and ever lives, sitting at the right hand of God,
reigning in exceeding power. You will not be amazed nor frightened. You
will not be made to tremble, or be bewildered if you keep close to
this–"He lives! He lives! This I know, and on this I rest."

Further, it seems that these good women were much prevented in doing
their duty by their unbelief. They were told to go and speak to the
disciples, but, at any rate, for a time they did not do so, for it is
written, "Neither said they anything to any man, for they were afraid."
Those tongues that, by-and-by, in calmer moments would bear such a sure
testimony were, through their fears which sprang of their unbelief,
quite dumb! They could not speak. Oh, and this is a complaint that is
very common in the Church! I know some who could preach, but do
not–and it is unbelief that silences them. And you today, perhaps,
were in society where you ought to have spoken a loving and an earnest
word, but you did not, and it was a wrong timidity that kept you quiet.
And you have been many times in your life cast into positions where
usefulness would have been very easy, but at the same time you found it
difficult because you forgot that Jesus lives–you forgot that He lives
to watch His people, lives to render them assistance when they are in
the path of service! Oh, if we knew He lived–yes, knew that He was
here–knew that He was close to us, that His heart never forgot us and
His eyes were never closed upon us–we would be swift in the ways of
duty and a stammering tongue would begin to speak! And the now
unhallowed silence which spoils the Church and robs her of many a
triumph, would be broken by our willing testimony and by our cheerful
song! The best cure for the dumb devil that sometimes possesses us, is
a belief in the living and pleading Savior!

Further on, as your eye glances down the Chapter, you will see unbelief
connecting itself with wounded affection. When Mary Magdalene came to
the disciples, she found them weeping, weeping for sorrow, men and
women of God, a very mournful company, all weeping, weeping for a dead
Savior–the dearest Friend they had ever had, who first had given them
spiritual conceptions and lifted them out off their former groveling
state. He was gone–He was dead and they could not but weep. But they
left off weeping, or would have done if they had known or believed that
He was risen. It was the last thing they should have done, to be
weeping. He rising, and they weeping! All the harps of Heaven ringing
out melodious praise–and those most concerned in the glorious fact
still weeping! Every angel in Heaven bending from the sacred
battlements to look down upon a risen Savior with admiring gaze, and
yet His own dear people who had known and loved Him, sitting down and
weeping amidst the universal festival! It was very strange. Now
oftentimes the same mischief happens to us. We lose a friend. Who among
us has not? We lose a husband, a wife, a child. Very dear are these
associations and when the ties are snapped, our heart bleeds, and
sometimes we weep, and weep, and weep again until there is a lack of
submission to the Savior's will, there is a lack of resignation to His
Divine Purpose and Decree. Now if we remembered that He lives, we would
also remember that they, also, who sleep in Jesus shall God bring with
Him, for if Jesus rose from the dead, so must all His people! We sorrow
not as those without hope! We commit our precious dust to the earth,
but it is only for a while. We lay it low, but we thank God it can go
no lower! Corruption shall not consume, but refine this flesh until,
when the trumpet sounds, the very body that we wept over shall rise
again in sacred luster, fashioned in the image of Christ's own glorious
body! Death is robbed of all its sting when we remember this–the soul
is in the company of the living Savior! The body, like Esther, is
bathing itself in spices to make it ready for the embrace of the
all-glorious Lord! The old, worn-out vesture is laid aside awhile,
until God makes it fit to be worn in the high festivals of Heaven! Oh,
if Jesus lives, we wipe away the tears and we carry not our dead to
their graves with sound of weeping and with the noise of lamentation,
but with the sound of holy Psalms and shouts of victory! We lower the
conquering champion into his rest in sure and certain hope that he
shall rise to participate in His great Captain's everlasting victory!
"Christ is risen" is the cure for wounded affections when the wound
rankles through unbelief.

Further, remark that this blessed Doctrine, that Christ is risen, cures
us of the difficulties we have as to conversation with heavenly things.
It is earlier in the Chapter, though I mention it last. The angel
appeared unto the women–two angels appeared to certain other women,
according to Luke, and instead of speaking to the angels, they ran
away. They were afraid and amazed. "Fear not," said the angels, "for we
know that you seek Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here, for He is
risen." Now I think if you and I were in a state of full faith in the
risen Savior, if we met an angel, we would not be amazed. If we saw an
angel–if once again the spirits could put on the semblance of bodies
and soon appear to the organs of our vision, I think if we were full of
faith, we would avail ourselves of the opportunity to learn something
about them, and about the Heaven they dwell in and, most of all, about
their Lord! Oh, I think I would like an hour with some bright spirit to
question him about some of those mysteries that, as yet, eye has not
seen. If it were lawful for him to utter what, perhaps, he might not
tell–if it were lawful for him to tell of some of the glories within
the veil, and some of the mysteries of those streets of gold, and those
walls of twelve foundations of precious stones, our inquisitiveness
might take a holy turn! At any rate, if we might not ask questions, we
would hold fellowship. We would be glad to see these spirits that are
so near akin to us, for even now–even now–we are not strangers to
them! They bear us up in their hands lest we dash our foot against a
stone, and we are come to the general assembly and Church of the
Firstborn–we are come to the host of angels and to those whose names
are written in Heaven! We are come to that innumerable company, even
now, by faith, and if we could get a glimpse of them, we would not be
afraid.

Now it is a fact that Christ is risen that makes an open door between
us and the spiritual world. A Man in flesh and blood is gone into the
skies! A Man who ate a piece of broiled fish, and of a honeycomb–a Man
that said, "Handle Me

and see that it is I, Myself"–a Man of whom it is written, "He showed
them His hands and His side"–a Man who said to one of His
acquaintances, "Reach here your finger. Behold My hands, and reach here
your hand and thrust it into My side"–such a Man is gone into the
excellent Glory and He has opened a living way by which our union with
angels and with the angels' Master is complete! Oh, herein there is
subject for spiritual minds to greatly rejoice–and the difficulties
which unbelief would put in our way are swept away by the full
conviction that the Lord is risen–is risen indeed!

But I must not dwell longer on that. The great power of unbelief
receives its antidote in the blessed and well-ascertained fact that
Jesus is risen. Now let us see still further–

III. SOME OTHER CONSEQUENCES OF OUR LORD'S RISING. We observe in the
Chapter that one of the first consequences of His rising was a more
general, a more intense, a more universal activity in the Church He
said to them, "Go you into all the world and preach the Gospel to every
creature." We see again, "He was received up into Heaven, and sat at
the right hand of God, and they went forth and preached everywhere, the
Lord working with them." From which I gather that if we did more fully
perceive that Christ is risen, we should be, all of us, more active! It
is very hard to get up enthusiasm for an idea–certainly in England it
is–it may not be in some more mercurial clime among a more sensitive
and responsive people–but here we do not generally get into a state of
enthusiasm for an idea. But what men are there that are not moved to
enthusiasm for a person? A man, a person, will always command more
fully the activity of human hearts than will a mere Doctrine or dogma!
Bring before me in history the leading principles, and you will
generally find that the principles did little or nothing until they
wore embodied in a man–and when some bold man represented the
principles, then the principles opened the man's way to human hearts!
It is so in the Church. I suppose some people are enthusiastic about
creeds and about dogmas. I don't know, but I know this–the most
enthusiastic people in all the Church are those that know Him, love
Him, live with Him and serve Him! The enthusiasm of Heaven seems to be
about them. They cast their crowns at His feet and they sing,
"Hallelujah," when they behold God and the Lamb! There is an adoration
of persons, and their souls are moved by the Presence of blessed and
Divine Persons, and so in the Church it should be. We have a living
Savior, a living Captain! He is not out of the fight. He still looks
down upon us. He is still fighting with us in the grand old cause. Oh,
who of us will be a laggard when the Captain's eyes are upon him? Jesus
is looking on–Jesus, the Author and the Finisher of our faith, is
looking on the course! Let us run with patience because we look at and
are looked upon by Him. May this principle his Master!

But, in addition to this cause, we find that the Presence of Christ
gave to the Church at that time miracles. The risen Savior endowed them
with unknown tongues, and they spoke, though they were uninstructed
men, so that men understand them from every clime! They began to work
wonders. Our faith leads us not to these, nor will it. This is wisely
denied us. At the same time, though we work not miracles in the outer
world, all true preaching is miracle working! Commonly to declare a
Doctrine, commonly to speak a thing well–all this may be no preaching
as God would call it– eloquence, oratory, refinement, the putting of
words well together–this is common to all mankind. After their
measure, all may speak–after some sort. This is not God's work. But
true preaching, soul-saving preaching, the Spirit's voice speaking
through man–this is miracle working! You know, my Brothers, there are
some who cannot preach–they say they cannot preach the Gospel. I mean
this–they will preach sermons to God's living people, to God's
quickened ones, and then they say, "As for you that are dead in sin, I
have nothing, to say to you." That is their notion. They are very
candid. God never sent them to preach the Gospel and they acknowledge
they cannot do it. Well, it is a pity that they should try, but another
man whom God sends knows, as the other did, that the hearer who is
unconverted is dead in trespasses and sins. He knows that ordinarily to
speak to such people would be a very idle thing. He knows he dare not
attempt it in his own strength, and that to say to the dead, to the
spiritual dead, "Live," is, in itself, the extreme of folly. But he
feels that God is with him, that God has sent him–and looking like
Ezekiel of old, upon the congregation of sinners, as in the valley full
of dry bones, he does not say–"I have nothing to say to you, you are
dead." But bursting out in His Master's name, he says, "You dry bones,
hear the Word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord, 'you dry bones, 'Live!'"
God sent the man and while he prophesies thus upon the bones, they come
together, bone to his bone and live! The two Apostles at the beautiful
gate of the Temple did not say to the lame man. "You are lame. We trust
in God's name you will get cured of your problem–we have nothing to
say to you." No, they said, "In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, rise up
and walk!" They bid the man do what he could not do, but as they bade
him do it, the strength came to him to do it! And while we say to the
sinner, "Believe and live," God sends the power of the Gospel command,
and they do repent, do believe, do live, do fly for refuge to the hope
set before them in the Gospel! And to this day each Christian is a
miracle worker in his own sphere, in the sphere of spiritual things! He
opens blind eyes by God's power, and unstops deaf ears by Jesus' might.
He, too, raises the dead. He, too, casts out devils, still in the
higher realm, the realm of mind, the realm of spirit! And our ascended
Lord has given us this–this power–we receive it entirely from Him
because all power is given unto Him in Heaven and in earth! Therefore,
we go and teach all nations–and that teaching works results!

I must not detain you longer, except to notice that in consequence of
our Lord's Resurrection, there is Divine Power, the highest degree of
Power concentrated in the Person of Jesus Christ. He was always God and
now as God–Man Mediator–all Divine Power is concentrated in Him. And
this Power is not laid up there to be idle–not as so much stored up
ammunition never to be expended, for notice the last verse, "The Lord
working with them." Is it not a delightful thought that Jesus is not a
Sufferer, but He is still a Worker? "The Lord working with them."
Redeeming work is done! Saving work is going on! "The Lord is working
with them." We do not see it, but He is working. Often that power which
is least seen is most mighty, and certainly in the Church that which is
not perceptible by the senses is the strongest! Believer, if the
conversion of the world rested with the Church–if the gathering of the
elect depended upon us–it would never be done! But God makes us work
for this end and so He first works in us, and then He works with us.
How this ought to encourage us to work! This little arm, what can it
do? But that Eternal Arm, what can it notdo? This tongue, how feebly
can it speak–but the voice of Him who spoke as never Man spoke, how
persuasively can it speak? Our spirits, narrow and limited, what can
they effect? But His unbounded Spirit, what cannot He perform? Oh, let
everyone here who has been serving his Master, bid farewell to
everything like a discouraging or desponding thought! The great army of
God is not defeated! It never can be–in the long run it must conquer!
And even those parts of the Divine Strategy of our great Commander
which looked like retreat, are only portions of His perpetual victory!
He is fighting on, and will win the battle, even to the end!

It is a great consolation to the Believer to know that Jesus lives, and
lives in triumph! I remember, and I cannot help repeating what I have
told you before–I remember when in an hour of the most overwhelming
sorrow through which a mind could pass, this one thing restored and
comforted me! After that dreadful catastrophe in the Surrey Gardens,
when my mind gave way and my sorrow was extreme–when I had almost lost
my reason for some three weeks and was desponding and brokenhearted–I
was alone, walking in solitude, mourning, and weeping as I did day and
night. And all of a sudden there came into my mind, as though it
dropped from Heaven, this text, "Him has God highly exalted and given
Him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every
knee should bow." You know the rest. The thought that crossed my mind
was this, I am one of His soldiers and I am lying in a ditch to die. It
does not matter–the King has won the victory–Christ has won the
victory–Christ is to the fore. If I die like a dog, I care not! The
crown is on His head! He is safely exalted." In a moment I was happy!
My trouble was gone! I found myself perfectly restored! I fell on my
knees in a solitary place, praising God who, in Infinite Mercy, had
made that text to be a balm to my spirit!

Now there may be someone here who feels much as I did–disconsolate,
cast down. If you really love Jesus, there is not a nobler balm for
your care than this–He reigns! He is glorious! The government is not
taken from His shoulders. Our King is no captive! Our Emperor has not
yielded up His sword! Our Prince Imperial is not banished! Our Empire
never fails, the city of Jerusalem is not besieged! There shall be no
lack of bread in her streets! "God is in the midst of her, she shall
not be moved. God shall help her and that right early." Let the heathen
rage! Let the people and nations be moved. Let the whole earth rock and
reel, and the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea–God is
our refuge and strength–our very present help in time of trouble. God
reigns and the Kingdom of Jesus is settled by an unchangeable decree.
Therefore lift up your heads, you saints, for your redemption draws
near, and even now clap your joyful hands and go back, again, to the
conflict of life until your Master calls you Home like true heroes,
that henceforth you shall know no fear, and shall never turn your backs
in the day of battle! God grant it may be so for His name's sake. Amen.

EXPOSITION BY C. H. SPURGEON: MARK 16.

Though it is not without profit to sit over against the sepulcher of
our buried Lord, we cannot leave Him there, even in thought. So let us
go and look at the empty tomb and read of His Resurrection.

Verse 1. And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary, the
mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might
come and anoint Him. To finish the funeral which had been hurriedly
undertaken just at the close of the day.

2. And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came
unto the sepulcher at the rising of the sun. Came to do needless
action–to embalm One who was no longer dead–but since their love
suggested it, their Lord accepted it. I have no doubt there is many a
thing done by gracious people, or thought to be done, that may be, in
itself, quite superfluous, but yet our Lord often accepts what His own
people ridicule. So long as the heart sincerely meant to pay a loving
homage, even though it is mistaken in some respects–even though it
should bring spice and aloes for One who is not dead–yet is it
accepted. "They came unto the sepulcher at the rising of the sun."
Another sun had risen. The Sun of suns had dawned upon the earth!

3. And they said among themselves, Who shall roll away the stone from
the door of the sepulcher for us? We often trouble ourselves about
difficulties that do not exist.

4. 5. And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away,
for it was very great And entering into the sepulcher, they saw a young
man. An angel in that form.

5-7. Sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment: and
they were frightened. And he said unto them, Be not frightened. You
seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified: He is risen: He is not here:
behold the place where they laid Him. But go your way.After you have
satisfied your own eyes, go your way.

7. Tell His disciples and Peter that He goes before you into Galilee:
there shall you see Him, as He said unto you. There are some beautiful
touches in that short speech. "Tell His disciples and Peter"–the one
that denied that he was His disciple–tell him–if you omit anybody
else, do not forget poor Peter! And then that other word, "As He said
unto you." Christ's words are always fulfilled, and if even an angel
should come from Heaven to tell God' people of some choice blessing
that was coming to them, it would only be a blessing that Christ had
already promised! "As He said unto you."

8-9. And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulcher; for they
trembled and were amazed: neither said they anything to any man; for
they were afraid. Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the
week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast
seven devils. A wonder, therefore, of mercy! It is no surprise that she
was first at the sepulcher, and no wonder that Christ should first
appear to her. I believe that there are some who have risen up from the
lowest estate who feel so much the power of love in their hearts
because of what the Lord has done for them, that they are among the
first to see Jesus when He is to be seen–and He appears to them first.

10, 11. And 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 not.It was what He said would be. It was
what she declared had been. But they will make Mary Magdalene mistaken.
Their own Sister, whom they knew to be truthful, they would not
believe!

12, 13. After that He appeared in another form unto two of them, as
they walked, and went into the country. And they went and told it unto
the residue: neither believed they them. Well, it was a hard thing to
believe that the Crucified Christ had really risen from the dead, but
surely with two more witnesses, they ought to have been ready to
believe!

14. Afterward He appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and
upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they
believed not them who had seen Him after He was risen. When He had
upbraided them for their unbelief, He spoke to them in many ways, which
the other Evangelists mention.

15, 16. And He said unto them, Go you into all the world, andpreach the
Gospel to every creature. He that believes and is baptized shall be
saved; but he that believes not shall be damned. There stands the
commission, then–the grand summary of Christ's message to a perishing
world! We must never alter it. We must not leave out the baptism, or
put it before the believing, or leave out the solemn sentence with
which it closes–though there are some that burn and hate very
dreadfully when they get there! The Lord clear their throats and help
them to preach the Gospel as He bade them preach it–"He that believes
and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believes not shall be
damned."

17, 18. And these signs shall follow them that believe: In My name
shall they cast out devils: they shall speak with new tongues: they
shall take up serpents: and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall
not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall
recover. And so they did. So long as the age of miracles lasted, their
faith was proved to the world by such miracles as this! That age lasted
long enough to convince the world when it could be so convinced. Now is
there space for faith, and if we have less of evidence, day by day, yet
have we all the evidence of all the ages to look back upon!

19, 20. So then, after the Lord had spoken unto them, He was received
up into Heaven, and sat at the right hand of God. And they went forth,
and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the
Word with signs following. Amen.