The Desire of Ages
by Ellen G. White
Chapter 82: "Why Weepest Thou?"
This chapter is based on Matt. 28:1, 5-10;
Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-18.
The women who had stood by the cross of Christ waited and
watched for the hours of the Sabbath to pass. On the first day of the week,
very early, they made their way to the tomb, taking with them precious spices
to anoint the Saviour's body. They did not think about His rising from the
dead. The sun of their hope had set, and night had settled down on their
hearts. As they walked, they recounted Christ's works of mercy and His words of
comfort. But they remembered not His words, "I will see you again."
John 16:22. {DA 788.1}
Ignorant of what was even then taking place, they drew near
the garden, saying as they went, "Who shall roll us away the stone from
the door of the sepulcher?" They knew that they could not remove the
stone, yet they kept on their way. And lo, the heavens were suddenly alight
with glory that came not from the rising sun. The earth trembled. They saw that
the great stone was rolled away. The grave was empty. {DA 788.2}
The women had not all come to the tomb from the same
direction. Mary Magdalene was the first to reach the place; and upon seeing
that the stone was removed, she hurried away to tell the disciples. Meanwhile
the other women came up. A light was shining about the tomb, but the body of
Jesus was not there. As they lingered about the place, suddenly they saw that
they were not alone. A young man clothed in shining garments was sitting by the
tomb. It was the angel who had rolled away the stone. He had taken the guise of
humanity that he [789] might not alarm these friends of
Jesus. Yet about him the light of the heavenly glory was still shining, and the
women were afraid. They turned to flee, but the angel's words stayed their
steps. "Fear not ye," he said; "for I know that ye seek Jesus,
which was crucified. He is not here: for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the
place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell His disciples that He is
risen from the dead." Again they look into the tomb, and again they hear
the wonderful news. Another angel in human form is there, and he says,
"Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen:
remember how He spake unto you when He was yet in Galilee, saying, The Son of
man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the
third day rise again." {DA
788.3}
He is risen, He is risen! The women repeat the words again
and again. No need now for the anointing spices. The Saviour is living, and not
dead. They remember now that when speaking of His death He said that He would
rise again. What a day is this to the world! Quickly the women departed from
the sepulcher "with fear and great joy; and did run to bring His disciples
word." {DA 789.1}
Mary had not heard the good news. She went to Peter and John
with the sorrowful message, "They have taken away the Lord out of the
sepulcher, and we know not where they have laid Him." The disciples
hurried to the tomb, and found it as Mary had said. They saw the shroud and the
napkin, but they did not find their Lord. Yet even here was testimony that He
had risen. The graveclothes were not thrown heedlessly aside, but carefully
folded, each in a place by itself. John "saw, and believed." He did
not yet understand the scripture that Christ must rise from the dead; but he
now remembered the Saviour's words foretelling His resurrection. {DA 789.2}
It was Christ Himself who had placed those graveclothes with
such care. When the mighty angel came down to the tomb, he was joined by
another, who with his company had been keeping guard over the Lord's body. As
the angel from heaven rolled away the stone, the other entered the tomb, and
unbound the wrappings from the body of Jesus. But it was the Saviour's hand
that folded each, and laid it in its place. In His sight who guides alike the
star and the atom, there is nothing unimportant. Order and perfection are seen
in all His work. {DA
789.3}
Mary had followed John and Peter to the tomb; when they
returned to Jerusalem, she remained. As she looked into the empty tomb, grief
filled her heart. Looking in, she saw the two angels, one at the head and [790]
the other at the foot where Jesus had lain. "Woman, why weepest
thou?" they asked her. "Because they have taken away my Lord,"
she answered, "and I know not where they have laid Him." {DA 789.4}
Then she turned away, even from the angels, thinking that
she must find someone who could tell her what had been done with the body of
Jesus. Another voice addressed her, "Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest
thou?" Through her tear-dimmed eyes, Mary saw the form of a man, and
thinking that it was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if thou have borne Him
hence, tell me where thou hast laid Him, and I will take Him away." If
this rich man's tomb was thought too honorable a burial place for Jesus, she
herself would provide a place for Him. There was a grave that Christ's own
voice had made vacant, the grave where Lazarus had lain. Might she not there
find a burial place for her Lord? She felt that to care for His precious
crucified body would be a great consolation to her in her grief. {DA 790.1}
But now in His own familiar voice Jesus said to her,
"Mary." Now she knew that it was not a stranger who was addressing
her, and turning she saw before her the living Christ. In her joy she forgot
that He had been crucified. Springing toward Him, as if to embrace His feet,
she said, "Rabboni." But Christ raised His hand, saying, Detain Me
not; "for I am not yet ascended to My Father: but go to My brethren, and
say unto them, I ascend unto My Father, and your Father; and to My God, and
your God." And Mary went her way to the disciples with the joyful message.
{DA 790.2}
Jesus refused to receive the homage of His people until He
had the assurance that His sacrifice was accepted by the Father. He ascended to
the heavenly courts, and from God Himself heard the assurance that His
atonement for the sins of men had been ample, that through His blood all might
gain eternal life. The Father ratified the covenant made with Christ, that He
would receive repentant and obedient men, and would love them even as He loves
His Son. Christ was to complete His work, and fulfill His pledge to "make
a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of
Ophir." Isaiah 13:12. All power in heaven and on earth was given to the
Prince of Life, and He returned to His followers in a world of sin, that He
might impart to them of His power and glory. {DA 790.3}
While the Saviour was in God's presence, receiving gifts for
His church, the disciples thought upon His empty tomb, and mourned and wept.
The day that was a day of rejoicing to all heaven was to the disciples a day of
uncertainty, confusion, and perplexity. Their unbelief [793] in the
testimony of the women gives evidence of how low their faith had sunk. The news
of Christ's resurrection was so different from what they had anticipated that
they could not believe it. It was too good to be true, they thought. They had
heard so much of the doctrines and the so-called scientific theories of the
Sadducees that the impression made on their minds in regard to the resurrection
was vague. They scarcely knew what the resurrection from the dead could mean.
They were unable to take in the great subject. {DA 790.4}
"Go your way," the angels had said to the women,
"tell His disciples and Peter that He goeth before you into Galilee: there
shall ye see Him, as He said unto you." These angels had been with Christ
as guardian angels throughout His life on earth. They had witnessed His trial
and crucifixion. They had heard His words to His disciples. This was shown by
their message to the disciples, and should have convinced them of its truth. Such
words could have come only from the messengers of their risen Lord. {DA 793.1}
"Tell His disciples and Peter," the angels said.
Since the death of Christ, Peter had been bowed down with remorse. His shameful
denial of the Lord, and the Saviour's look of love and anguish, were ever
before him. Of all the disciples he had suffered most bitterly. To him the
assurance is given that his repentance is accepted and his sin forgiven. He is
mentioned by name. {DA
793.2}
"Tell His disciples and Peter that He goeth before you
into Galilee: there shall ye see Him." All the disciples had forsaken
Jesus, and the call to meet Him again includes them all. He has not cast them
off. When Mary Magdalene told them she had seen the Lord, she repeated the call
to the meeting in Galilee. And a third time the message was sent to them. After
He had ascended to the Father, Jesus appeared to the other women, saying,
"All hail. And they came and held Him by the feet, and worshiped Him. Then
said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell My brethren that they go into
Galilee, and there shall they see Me." {DA 793.3}
Christ's first work on earth after His resurrection was to
convince His disciples of His undiminished love and tender regard for them. To
give them proof that He was their living Saviour, that He had broken the
fetters of the tomb, and could no longer be held by the enemy death; to reveal
that He had the same heart of love as when He was with them as their beloved
Teacher, He appeared to them again and again. He would draw the bonds of love
still closer around them. Go tell My brethren, He said, that they meet Me in
Galilee. [794] {DA 793.4}
As they heard this appointment, so definitely given, the
disciples began to think of Christ's words to them foretelling His
resurrection. But even now they did not rejoice. They could not cast off their
doubt and perplexity. Even when the women declared that they had seen the Lord,
the disciples would not believe. They thought them under an illusion. {DA 794.1}
Trouble seemed crowding upon trouble. On the sixth day of
the week they had seen their Master die; on the first day of the next week they
found themselves deprived of His body, and they were accused of having stolen
it away for the sake of deceiving the people. They despaired of ever correcting
the false impressions that were gaining ground against them. They feared the
enmity of the priests and the wrath of the people. They longed for the presence
of Jesus, who had helped them in every perplexity. {DA 794.2}
Often they repeated the words, "We trusted that it had
been He which should have redeemed Israel." Lonely and sick at heart they
remembered His words, "If they do these things in a green tree, what shall
be done in the dry?" Luke 24:21; 23:31. They met together in the upper
chamber, and closed and fastened the doors, knowing that the fate of their
beloved Teacher might at any time be theirs. {DA 794.3}
And all the time they might have been rejoicing in the
knowledge of a risen Saviour. In the garden, Mary had stood weeping, when Jesus
was close beside her. Her eyes were so blinded by tears that she did not
discern Him. And the hearts of the disciples were so full of grief that they
did not believe the angels' message or the words of Christ Himself. {DA 794.4}
How many are still doing what these disciples did! How many
echo Mary's despairing cry, "They have taken away the Lord,
. . . and we know not where they have laid Him"! To how many
might the Saviour's words be spoken, "Why weepest thou? whom seekest thou?"
He is close beside them, but their tear-blinded eyes do not discern Him. He
speaks to them, but they do not understand. {DA 794.5}
Oh that the bowed head might be lifted, that the eyes might
be opened to behold Him, that the ears might listen to His voice! "Go
quickly, and tell His disciples that He is risen." Bid them look not to
Joseph's new tomb, that was closed with a great stone, and sealed with the
Roman seal. Christ is not there. Look not to the empty sepulcher. Mourn not as
those who are hopeless and helpless. Jesus lives, and because He lives, we
shall live also. From grateful hearts, from lips touched with holy fire, let
the glad song ring out, Christ is risen! He lives to make intercession for us.
Grasp this hope, and it will hold the soul like a sure, tried anchor. Believe,
and thou shalt see the glory of God. {DA 794.6}
Click here to read the next chapter:
"The Walk to Emmaus"
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