Jesus was an early riser

JESUS WAS AN EARLY RISER
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Matthew 28:1 1After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first
day of the week, Mary Magdaleneand the other Mary
went to look at the tomb.
ResurrectionMorning
24 On the first day of the week, very early in the
morning, they[a] came to the tomb, bringing the spices
they had prepared.
NOTE. It was very early in the morning when they came to the tomb, and so
Jesus was alreadyrisen. He rose up likely even before the sun. It was the Son
before the Sun. We will see below that Jesus was anearly riser, not just in His
resurrection, but in His daily life.
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Pulpit Commentary Homiletics

Lessons OfThe Resurrection
Matthew 28:1-10
Marcus Dods
The four evangelists concurin setting forth the three successive steps in the
evidence by which our Lord's incredulous followers were at length persuaded
of the reality of his resurrection. These are:
1. The fact of the sepulchre being found empty.
2. The testimony of the angels who were seenin it.
3. The appearances ofour Lord himself.
On these points we shall not now particularly dwell, but direct attention to
certain side lights which the narrative affords. Thus it teaches us -
I. THAT THERE ARE SPIRITUAL BEHIND THE MECHANICAL
AGENCIES IN NATURE.
1. This is evident in the angel's work.
(1) The earthquake is attributed to him. "Behold, there was an earthquake;
for an angelof the Lord," etc. The rolling awayof the stone, in like manner, is
ascribedto him. Whatevermechanicalagencies were in commissionhere,
angelicalenergywas behind them.
(2) This is not the sole example of the exertion of such energyin the
production of physical effects. Angels smote the Sodomites with blindness, and
brought down a torrent of fire and brimstone upon the cities of the plain (see
Genesis 19:11, 13). Theybrought the pestilence upon Israel in the days of
David, by which seventy thousand were destroyed, and in the days of
Hezekiahthey smote a hundred and eighty-five thousand Assyrians (see 2
Samuel 24:16;2 Kings 19:35). An angel dissolvedthe chain that bound Peter
in Herod's prison, and made the doors fly open before him (see Acts 12:6-11).
(3) Within narrower limits human spirits exert energy in the material world.
The microcosm, the body, responds to the will. Through the medium of the

body we actupon the macrocosmaround. We change the course of rivers,
tunnel mountains, cut waterways through continents, modify climates, alter
the flora and fauna of a country, give direction and development to instincts
in animals.
(4) The universe is dual, viz. spiritual and material. These complements
mutually act and react. The spiritual cannot be divorced from the physical.
Any systemof natural philosophy that tails to recognize this is essentially
deficient.
(5) One grand use of miracles is to force this truth upon our consideration. A
miracle is not necessarilyan inversion of the laws of nature, though to a
limited knowledge suchmay appear to be the case. It is rather the evidence of
the presence behind materialism of a superior spiritual agency. "The works
which none other did" (see John 15:24).
2. In the manner in which he impressed the senses.
(1) He rendered himself visible. The watchsaw him, and were in consequence
strickenwith terror. This terror was deepenedby their having felt the
earthquake and seenthe rolling awayof the stone. He sat upon the stone in
tranquil triumph in their presence, as if defying the armies of earth and hell to
repined it or to hinder the resurrectionof the Redeemer. The womenalso saw
him. His appearance generallywas that of a young man (see Mark 16:15). But
his countenance, orrather his whole form, was bright, "like lightning." His
raiment was white as snow - whitened by the lightning brightness transmitted
from his Person. This white radiance was the emblem at once of purity, joy,
and triumph, and eminently suitable to the tidings he bore (cf. Acts 1:10; Acts
10:30).
(2) He rendered himself audible. He used the voice and language of humanity
to give to the women comfort, instruction, and direction.
(3) Whether, however, these visual and audible impressions were made upon
the physical organs ofthe witnesses orupon the spiritual sensesin them
corresponding, is not certain, though the presumption is that the physical
senses were addressed, since mechanicalforce was undoubtedly exerted in

producing the earthquake and in the removal of the stone. We should ever
recognize Godin nature.
II. THAT THE RESURRECTIONBODYIS ENDOWEDWITH ETHERIAL
PROPERTIES.
1. Such was the case with the body of Jesus.
(1) His resurrectionwas not witnessedby the watch. They felt the earthquake;
they saw the angel; they witnessedthe rolling awayof the stone; but Jesus
they saw not. Note:He does not reveal himself to the incredulous and
disobedient. He did not appear even to the women until he had first tried their
faith and obedience by his ministering angel.
(2) The resurrectionof Jesus appears to have takenplace before the stone was
rolled away. Taking the narrative as it lies before us in Matthew, the women
appear to have seenthe angel roll awaythe stone and seathimself upon it, and
witnessedalso the effectof the vision upon the watch. The accounts in Mark
and Luke may be harmonized to this view. Then, descending from the stone,
he conducted them into the tomb, where they saw a secondangel, but
otherwise a vacant sepulchre. "He is not here: for he is risen, as he said.
Come, see the place where the Lord lay." The stone was not removed to let the
Saviour out, but to let the witnesses in to see that he was alreadygone.
(3) The presumption, then, is that the body of Jesus had undergone such a
change that it passedout of the sepulchre through the pores of the stone, as
the electric matter freely passes through concrete substances.The following
remarkable words are ascribedto the Rabbi Judah Hakkodesh:"After three
days the soulof Messiahshallreturn to its body, and shall go out of that stone
in which he shall be buried."
(4) This same etherialproperty was afterwards exhibited whenever Jesus
vanished from the sight of those to whom he had appeared. It was likewise
remarkably exhibited on those occasions in which he stood in the midst of his
disciples when they were assembledwith closeddoors (see John20:19-29).
2. But the body of Jesus is the pattern resurrectionbody.

(1) "As we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of
the heavenly" (cf. Romans 8:29; 1 Corinthians 15:20, 44, 48, 49;2 Corinthians
3:18; 2 Corinthians 4:11; Philippians 3:20, 21).
(2) The bodies of the saints that arose afterhis resurrection exhibited the same
etherial qualities (see Matthew 27:53).
(3) This will let in light upon the subject of the mingling of the saints of the
first resurrectionwith living men during that greatperiod of the reign of
Christ, which is the burden of prophetic hope (cf. Romans 8:17; 2 Timothy
2:8-12; Revelation5:10; Revelation20:6).
(4) Jesus rose the third day, not only to answerthe type of the Prophet Jonah,
and to verify his own words (see Matthew 12:40), but to indicate the time of
the first resurrection of his saints (cf. Hosea 6:2). "A day is with the Lord as a
thousand years."
III. THAT THE RESURRECTIONOF CHRIST BRINGS HEAVES
NEARER TO BELIEVERS.
1. It brings them into communion with angels.
(1) The appearance ofthe angels to the women evinced that through the risen
Saviour we come to a heavenly communion (see Hebrews 12:22). Angels own
Jesus as their Lord as well as we. Their communication is concerning him.
(2) The women had comfortable assurance in their action. It announced to
them that the Lord who had been delivered for our offences had rendered
satisfactionto Divine justice, and therefore receivedhis legal discharge from
the prison.
(3) They had this also in their words.
(a) "Fearnot ye." The watchwere left to their fears. Notso the women. True
daughters of Sarah(see 1 Peter3:6).
(b) "For I know that ye seek Jesus, whichhath been crucified." Love seeks
Jesus becausehe hath been crucified. Those who seek the Crucified One need
never fear.

(c) "He is not here: for he is risen, even as he said." Those who seek Jesus
crucified will find him risen. "He is risen! ' This is joyful news, not only to the
women, but to all disciples of Christ in every age. The risen Christ is our
consolation. If we find him not immediately in sensible comfort, the assurance
that he is risen will be followed by that comfort in goodtime. Henceforth let
us seek Jesus as One that is risen, viz. not with carnal thoughts of him (see 2
Corinthians 5:16), but with heavenly mind and spiritual communications (cf.
Romans 10:6-8; Philippians 3:20; Colossians 3:1-3).
(d) "Go quickly." Those sent on God's errands must not loiter.
(e) "Tell his disciples." The disciples of Jesus are more honoured than kings.
The apostles shouldbelieve without seeing. The women are sent to testify to
them, and thus to testtheir faith. We must not monopolize our comforts (see 2
Kings 7:9). "It is more blessedto give than to receive."
(f) "Behold, he goeth before you into Galilee." Angels are in the secretof the
Lord.
2. It brings them into new relations with their Lord.
(1) He spiritually manifests himself to them. The womenwere highly
honoured to be the first to whom the risen Lord appeared. That favour
expressedthe removal from the sexof its ancient reproach(cf. 1 Timothy
2:14).
(2) He speaks comfortable words to them. "All hail!" equivalent to "Rejoice
ye!" Let joy triumph over fear. The risen Christ is his people's Joy. "All
hail!" equivalent to "All health!" - spiritual and saving health to you!
(3) He affords sensible proofs of his love. "And they came and took hold of his
feet, and worshipped him." They were now sure it was no phantasm, but the
very body of the real Jesus.
(4) He gives them his gracious commission:"Fearnot; go tell my brethren
that they depart into Galilee, and there shall they see me." He went to Galilee
to multiply his witnesses.The greaterpart of his disciples were Galilaeans.

There it was probably that "he was seenof more than five hundred brethren"
(cf. Acts 1:15; 1 Corinthians 15:6).
(5) He calls his disciples his "brethren." Here for the first time we find him
using this condescending and endearing appellation. The Resurrection, which
declaredhim the Son of God with power, declared also all the sons of Godto
be his brethren. The spirit of the servantnow gives place to that of the son.
First we are "servants," then"friends" (see John 15:15), finally "brethren"
(see Matthew 25:40;John 20:17).
(6) The Christian discipleship is now constituted into a sacredbrotherhood. -
J.A.M.
Biblical Illustrator
In the end of the Sabbath.
Matthew 28:1
The meaning and memories of Sunday
H. R. Reynolds, B. A.
Let us considersome of the religious principles which have given and
preservedthis holy day to us.
I. "The first day of the week" is a DAY OF MIGHTY MEMORIES —
memories that we cannotlet die.
1. The celebrationof the Lord's Day has never lost sight of that precious fact
in all revelationand religion — the creationof the world and of man, and
consequentlyall the claim of God's law upon our conscience,and of God's
goodness onour gratitude. The main idea of the Sabbatic rest is that man
should occasionallylift his eyes from the clouds of earth and gaze into the face
of his Creator.

2. "The first day of the week" is full of the memories of redemption.
3. "The first day of the week" is the great memorial of the giving of the Holy
Spirit of Godto man. It is the memorial of the beginning of that greatwork in
human nature by which it becomes like Christ, and is made one with God —
the incarnation of the Holy Ghost.
II. "The first day of the week" IS A DAY OF HAPPY AND NOBLE
ASSOCIATIONS. It is rich in memories of the past greatacts of God, but it
comes down burdened with all the brightest and most beautiful thoughts of
earth; great revivals of human friendships; great, stirring conflicts with evil;
the great, prosperous changes andrevolutions of nations — the deliverance of
untold millions from the slavery of sin and the powerof death; have all left
their impress upon it.
III. It is a day of HOLY ANTICIPATIONS. Memoryis blessed;but what
would men do without hope. The "first day of the week" predicts perpetually
the Sabbath of God's love — the end of conflict, the light of heaven.
IV. It is a day of HOLY DUTIES. It is the first day of the week, not the last,
the day of activity, not of indolent repose. This day will lend a meaning to
your other days. "Hallow God's Sabbaths."
(H. R. Reynolds, B. A.)
The day of resurrection
Philip Henry used to call the Lord's Day the queen of days, the pearl of the
week, and observedit accordingly. His common salutation of his family or
friends on the Lord's Day in the morning, was that of the primitive Christians
— "The Lord is risen, He is risen indeed; " making it his chief business on
that day to celebrate the memory of Christ's resurrection;and he would say
sometimes," EveryLord's Dayis a true Christian's EasterDay."

COMMENTARIES
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
XXVIII.
(1) It will probably help the student to place before him, in their right order,
the recordedappearancesofour Lord Jesus afterHis resurrection:—
(1.) To Mary Magdalene, John20:14;Mark 16:9.
(2.) To Mary Magdalene andthe other Mary, Matthew 28:9.
(3.) To Peter, Luke 24:34;1Corinthians 15:5.
(4.) To Cleopas andanother disciple at Emmaus, Luke 24:13-35.
(5.) To the eleven, or more strictly, the ten Apostles at Jerusalem, Mark 16:14;
Luke 24:36; John 20:19.
(6.) To the eleven Apostles at Jerusalem, John 20:26.
(7.) To the disciples—five named, and others—by the Sea of Galilee, John
21:1-24.
(8.) To the Eleven on a mountain in Galilee, Matthew 28:16;Mark 16:15.
(9.) To the five hundred brethren, possibly identical with.
(8), 1Corinthians 15:6.
(10.)To James the brother of the Lord, 1Corinthians 15:7.
(11.)To the Eleven at Jerusalembefore the Ascension, Mark 16:19-20;Luke
24:50;Acts 1:3-12.
In the end of the sabbath.—Literally, late on the Sabbath; St. Mark, “when
the Sabbath was over;” St. Luke, “very early in the morning.” St. Matthew’s
addition, “as it began to dawn,” brings his narrative into harmony with St.
Luke’s. The order of facts appears to have been as follows:—(1) Mary

Magdalene and the other Mary, the mother of James the Little, watchedthe
burial just before the Sabbath began on the evening of the day of the
crucifixion. (2.) They stayedat home during the twenty-four hours of the
Sabbath. (3.) On the evening of that day (the Sabbath-rest being over) they
bought spices for the embalmment. (4.) At earliestdawn, say about 4 A.M.,
they setout to make their way to the sepulchre, and they reachedit when the
sun had risen (Mark 16:2).
BensonCommentary
Matthew 28:1. In the end of the sabbath — Or rather, After the sabbath, as
οψε σαββατωνmay be properly translated. Thus, in Philostratus, οψε των
Τρωικωνsignifies, after the Trojan war; οψε μυστηριων, after the mysteries
were ended. And in other authors, οψε τουτωνis, after these things; οψε
νυκτος, after night; see many examples of this in Stephanus. And so this
perfectly agrees with the other evangelists, who saywhat is here related was
done when the sabbath was ended, Mark 16:1; or the first day of the week,
Luke 24:1; John 20:1. And perhaps Matthew here mentions σαββατων,
sabbaths, in the plural, because there were two sabbaths in that week, the
paschalsabbath on Friday, and the ordinary sabbath on Saturday. As it
beganto dawn toward, &c. — Τη επιφωσκουση εις μιαν σαββατων, when it
beganto dawn into the first day of the week, thatis, Sunday, or the Lord’s
day; for μια των σαββατωνalways signifies the first day of the week, orthe
Lord’s day, or the day of his resurrection from the dead: and thus the word
μια usually signifies in the Septuagint, when it is joined with days, weeks,or
months; as Genesis 1:5, The evening and morning were, ημερα μια, the first
day: Exodus 40:2; Ezra 3:6; Ezra 10:17, ημερα μια του μηνος, is the first day
of the month. See note on 1 Corinthians 16:2. On this day, in the evening,
Christ appearedto the eleven, John 20:19;and again, John 20:26; and to the
two disciples, Luke 24:13.
Came Mary Magdalene,and the other Mary, (see on chap. Matthew 27:61,)to
see the sepulchre — To see if all things were as they had left them the

preceding evening. It appears from Mark 16:1, that they were accompanied
by Salome:and from Luke 24:10, that they were soonjoined by Joanna, and
other female friends, who were to meet them there. These womenhad bought,
and now brought with them, spices, which they had prepared to embalm the
body of Jesus, to do which, it seems, was their principal reasonfor visiting the
sepulchre so early this morning: from which it is evident, that
notwithstanding Christ had repeatedlyand explicitly foretold that he should
rise from the dead the third day, they had no faith in his predictions. And yet
they were truly pious women, and certainly genuine and very faithful
followers of Jesus, evidently more attachedto him than even the apostles
themselves, and more bold and courageousin his cause. So slow ofheart are
the bestdisposed of mankind to believe what the Lord hath spoken.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
28:1-8 Christ rose the third day after his death; that was the time he had often
spokenof. On the first day of the first week Godcommanded the light to shine
out of darkness. Onthis day did He who is the Light of the world, shine out of
the darkness ofthe grave;and this day is from henceforwardoftenmentioned
in the New Testament, as the day which Christians religiouslyobserved in
solemn assemblies,to the honour of Christ. Our Lord Jesus could have rolled
back the stone by his own power, but he chose to have it done by an angel. The
resurrectionof Christ, as it is the joy of his friends, so it is the terror and
confusionof his enemies. The angelencouragedthe women againsttheir fears.
Let the sinners in Zion be afraid. Fearnot ye, for his resurrectionwill be your
consolation. Ourcommunion with him must be spiritual, by faith in his word.
When we are ready to make this world our home, and to say, It is good to be
here, then let us remember our Lord Jesus is not here, he is risen; therefore
let our hearts rise, and seek the things that are above. He is risen, as he said.
Let us never think that strange which the word of Christ has told us to expect;
whether the sufferings of this present time, or the glory that is to be revealed.
It may have a goodeffectupon us, by faith to view the place where the Lord
lay. Go quickly. It was goodto be there, but the servants of God have other
work appointed. Public usefulness must be chosenbefore the pleasure of
secretcommunion with God. Tell the disciples, that they may be comforted
under their present sorrows. Christknows where his disciples dwell, and will

visit them. Even to those at a distance from the plenty of the means of grace,
he will graciouslymanifest himself. The fear and the joy togetherquickened
their pace. The disciples of Christ should be forward to make knownto each
other their experiences ofcommunion with their Lord; and should tell others
what God has done for their souls.
Barnes'Notes on the Bible
In the end of the sabbath - The word "end" here means the same as "after"
the Sabbath - that is, after the Sabbath was fully completedor finished, and
may be expressedin this manner: "In the night following the Sabbath, for the
Sabbath closedat sunset, as it began to dawn," etc.
As it beganto dawn toward the first day of the week - The word "dawn" is
not of necessityin the original. The word there properly means as the first day
"approached," ordrew on, without specifying the precise time. Mark says
Mark 16:1-2 that it was after"the sabbath was past, and very early in the
morning, at the rising of the sun" - that is, not that the sun "was risen," but
that it was about to rise, or at the early break of day. Luke says Luke 24:1
that it was "very early in the morning;" in the Greek text, "deep twilight," or
when there was scarcelyany light. John Joh20:1 says it was "very early,
while it was yet dark" - that is, it was not yet full daylight, or the sun had not
yet risen. The time when they came, therefore, was at the break of day, when
the sun was about to rise, but while it was yet so dark as to render objects
obscure, or not distinctly visible.
The first day of the week - The day which is observed by Christians as the
Sabbath. The Jews observedthe seventh day of the week, orour Saturday.
During that day our Saviour was in the grave. As he rose on the morning of
the first day, that day has always been observedin commemoration of so
glorious an event.
Came Mary Magdalene andthe other Mary - From Mary Magdalene Christ
had castout sevendevils. Grateful for his greatmercy, she was one of his
firmest and most faithful followers, and was first at the sepulchre, and was
first permitted to see her risen Lord. The "other Mary" was not the mother of
Jesus, but the mother of James and Joses (Mark). Mark says that "Salome"

attended them. Salome was the wife of Zebedee, and the mother of James and
John. From Luke Luke 24:10 it appears that Joanna, wife of Chusa, Herod's
steward(see Luke 8:3), was with them. These four women, Mark says Mark
16:1, having bought sweetspices, came to anoint him. They had prepared a
part of them on the evening before the Sabbath, Luke 23:56. They now,
according to Mark, completedthe preparation and bought more; or the
meaning in Mark may be merely that, "having bought" sweetspices, without
specifying the time when, they came now to embalm him. John mentions only
Mary Magdalene. He does this, probably, because his objectwas to give a
particular accountof her interview with the risen Saviour. There is no
contradiction among the evangelists;for while one mentions only the names of
a part of those who were there, he does not deny that "others" were present
also. It is an old maxim, that "he who mentions a few does not deny that there
are more."
To see the sepulchre - To see whether was as it had been left on the evening
when he was laid there. To see if the stone was still there, by which they would
know that he had not been removed. Mark and Luke say that the designof
their coming was to anoint him with the sweetspices whichthey had
prepared. Matthew does not mention that, but he does not "deny" that that
was the ultimate design of their coming. It is not improbable that they might
have known the manner in which he was buried, with a large quantity of
myrrh and aloes;but that was done in haste - it was done by depositing the
myrrh and aloes, without mixture or preparation, in the grave-clothes.They
came that they might embalm his body more deliberately, or at leastthat they
might "anoint the bandages" andcomplete the work of embalming.
Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible Commentary
CHAPTER 28
Mt 28:1-15. Glorious Angelic Announcement on the First Day of the Week,
that Christ Is Risen—His Appearance to the Women—The Guards Bribed to
Give a False Accountof the Resurrection. ( = Mr 16:1-8; Lu 24:1-8; Joh20:1).
The ResurrectionAnnounced to the Women (Mt 28:1-8).

1. In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn—afterthe Sabbath, as it grew
toward daylight.
toward the first day of the week—Luke(Lu 24:1) has it, "very early in the
morning"—properly, "at the first appearance of daybreak";and
corresponding with this, John (Joh 20:1) says, "when it was yet dark." See on
[1384]Mr16:2. Not an hour, it would seem, was lost by those dear lovers of
the Lord Jesus.
came Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary—"the mother of James and
Joses"(see on[1385]Mt27:56;[1386]Mt27:61).
to see the sepulchre—with a view to the anointing of the body, for which they
had made all their preparations. (See on [1387]Mr16:1, 2).
And, behold, there was—thatis, there had been, before the arrival of the
women.
a greatearthquake;for the angel of the Lord descendedfrom heaven, &c.—
And this was the state of things when the women drew near. Some judicious
critics think all this was transactedwhile the women were approaching;but
the view we have given, which is the prevalent one, seems the more natural.
All this august preparation—recordedby Matthew alone—bespokethe
grandeur of the exit which was to follow. The angelsat upon the huge stone, to
overawe, with the lightning-luster that darted from him, the Roman guard,
and do honor to his rising Lord.Matthew 28:1-8 Christ’s resurrection is
declaredby an angelto the women.
Matthew 28:9-10 Christ himself appeareth to them.
Matthew 28:11-15 The chief priests bribe the soldiers to report that
he was stolenby the disciples.

Matthew 28:16,17 Christappeareth to the elevenin Galilee,
Matthew 28:18-20 and sendeth them to teach and baptize all nations.
We are now come to that part of the Gospelwhich treats concerning the
resurrectionof Christ, and the converse which he had upon the earth for forty
days, Acts 1:3, until the time of his ascensioninto heaven. Matthew and Mark
are the shortestin this narration. I shall therefore, only considerwhat
Matthew saith, and what the other evangelists speakas to the same things
which he mentions, leaving out what the other evangelists have (not at all
mentioned by him) to be discoursedin their proper place. We heard before
that Mary Magdalene and the other Mary had prepared spices and ointments
to anoint the body of Christ, but the sabbath day being at hand, they would
not by that unnecessaryactionprofane the sabbath; as Luke tells us, Luke
23:56, they restedon the sabbath, according to the commandment: The
sabbath ended with them at the setting of the sun. They did not go as soonas
the sabbath was ended, but after it was ended,
as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week. The first day of the week
beganwith them as soonas the sabbath was ended, so as the first day of the
week was a third part spent; therefore Mark reports the time, Mark 16:1,2,
And when the sabbath was past; and says that Mary Magdalene, and Mary
the mother of James and Salome, had bought sweetspices thatthey might
come and anoint him. And very early in the morning, the first day of the
week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. Luke saith, Luke
24:1, that upon the first day of the week, veryearly in the morning, they came
unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain
others with them.

John saith, John 20:1, The first day of the week comethMary Magdalene
early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre. As to the time, three
evangelists sayit was upon the first day of the week, earlyin the morning;
about sunrising, saith Mark; while it was yet dark, saith John: these now
interpret Matthew’s oqe sabbatwn, which doth not signify, in the evening of
the sabbath, but in the evening of the sabbaths, the end of the week. The Jews,
in honour to the sabbath, called all the days of the week sabbaths, the first of
the sabbath, the secondof the sabbath, &c.;so as oqe sabbatwnis well
translated by our translators, In the end of the sabbath, the evening or night
following the sabbath, following the seventh day, which was the sabbath. Nor
is oqe to be taken here strictly for that time of the night which we call the
evening, but for the whole night, which must be reckonedto continue until the
sunrising of the first day of the week;and so Matthew expounds himself,
adding,
as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, that is, the first artificial
day, as the day is accountedfrom sunrising to sun setting; otherwise it was
upon the first natural day of the week, whichbegan from the sun setting
before. Matthew mentions the coming of Mary Magdalene,and the other
Mary, who, Mark saith, was the mother of James and Salome, to the
sepulchre. John mentions only Mary Magdalene, but it is not probable she
went alone, and two other evangelists sayalso the other Mary. Luke saith
there were certain others with them: there might be divers with them, though
one only be named by John, two by Matthew and Mark as being the principal
persons in the company. And though Matthew only mentions their going to
see the sepulchre, yet Mark telleth us that they went also to anoint his body,
and Luke saith they carried the spices prepared for that end; their faith, as it
seemeth, was yet but weak as to our Saviour’s resurrection.
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
In the end of the sabbath,.... This clause is by some joined to the last verse of
the preceding chapter, but stands better here, as appears from Mark 16:1,
and intends not what the Jews callthe sabbath eve, for that beganthe

sabbath; but what they call , "the goings out of the sabbath";and as Mark
says, Mark 16:1, "when the sabbath was past":that is, when the sun was set,
and any stars appeared. The Vulgate Latin, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions,
and Munster's Hebrew Gospelrender it, "the evening of the sabbath"; and
the Persic version, "the night of the sabbath"; but must mean, not the evening
and night, which precededthe sabbath, and was a part of it, but what followed
it, and belongedto the first day.
As it beganto dawn; not the day, but the night; a way of speaking usedby the
Jews, who callthe night, "light": thus they say (y), , "onthe light, or night of
the fourteenth" (of the month Nisan) "they searchfor leavenedbread", &c.
And so the word is used, in Luke 23:54, of the eve of the sabbath, or the
beginning of it, as here of the going out of it;
towards the first day of the week, or"sabbaths";so the Jews usedto call the
days of the week, the first day of the sabbath, the secondday of the sabbath,
&c. take an instance or two (z).
"The stationary men fastfour days in the week, from the secondday to the
fifth day; and they do not faston the sabbath eve (so they sometimes callthe
sixth day), because ofthe glory of the sabbath; nor , "onthe first day of the
sabbath", or week, that they may not go from rest and delight, to labour and
fasting, and die.''
On which the Gemara has these words (a);
"the stationary men go into the synagogue, andsit four fastings;, "on the
secondof the sabbath", or "week":on the third, and on the fourth, and on the
fifth.''
Came Mary Magdalene,and the other Mary, the wife of Cleophas, and
mother of James and Joses,with whom also was Salome, the mother of
Zebedee's children, Mark 16:1. There seems to be some difference between
the evangelists aboutthe time of the women's coming to the sepulchre.
Matthew says, it was "atthe end of the sabbath, when it began to dawn;
towards the first day of the week".Johnsays, that "MaryMagdalene" came
"when it was yet dark", John 20:1, and yet Mark says, that they came "atthe

rising of the sun", Mark 16:2. Though they all agree it was early in the
morning: all they sayis no doubt true, and may be reconciledthus. As soonas
the sabbath was ended, the women setout on their journey, and as they went,
bought spices and ointment to anoint the body with: they passedthrough the
gates ofthe city before they were shut, and might stay some time in the
suburbs; when Mary Magdalene, eagerto be at the sepulchre, setout first,
whilst it was dark, and came back and reported to Peterwhat she had seen,
and returned againby such time the other women came, which was at
sunrising. From all the accounts it is clear, that he rose, as is expressly said,
Mark 16:9, on the first day of the week, and which was the third from his
death: on the sixth day, which was Friday, he was crucified, and buried that
evening; he lay in the grave all sabbath day, or Saturday; and rose early on
the first day of the week, before the womengot to the sepulchre; who came
thither, as it is here said,
to see the sepulchre: not merely to see it, for they had seenit before, and
where, and how the body of Christ was laid in it; but to see whether they
could enter into it, and anoint the body with the spices and ointments, which
they had prepared and brought with them for that purpose.
(y) Misn. Pesachim, c. 1. sect. 1. Vid. Maimon. & Bartenora in ib. (z) Misn.
Taanilh, c. 4. sect. 3.((a)T. Bab. Taanith, fol. 27. 2. Vid. T. Bab. Nidda, fol. 4.
2. & 11. 1. & 67. 2.
Geneva Study Bible
In {1} the {a} end of the sabbath, as it {b} beganto dawn towardthe first day
of the week, came MaryMagdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.
(1) Christ, having routed death in the tomb, rises by his own power, as the
angelimmediately witnesses.
(a) At the going out of the sabbath, that is, about daybreak after the Roman
manner of telling time, which considers the natural day to be from the rising
of the sun to the next sunrise: and not as the Hebrews, which count from
evening to evening.

(b) When the morning of the first day after the sabbath beganto dawn: and
that first day is the same as that which we now call Sunday, or the Lord's day.
EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Meyer's NT Commentary
Matthew 28:1. On the various ways of viewing and interpreting the story of
the resurrection, see, as regards their criticalaspect, Keim, III. p. 527 ff.; and
on the apologetic side, consultSteinmeyer, Apolog. Beitr. III. 1871.
ὀψὲ δὲ σαββάτων]but late on the Sabbath, means neither … after the close of
the Sabbath (Olshausen, de Wette, Baumgarten-Crusius, Ewald, Bleek), nor:
after the close ofthe week (Severus of Antioch, Euthymius Zigabenus,
Grotius, Wieseler, p. 425);for ὀψέ, sero, with a defining genitive (without
which it occurs nowhere else in the New Testament)always denotes the
lateness ofthe period thus specifiedand still current (τὰ τελευταῖα τούτων,
Euthymius Zigabenus). Comp. in general, Krüger, § xlvii. 10. 4; Kühner, II. 1,
p. 292. Take the following as examples of this usage from classicalauthors:
Xen. Hist. ii. 1. 14; Thuc. iv. 93. 1 : τῆς ἡμέρας ὀψέ; Dem. p. 541, ult.: ὀψὲ τῆς
ὥρας ἐγίγνετο;Luc. Dem. enc. 14, and de morte Peregr. 21 : ὀψὲ τῆς ἡλικίας.
Hence by: late on the Sabbath, we are not to suppose Saturday evening to be
intended,—any such misunderstanding being precluded both by the nature of
the expressionmade use of, an expressionby no means synonymous with the
usual ὀψίας γενομένης (in opposition to Keim), and by what is still further
specifiedimmediately after,—but far on in the Saturday night, after midnight,
toward daybreak on Sunday, in conformity with the civil mode of reckoning,
according to which the ordinary day was understoodto extend from sunrise
till sunrise again. Lightfoot, comparing the Rabbinicalexpression‫יקיפב‬ ‫,אבוש‬
aptly observes:“ὀψέ totam noctem denotat.” Comp. so early a writer as
Augustine, de cons. ev. 24. Consequently the point of time mentioned here is
substantially identical with that given in Luke 24:1 : τῇ μιᾷ τῶν σαββάτων
ὄρθρου βαθέος, and in John 20:1 : τῇ μιᾷ τῶν σαββ. πρωῒ σκοτίας ἔτι οὔσης;
while, on the other hand, Mark 16:2 represents the sun as already risen. For

ὀψέ comp. Ammonius: ἑσπέρα μὲν γάρ ἐστιν ἡ μετὰ τὴν δύσιν τοῦ ἡλίου ὥρα·
ὀψέ δὲ ἡ μετὰ πολὺ τῆς δύσως.
τῇ ἐπιφωσκ. εἰς μίαν σαββάτωνwhen it was dawning toward Sunday, i.e. as
the light was beginning to appear on the morning of Sunday. Understand
ἡμέρα after ἐπιφωσκ.; and for ἐπιφώσκει ἡ ἡμέρα, comp. Herod, iii. 86: ἁμʼ
ἡμέρῃ διαφωσκούσῃ, alsoMark 9:45. The participial expressionwithout the
ἡμέρα is similar to ἡ ἐπιοῦσα, and the like (Kühner, II. 1, p. 228). Keim
supposes the evening to be intended, since, according to the Jewishmode of
reckoning, the day beganwith the rising of the stars or the lighting of lamps,
so that the meaning of our passagewouldbe as follows:“In the evening after
six o’clock, just when the stars were beginning to twinkle”[39]But to say
nothing of the startling discrepancythat would thus arise betweenMatthew
and the other evangelists,we would be under the necessity, according to Luke
23:54 (see on the passage), ofunderstanding the words immediately following
as simply equivalent to: τῇ μίᾳ σαββάτωνἐπιφωσκούσῃ;comp. ΣΑΒΒΆΤΟΝ
ἘΠΙΦΏΣΚΕΙ, Ev. Nicod. 12, p. 600, Thilo’s edition. Nor, if we adopt Keim’s
interpretation, is it at all clearwhat substantive should be understood along
with τῇ ἐπιφωσκ. Ewald, Apost. Zeit. p. 82, unwarrantably supplies ἑσπέρᾳ,
and, like Keim, supposes the reference to be to the evening lighting of the
lamps, though he is inclined to think that Matthew intended summarily to
include in his statementwhat the womendid on Saturday evening and early
on Sunday, a view which finds no support whateverin the text; as for the
intention to embalm the body, there is no trace of such a thing in Matthew.
Lastly, to suppose that in framing his statementas to the time here in
question, the author of our revised Gospelhas had recourse to a combination
of Mark 16:1-2 (Weiss), is to give him but little credit for literary skill; for
instead of taking the trouble to form any such combination, he had only to
take Mark’s two statements and place the one after the other, thus:
διαγενομένου τοῦ σαββάτου,λίανπρωῒ τῆς ΜΙᾶς ΣΑΒΒΆΤΩΝ. But so far
from that, he has proceededin entire independence of Mark.

The expressionΜΊΑΣΑΒΒΆΤΩΝ corresponds exactlyto the Rabbinical
mode of designating the days of the week:‫דחא‬ ‫,תבשב‬ Sunday; ‫ינש‬ ‫,תבשב‬
Monday; ‫ישילש‬ ‫,תבשב‬ Tuesday, and so on. See Lightfoot, p. 500. Observe that
ΣΆΒΒΑΤΑ denotes, in the first instance, Sabbath, and then week;and
similarly, that the ἩΜΈΡᾼto be understood with ἘΠΟΦΩΣΚ. is to be taken
in the sense ofday light (John 4:4; John 11:9; Romans 8:12; 1 Thessalonians
5:5).
ἡ ἄλλη Μαρία]as in Matthew 27:56.
In John 20:1 only Mary Magdalene is mentioned, whereas in the Synoptists
we have an amplified version of the tradition as regards the number of the
women, Matthew mentioning two, Mark three (Salome), while Luke (Matthew
24:10)gives us to understand that, in addition to the two Marys and Joanna,
whom he speciallynames, there were severalothers. In dealing with such
discrepancies in the tradition we should beware of seeking to coercethe
different narratives into harmony with one another, which can never be done
without prejudice to their respective authors. We see an illustration of this in
the supposition that Mary Magdalene came first of all to the grave, and then
hastenedback to the city to inform Peterof what had takenplace, and that
during her absence Marythe mother of James, Joanna, Salome,and the other
women arrived (Olshausen, Ebrard). Comp. on John 20:1. The same thing is
exemplified by the other view, that Mary Magdalene wentto the grave along
with the restof the women, but that on the way back she outran the others,
etc. For the various attempts to harmonize the divergent narratives, see
Griesbach, Opusc. II. p. 241 ff.; Strauss, II. p. 570 ff.; Wieseler, p. 425 ff.
ΘΕΩΡῆΣΑΙ ΤῸΝ ΤΆΦΟΝ] to look at the grave;according to Mark and
Luke, to anoint the body. This latter statement is the more original and more
correctof the two, though Matthew could not consistentlyadopt it after what
he had said about the sealing and watching of the grave.

[39] This idea of Keim’s about the twinkling of the stars is an importation; for
the expressionἐπιφώσκει, as applied to the evening, has reference only to the
ordinary domestic lighting of the lamps. See in particular, Lightfoot on Luke
23:54.
Expositor's Greek Testament
Matthew 28:1-10. The open grave (Mark 16:1-8, Luke 24:1-11).
Cambridge Bible for Schools andColleges
1. as it beganto dawn] At the rising of the sun, or properly, “whenthe sun
had risen” (Mark). Both St Mark and St Luke mention that they brought
spices and ointments.
Ch. Matthew 28:1-8. The Resurrection
Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-12;John 20:1-18The discrepanciesare slight, and
may be accountedfor by the agitation of the witnesses ofthis momentous
scene. To the women named in this GospelSt Mark adds Salome;St Luke,
Joanna and other women; St John names Mary Magdalene only. St Luke and
St John mention the visit of Peterto the sepulchre, St John adding “that other
disciple.” This Evangelistalso records the appearance ofJesus to Mary
Magdalene in the garden.
The order of events was probably this: First, Mary Magdalene andthe other
Mary, having come early to the tomb, were addressedby the Angel and saw
the empty sepulchre; they hastento inform Peterand the other disciples;
Peterand John visit the tomb and depart; Mary Magdalene,left alone,
beholds her Lord, whom at first she does not recognise;soonafterwards the
Lord appears a secondtime to Mary Magdalene, now in the company of other
women.

Bengel's Gnomen
Matthew 28:1. Ὀψὲ, after) i.e. after the Sabbath; cf. Mark 16:1. E. Schmidius
compares with this expressionthat of Plutarch, ὀψὲ τῶν βασιλέως χρόνων,
after the times of the king; and that of Philostrahis, ὀψὲ τῶν Τρωϊκῶν, after
the Trojanwar.[1220]Now withthe new week very different matters arise.—
σαββάτων—σαββάτων,[1221]genitive plural of σάββατον, the Sabbath) The
Vulgate has Sabbati—Sabbati, genitive singular, in both places, and it does
not stand alone.—σαββάτον—σαββάτων, the first in the genitive singular, the
secondgenitive plural, is the middle reading betweenthese two.[1222]—Τῇ
[sc. ἩΜΈΡᾼ]ἘΠΙΦΩΣΚΟΎΣῌ, as it beganto dawn) When the period of
death had elapsed, our Lord rose as quickly as possible.—εἰς μίαν[sc.
ἩΜΈΡΑΝ]on the first day, i.e. the whole day, the first of the week. The first
day of the week hadalready begun on the preceding evening; now the day, as
opposedto the night, was dawning on that first day. The first remarkable
mention of the Lord’s day is combined with the resurrection of our Lord. It is
generallycalled ἡ μία (the first) with the article:see Mark 16:2; Luke 24:1;
John 20:1; John 20:19; Acts 20:7, and on the other hand 1 Corinthians
16:2.[1223]—ΣΑΒΒΆΤΩΝ, ofthe days of the week)ἦλθε, κ.τ.λ., came, etc.)
Such offices were performed by those who were not connectedby the closest
relationship; so that it is not wonderful that our Lord’s mother was not there
with them.[1224]
[1220]We may translate the Greek words thus:—“On that day which
commences from the evening after the Sabbath, and on the following morning
dawns upon the first day of the week.”This was Sunday, very early in the
morning.—Harm., p. 584, etc.
[1221]This too is the reading of E. M.—(I. B.)
[1222]In the original the passageruns thus:—“σαββάτων—σαββάτων,
sabbati—sabbati)habet Lat. nec solus. σαββάτου—σαββάτων, lectio media.

[1223]In the last instance the omissionof the article may be accountedfor by
the presence ofthe prepositionκατὰ, which, as is frequently the case in
similar instances, renders μίανσαββάτωνanarthrous. See Middleton on the
article, who observes also, thatif two nouns be in regimen, and if one be
anarthrous, the other will be so too;so that σαββάτων, being without the
article, causes μίανto drop the article, which it otherwise should have.—(I. B.)
[1224]It seems to be desirable to give the reader here a succincthistory of this
first Lord’s day, framed from a comparisonof the Evangelists as instituted by
Bengel, in such a way, however, as that the arguments are left in their own
places to be investigatedby the reader. The summary of events which the
Harm. Ev., p. 584. etc, exhibits, amounts to this:—
The preparations for anointing Jesus, whichhad been begun before the
Sabbath, having been continued and completedby the women after the end of
the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene came to the sepulchre much soonerthan the
rest of the women;(for too long a space oftime intervenes betweenthe time
preceding day-break [John 20:1] and the rising of the sun [Mark 16:2] to
admit of our supposing that all the womenat one time left home before day,
and only reachedthe tomb at sunrise. Meanwhile the angel sentdown from
heaven rolled awaythe stone from the door of the sepulchre, whilst an
earthquake accompaniedhis action, very much to the terror of the soldiers on
watch. Mary Magdalene is the first of all who perceived the stone rolled away,
and without having entered the sepulchre, she goes to tell tidings of the factto
Peterand John. Whilst these things are being carriedon, the rest of the
women, having entered the sepulchre, are thrown into a state of anxiety by not
discovering the body of the Lord, and upon receiving the angel’s
announcement concerning the resurrection, they depart quickly [Matthew
28:8]. Then Peterand John, coming to the sepulchre. and having seenthe
state of things there, believe that the body of the Lord has been carried away,
and return home. But Mary, having now taken her stand at the sepulchre

[John 20:11]; (for she had followedthe Apostles hither anew after her first
visit to it), gives vent to her tears, and after having beheld the two angels, to
whom she scarcelypays attention, she sees Jesus Himself, who presently after
appears to the restof the women also, as they were preparing to carry on the
tidings of the angels to the disciples also. (Whilst these were going away, the
soldiers in watch of the sepulchre, having brought to the priests tidings of
what had happened, are bribed with money.) By this time Mary, attended by
the restof the women, has come to the disciples;but not even on the part of
Peterdoes she find faith in the goodtidings which she announces. Our Lord,
meantime, appears to Cleophas and his companion (and elsewhere to Peter
also). But not even to these announcements do the disciples give faith, before
that, upon the intervention of the apparition, which had, in addition, been
vouchsafedto Simon, the reports were confirmed by reports. In fine, on that
very evening, when the disciples were congregatedtogether, andwere
conversing with one another on these subjects, the risen Lord presents
Himself to their view.—E. B.
In his own Greek New Testament(4 to 1734)Bengelhas σαββάτων—
σαββάτων, and does not indicate the existence of any various reading. In his
App. Crit., however, he writes in loc.:—“σαββάτωνutrumque) sabbathi habet
Lat. (passim) et alii.—(I. B.)
Besides Vulg. sabbati, sabbati is read by abc. LΔ and Syr. read σαββάτῳ. But
ABD Orig. 1,440creadσαββάτων—σαββάτωνwith Rec. Text.—ED.
Pulpit Commentary
Verses 1-10. - Jesus rises from the dead, and appears to the holy women.
(Mark 16:1-8;Luke 24:1-12;John 20:1-10.)It is to be noted that there are
greatand important variations in the four (or, with St. Paul's, 1 Corinthians
15, the five) accounts ofthe events of the Resurrection, whichhave given
welcome occasionto the sceptic to castdoubts upon the whole transaction.
The divergences in the narratives are plainly to be ascribedto the facts that

the writers did not depend upon one another, nor draw their accounts from
one source;that eachgives only an incomplete history, introducing those
details with which he was familiar, or which it suited his plan to recount. On
all main points the agreementis perfect, and every difference could be easily
reconciled, if we knew the whole of the circumstances andthe exactsequence
of eachword and act during this momentous period. Attempts at harmonizing
the various accounts have been made with more or less successby writers
from St. Augustine to the present time; but as they vary in many particulars,
and have no authoritative basis, dependence cannotbe placed upon them. The
narrative in St. Matthew is brief and imperfect, and we shall chiefly confine
our remarks to the expositionof the actualtext before us, without importing
much matter from the other evangelists.Verse 1. - In the end of the sabbath;
ὀψὲ σαββάτων:late on the sabbath; Vulgate, vespere sabbati. The expression
is obscure. In the parallelpassage ofSt. Mark we read, "When the sabbath
was past." We must take it that St. Matthew is thinking of the sabbath as
extending, not from evening to evening, but till the following morning. "So
that it is not the accurate Jewishdivision of time, according to which the
sabbath ended at six on Saturday evening, but the ordinary civil idea of a day,
which extended from sunrise to sunrise (or at leastadds the night to the
preceding day)" (Lange). We have, then, now arrived at the commencement
of the first Christian EasterDay. As it beganto dawn toward the first day of
the week;εἰς μίαν σαββάτων:in prima sabbati (Vulgate); literally, unto one
day of sabbath; i.e. one day after the sabbath, the Jews reckoning their days in
sequence from the sabbath, and Christians at first carrying on the same
practice, as we see in Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2. Later Christians named
the days of the week in sequence from the Sunday, which was the first day,
Monday being the secondday, feria secunda, and so on. Came Mary
Magdalene and the other Mary (see on Matthew 27:61)to see the sepulchre.
Love cannot abandon its object, living or dead. There were probably other
women with these two, or perhaps there were two separate bands of women
who in this early morning visited the sepulchre. Among these Mary
Magdalene stands prominently forward, first in love and first in care. She and
the restevidently knew nothing of the sealing ofthe stone or the posting of the
guards. St. Matthew's expression, "to see (θεωρῆσαι, "to gaze upon,"
"contemplate")the sepulchre," conveys only a partial notice of the objectof

their visit. They came not only to take a view of the tomb, but also to embalm
the Lord's body, for which necessarypreparations had been made, the
approachof the sabbath on the evening of the Crucifixion having cut short the
arrangements. We know from St. Mark that they were perplexed about the
difficulty of removing the stone, and St. Matthew may be referring to a
preliminary inspection made in regard of this impediment. Our Gospelomits
mention of the intention of embalming the corpse, as the Resurrection
rendered it impracticable; and, indeed, the Lord's body had already been
anointed for his burial by Mary of Bethany.
END OF BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
What A Morning!
(Sunrise Service Sermon)
Text: Luke 23:50-24:12
Introduction:
What a joy to considersome of the events that surrounded the resurrectionof
the Lord Jesus Christ.
Though you may not visit the empty tomb in this life, you can take a trip
through God’s wonderful truth. The empty tomb was a place of happenings.
It was locatedright at the footof the hill where Jesus was crucified. I know
this morning that we are standing in front of three crosses,but the graves
around us remind us of a tomb. The body of Jesus was placedin a borrowed
tomb, belonging to a rich man, by the name of Josephof Arimithea.
Our Lord’s body was buried late on Friday afternoon. The womenrested on
the Sabbath which beganat sunsetthat evening. The purchased anointing oil
after sunset that closedthe Sabbath or Saturday. Very early on Sunday
morning, while it was still dark, the women left Bethany , which was about 2

miles from Jerusalem, and arrived at the tomb just after sunrise. The sun had
already risen before they reachedthe tomb.
Think together for a few minutes about "What a Morning!"
I. What a Morning When the Stone Was Rolled Away
V.2 says, "Theyfound the stone rolled awayfrom the sepulchre."
Why was the stone removed? Not so Jesus could getout. Later Christ meets
with the disciples and with the doors shut in the upper room, all the sudden
He appears in their midst, with all the doors being shut. Christ did not have to
open the door to getin, He simply walkedin, while the door was shut, just as
there was no door. Since that is true, we know that He would not be necessary
for an angelto remove the huge stone so He could getout. The stone was
removed so the women and the disciples could look inside and see that death
could not hold Him down.
By the way, He is still rolling away stones in our lives that would get in the
way of us catching a proper glimpse of Him. Satantries to bring huge stones
into our lives that would keepus from gazing by faith upon the Lord Jesus,
but believer, greateris He that is in you, than he that is in the world..
II. When They Could not Find the Body Of Jesus
Verse 3 says, "Theyentered in and found not the body of the Lord Jesus."It
was not removed by Jesus enemies orstolen by the disciples, but there had
been a resurrection. Verse 12 says when Petercame into the tomb that the
linen clothes were laid by themselves. It had not been some kind of haphazard
theft of a body from a gravesite, the clothes were neatand in order. Christ
came through those grave wrappings. They had not been disturbed and
wrapped off as they were wrapped on. Christ simply came through those
grave wrappings as though they were not around Him. That left them in a
very neat state--allintact in one spot where His body had been laid.

If you were to go the grave of those who beganreligions like Budda,
Mohammed, or whoeverelse you may name, you will find their bodies are
entombed in various locations around the world. But, not so with Jesus. We
are the only faith, founded hundreds of years ago, whose leadercannotbe
found in a tomb.
Note:
In Jerusalem, where the tomb of Jesus is, there is a sign on the door of the
sepluchre of Jesus whichsays, "He is not here, He is risen." If Christ had not
risen from the dead, he would have been a liar and imposter. But, hallelujah,
He arose just like he saidHe would. CHRIST SAID, " DESTROYTHIS
TEMPLE AND IN THREE DAYS, I WILL RAISE IT UP AGAIN."
III. When They Saw The Angels
v.4 tells us: "Two men stoodby them in shining garments"
They women entered into the sepluchre, and were very perplexed. To be
"perplexed" is to be baffled, perplexed, confused, befuddled, dumbfounded,
or puzzled.
Why were the garments of the angels shining? Why did they have a brilliance
about them, that human garments do not have? They were the ministers of
God with the brightness of the glory world about them. The gave a little
glimpse, simply by their appearance ofthe glory of involved in the
resurrectionof Christ.
What a blessedmorning it would be if we could geta glimpse of angels, with
the brilliance of heaven around them. Well, you can by the eye of faith
through the Word of God. THIS EVENT MENTIONEDIN THE
SCRIPTURE IS JUST AS REAL AS THOUGH I WERE THERE AND SAW
IT TRANSPIRE. Thatis what faith does!
IV. When They Hear the Message ofGlad Tidings

Verse 6 tells us that an angelsaid, "Why seek he the living among the dead?
He is not here, but is risen."
What goodnews that was to the women who came. They didn’t really expect a
resurrectionto occur. They were bringing spices they had bought the previous
evening to come and anoint the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is difficult to
anoint a body when it is not there.
When they heard that He had arisen, though they did not expectit, what glad
tidings it was to them! How wonderful it was to know that the cruel jaws of
death, could not hold down the Lord Jesus Christ!
V. When They Remembered His Words
In v.7 the angels remind the womenthere, "The Son of Man must be delivered
into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again."
The Bible then tells us, after hearing what the angel said, about what Jesus
said concerning His resurrection, "AND THEY REMEMBEREDHIS
WORDS."
It is a glad morning when we remember the word of the Lord concerning the
resurrectionof believers.
1 Cor 15:42-44 declares:
42 It is sownin corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
43 It is sownin dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sownin weakness;it is
raisedin power:
44 It is sowna natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural
body, and there is a spiritual body.
1 Cor 15:51-53 reminds us:
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be
changed,

52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet
shall sound, and the dead shall be raisedincorruptible, and we shall be
changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on
immortality.
VI. When They Were MovedTo Testify
In verse 9 the Bible says, "Theytold all these things to the elevenand to the
rest."
After seeing what they had seen, they could not help but to tell others about
the empty tomb. We need some more "just can’t help it,"witnessing in our
day and time. A witness is one that declares whathe has seenor heard. The
main reasonthere is so little witness of Christ today is that most folks have not
heard anything from Him, or seenanything of Him. What a morning:
VII. When PeterRan To the Sepulchre
V.12 says, "Thenarose Peterand ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down,
he beheld the line clothes laid by themselves and departed, wondering in
himself at that which was come to pass."
He was anxious to get involved in the things of Christ. If you will remember,
he denied the Lord three times, just outside the Hall of Ciaphas, the high
priest, just before the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ. Peterwas no doubt
a believer and that bothered him greatly. The Spirit of God and his own
consciencehadconvicted him of what he had done. Now he wanted to see
Jesus again.
Conclusion:

As we ready this accountin Luke 24 of Christ’s resurrectionit makes us think
of what a morning, when the ransomedchurch of God’s bodies are raised
from the grave, glorified and to sin no more. What a morning! What a
morning! Hallelujah what a morning!
SERMON FROM DR. TOM WALKER
PASTOR ZION HILL BAPTIST--MARION, NC-USA
GLENN PEASE
THEN CAME THE MORNING BasedonMatt. 28:1‑ 10
Louis Evans told of the soldier who was wounded on the battlefield at
night. He could not move or speak, but he could see the lanterns of the medics
as they made their way from body to body. Finally a lantern was shining
down on him, and after they examined his wounds one of them said, "I believe
that if he makes it to sunrise, he will live." This gave the soldier a goalto
reach, and a hope to cling to, so he lay there looking up into the stars longing
for the dawn. "If I make it to sunrise I will live," he kept saying to himself,
and so he filled his mind with thoughts of his wife and children, and all the
reasons he had to live. Then came the morning and a feeling of victory, for he
knew he would see his family again.
Hope is a powerful tool in helping people get through the night of their
trials to the dawn of a new day, and a new life. Mostof you have probably
had some experience of waiting for the dawn. The one that stands out in my
mind was in my first year of college. I friend of mine hit me in the front teeth
on the basketballcourt. I developed an abscessthat beganto hurt terribly in
the night. I lived in the dorm, and I canremember it being the longestnight
of my life. I roamedthe hall and pleaded for the sun to rise. I was in such

pain that I had no other goalin life but to see the sunrise and be able to get
some help. Nothing is so comforting as the coming of the dawn when you are
suffering in the night. Thank God for the morning that enables you to endure
the night.
Easteris that morning of history than gives man the courage andthe hope
to endure any night, eventhe night of death when the light of life is snuffed
out and darkness seems to have won the war. God has always been a morning
person, and it fits all we know of God that he would raise his Son up from the
grave on a Sunday Morning. It was the greatestsingle victorious event everto
happen on this planet, and it happened in the morning. You don't hear of
Eastersunsetservices, but Eastersunrise services,for it was in the early
morning that the Sonof Godrose to never setagain.
That first Eastermorning was the beginning of a day of Sonshine that
would never end in the darkness of night, for Jesus turned on a light that all
the powers of hell could never put out or even dim. Easternever ends, for on
that morning of all mornings Jesus conquereddeath and darkness and
brought life and immortality to light. There is just something about the
morning that God loves. He dwells in perpetual light and he is light, and in
Him is no darkness at all, yet He loves the dawning of the new day, and He
made Eastermorning the time of his total victory over the kingdom of
darkness. Easterwas just the fulfillment of what we see all through the Bible.
God never slumbers or sleeps, but is everalert to give songs in the night to his
needy children. But from the very start of creationGod has been most active
in the morning. He does his best work in the morning. That is when he
createdthe world.
I don't know if you have ever noticed before, but God's workdayin
creationalways beganin the morning. After eachday he saidthere was

evening and morning. For 6 days God beganeachmorning with a whole new
project. We know it was morning because Godtold Jobit was. He askedJob
in Job 38, "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?" And after a
few more such questions he added, "While the morning stars sang together
and all the angels shoutedfor joy. Godstarted all his masterpieces in the
morning. On the 7th morning God rested and did no work, and the 7th day
became the Sabbath day of rest. It was still the sacredday of worship and rest
when Jesus lay in the tomb. But Matthew now begins the last chapter of his
Gospelwith God going back to work on Sunday morning. The Sabbath was
over and it was a dawning of a new week, andGod decides it is time for a new
morning creationthat will begin a whole new history on this planet.
God could have raisedhis Son on the Sabbath, but he was starting fresh
with a whole new plan of salvation. He was not going to dignify the Sabbath
by the resurrection, and lock in the Sabbath forever. He came to destroy the
legalismof the Sabbath and make a new day of worship. The Pharisees had
no law againstrising from the dead on the Sabbath, but it did involve a lot of
forbidden work. The stone being rolled away, and the Messiahgetting out of
his grave clothes, and traveling more than a Sabbath's day journey. The
whole thing would have been condemned had it been on the Sabbath. So God
chose to wait until Sunday morning to start his new creation. It meant a
mighty dull weekendin the tomb, but what a way to start a new week. God
skipped a chance to make the Sabbath the most sacredday forever. Instead,
he exalted the lowly Sunday to that status.
Sunday was just a commonplace secularday. It was not sacredtime, but
seculartime. God took this day of common labor and made it the day that
would be exalted above all others, even the Sabbath. EasterSunday morning
changedeverything for God's people. It changedwho they worshiped, and
when they worshiped, and how they worshiped. Eastermorning didn't just
change our eternal destiny, it changedthe whole designof our earthly life in
relation to God. The one thing it didn't change, but only confirmed, is that

God loves the morning. One of the reasons is, no doubt, because every
morning is symbolic of Eastermorning. Every night we sleepand are like the
dead, but in the morning we rise to walk in newness oflife. It is a fresh new
day filled with the potential of tasting all the fruits of the Spirit‑ love, joy,
peace, and all the rest. JanStruther wrote,
Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy,
Whose trust, ever childlike, no cares could destroy,
Be there at our waking, and give us, we pray,
Your bliss in our hearts, Lord, at the break of the day.
I could spend an hour just quoting the Scripture on the importance of the
morning and beginning your day with God, and hours more quoting all the
poetry men and women have written on it. Let me share just a few:
Ps. 5:3, "Morning by morning, O Lord you hear my voice: Morning by
morning I lay my request before you and wait in expectation."
Ps. 30:5, "Weeping may remain for the night, but rejoicing comes in the
morning."
Eastermorning is the greatestexample of this. The darkness night ever
endured by God and man was on Good Friday. Jesus enteredthe darkness of
hell, and the world was plunged into darkness, andall of the disciples were in
a state of gloom as they wept over his fate and their own. Some of you may
have heard Tony Compolo on TV. He was describing how a black preacher
went on for an hour and a half describing the darkness of GoodFriday, but
then he would say, "But that was Friday‑ Sunday morning is coming and with

it the rejoicing of the resurrection." It was after a dark and sorrowfulworld
that the light of Easterbeganto shine. Eastermorning guaranteedthat all
evil and sorrow is only temporary, and that goodand joy are eternal. There is
a greatgettin‑ up morning coming when the night of darkness ends forever,
and the only kind of songs we will ever sing againare songs ofvictory.
Eastermorning is like that which the Psalmistwaited for in Ps. 130:6.
"My soul waits for the Lord more than watchman wait for the morning, more
than watchman wait for the morning." He repeats that, for that is the hope
of the watchman‑ the morning, and that is the hope of all Christians. If we
wake on earth we wake everyday in a world where Lam. 3:23 says of God,
"...His compassions neverfail. They are new every morning." If we wake
from the sleepof death in heaven, we enter an eternal morning. We wake in
the presence ofhim who is the bright and morning star, and he promises he
will give to over comers in Rev. 2:28, the morning star.
In eternity it is always morning, for we will be fresh and energetic and full
of life with no weariness as time goes by. It will be a fresh start that never
ends. It will be Eastermorning forever. When Donald Cargilldied a martyr
he stood on the scaffoldin Edinburgh, England and said to the crowdin a
loud voice, "Now for the morning and the King's face. No more night and no
more darkness." Eastermorning provides us with the hope we need to face
death with confidence, but it is not just pie in the sky on high by and by when
we die that we need. We need pie on the table in the now, and Eastergives us
this as well.
Jesus came back from the dead not just to tell his disciples that they would
go to heavenwhen they die. He came back to encourage them in living, and to
meet basic needs, and so He fed them breakfaston the beach. He gave them a
purpose, and it was to reachthe whole world with the goodnews of Easter,
and to teachthe world all he commanded. Easteris not just about victory

over death, it is about victory over life. It is about conquering all obstacles
that getin the way of achieving the purpose of Christ. The stone was rolled
away, not for Jesus to come out of the tomb, but for others to see its
emptiness. But there are no end to the stones that need to be rolled away to
fulfill God's purpose for our lives.
God's mercies are new every morning because we can't live on yesterday's.
We need new ones everyday to overcome the obstaclesin a fallen world. Tom
Dooley, the missionary doctorwho died of an early case ofcancer, told of lack
of money, supplies, and tedious labor. He wrote, "Everytime I get
discouragedand down in the dumps someone comes along andrings the rusty
bells of hope, and I have encouragementto getback at it." Easteris about a
hope that enables you to cope with the frustration of a fallen world where
nothing is just like it ought to be. If Jesus rose and conquered death, then it is
obvious his goalis to conquer all the lesserconsequences ofsin as well. Death
is the lastenemy that will be destroyed. Meanwhile, there are many other
enemies to be destroyednow as we move towardthat final victory. Easteris
about victory over all the forces ofdarkness. We need to graspthis lest we
think that the final victory is the only one that matters.
Leonard Broughton was a pastor in Atlanta some years ago when the water
in the poor sectionof town became infected and 4 people died. A city council
meeting was held to talk about the problem, but it was tabled for further
study. At that same meeting they approved 15,000 dollars forroad
improvement in front of an influential member's home. This so angered
pastor Broughtonthat he invited the councilmembers to attend a special
service the next day. A few did, and he preached for 50 minutes on the fact
that Christ was not only interestedin saving souls, but also in goodwater. He
even promised a reward for a cup of coldwater given in his name. The
council members there got the message,and at ten o'clock the next day money
was appropriated to clean up the water. Broughtonsaid later, "I baptized 75

people in the next few months, and almost everyone said that what gotthem
interestedin the church and in God was the fact that they were concerned
about giving them waterthat was goodto drink."
When Christians care, not just about what people are going to do after they
die, but about what they are doing now as they live, they will get people to
considertheir readiness to die. If you don't care that they live right, they
don't care if they die right. Easteris about life, and all of life, not just the
after life. If it was just about the after life, Jesus wouldnot have needed to
come back and spend 40 days teaching and training his disciples. People don't
just need hope for after death, they need hope for every morning, and Easter
hope is an every morning hope.
Jesus is alive, and he is now as always a morning person. He always rose
early in the morning to pray, and though he does not need to do that now in
heaven, he still needs to grant us new mercies every morning. So every
morning is specialas a fresh new opportunity to serve the living Christ and be
a channel of his love and light in a dark world. Eastermorning makes every
morning special, for every morning is a new chance to know and serve the
Christ of Easter. Arthur Tubbs wrote,
A moment in the morning ere cares ofthe day begin,
Ere the heart's wide door is open for the world to enter in,
Ah, then, alone with Jesus, in the silence ofthe morn,
In heavenly sweetcommunion, let your day be born.
In the quietude that blesses witha prelude of repose,
Let your soul be smoothedand softened, as the dew revives the
rose.

It is a pretty poem, but the practice of it can make life beautiful. A young
office workerwrote about her experience in an article entitled, "The Day That
ChangedA Life." Her attitude was so changedit changedthe atmosphere
where she worked. When her employer askedwhatmade the difference she
told him she was not enjoying life as she knew God wanted her too. She was
bored and just generallyunhappy. She decidedshe would begin everyday
with a determination to sense the presence ofChrist in her life. She would
consciouslyseekto say what He would want her to say, and do what He would
want her to do. It became an exciting experiment that changedher, and as a
result changedall around her. It was making Eastermorning a way of life in
which she encounteredthe living Lord, and not just a yearly few hours of
celebration.
Eastermorning never ends, as I said, but that is not necessarilytrue in our
personallives. Forsome it never begins, for they are without God and
without hope in the world. But for most of us it is intermittent. It is off and
on and off again, because we do not work at being consciousofthe resurrected
life. After Easteris over we sink back into a spiritual coma, and don't come
out of our cocoonstate againuntil the following Easter. I know that is a
radical way of stating it, and it is not accurate formany Christians, but none
of us are as alive to the Eastermorning experience as we need to be. We could
all benefit by praying every morning something like the prayer of Ella
Scherick:
Lord, in the quiet of this morning hour,
I come to Thee for peace, forwisdom, power
To view the world today through love‑ filled eyes;
Be patient, understanding, gentle, wise.

To see beyond what seems to be, and know
Thy children as Thou knowestthem; and so
Naught but the goodin anyone behold.
Make deafmy ears to slanderthat is told;
Silence my tongue to ought that is unkind;
Let only thoughts that bless dwell in my mind.
Let me so kindly be, so full of cheer,
That all I meet will feelThy presence near.
O clothe me in Thy beauty, this I pray,
Let me revealThee, Lord, through all the day.
The best argument for the reality of the resurrection, and both temporal
and eternalhope, is not the empty tomb. A negative fact, or an absence of
something is not where the power is. It is in the presence of something
positive, like the powerand love of Christ in life. Charles Bradlaughwent
about England debunking the Christian faith, and one day he challenged
Hugh Price Hughes, a pastorat one of the missions, to a debate of the merits
of the Christian faith. Hughes agreedand said "I will bring to the meeting
one hundred people who will testify to the power of Christ in their lives. They
will tell of sin forgiven and walking in paths of victory where they once satin
chains." He said to Bradlaugh, "You bring those who cantestify to the new
and better life they have because oftheir unbelief." Needlessto say, the
skeptic never showedup for the debate, for there is no argument that can
match the reality of changedlives, and that is your most powerful weapon. If
you have no light to shine because Christhas made a difference in your life,
then you are not going to have much of a witness to a doubting world. We
need to roll the stone awayand let the Christ entombed in us rise and shine
and bring morning into the night around us.

You are your own best argument, and that is why it is so vital that you
begin your morning with Christ, and learn to develop a Christlike attitude
that takes you through the day. I know that not everyone is a morning
person, and mornings are hard for some. In the new heaven and new earth all
God's people will be morning people, for it will be morning forever, and night
will never come. Meanwhile, we have to live in this world where mornings are
not always pleasant. The poetput it‑
The alarm is set,
But I fear the worst;
Come dawn, the baby
Will go off first.
The idea of being an Eastermorning personis in developing an Easter
attitude of optimism. Genesis begins with the earth as a formless empty mass
in darkness. Thencame the morning and God said, "Let there be light," and
thus beganthe beauty of creation. Chaos first, and then came the morning,
and cosmos was formed. This is God's pattern. On GoodFriday the
God‑ man relationship was thrown into chaos. Manin hatred killed God on
the cross. Godin judgment castman into hell in the personof his Son. It was
the most bitter battle the universe had ever seen. Godand man killed each
other in violent conflict, and the world was plunged into darkness. Butthen
came the morning‑ Eastermorning, and with it the dawn of a new day, a new
life, a new age, a new people, and a new kingdom. On Eastermorning all
things were made new.

It was a world of darkness, then came the morning and a light that could
never be put out. It was a world of death, then came the morning and life
conquered death. It was a world of hate, then came the morning and love
triumphed over hate. It was a world of despair, then came the morning and
hope was born anew. Some poet put it‑
Behind him were the shouts of scorn.
No longerwore he the crownof thorn.
This was the day that hope was born,
On that first glorious Eastermorn.
And now it is always morning somewhere, forthe Son of righteousness has
risen with healing in his wings, and the sun never sets. Everything connected
with Easteris a symbol of optimism, hope, and life. Even the secularsymbols
of Eastercanteach Biblical truth if we see them for what they are.
Eastereggs are symbols of the sealedtomb of Christ. But then comes the
morning, and we break them open, and out of them comes life giving food.
Little chicks, or new life can be born from this mini‑ tomb as well. The egg is
a valid symbol of the Eastermessage. So is the rabbit that is so popular in the
secularworld. The rabbit lives in a hole in the ground much like the tomb of
Christ, and out of that darkness comes a greatdealof life. If you have a few
rabbits, you will soonhave a lot of rabbits, for they have 5 or 6 litters a year.
They are symbolic of abundant life out of a tomb‑ like atmosphere. I haven't
watcheda Bugs Bunny cartoonfor years, but I know my grandchildren watch
often. Nobodyconsciouslymade Bugs a symbol of the Eastermessage, but the
fact is, he can be made to be such a symbol. He is pursued by those who seek
to destroy him and rid the world of his presence. Butno matter how clever

and deadly the schemes to do him in, he always comes outon top with a
victory.
No matter how big the cannon, or powerful the bombs, Bugs finds a wayto
escape andcome out a winner. That is the secularportrayal of the Easter
messageofoptimism. All the powers of darkness and hell could not defeatour
Lord. They did their best at the cross and it lookeddevastating, but then
came the morning, and Christ broke loose like Samsonfrom the feeble ropes
that held him, and he rose victorious over all his foes. We needto teachour
children that many of our secularand cultural heroes are symbols of Christ.
Characters like Superman, Batman, and Tarzanare often the targetof
cleverevil forces that almost do them in, but every time these forces for good
escape andcome out victorious. The difference with Jesus is that his victory
was not just fiction but real, and he can save us from all these evil forces that
he conquered. He saves us, not just for heaven, but for earth, in order to add
life and light to this fallen world.
Charlie Brown was telling Linus what an awful world it was. And Linus
said, "I think the world is better today than it was 6 years ago." Charley
protested, "Don't you read the paper or watchTV? How canyou say the
world is better today than 6 years ago." Linus responded, "I am in it now!"
That could be said in a spirit of pride, but it can also be said in a spirit of
Easteroptimism. If the living Christ has come into your life because you have
askedhim to be your Savior, and have askedhim to forgive you and make you
a light in this dark world, then the world should be a better place because you
are in it. If you have never askedJesus to be your Savior, do so this morning
and make this Eastermorning the beginning of a day that will never end. Be
able to go out into this dark world with the testimony, "I was lostand in the
grave of darkness. I could see no way of escape. Thencame the morning, and
the Christ of Easterbecame my Lord, and I now live in the light of his victory

over all the powers of evil." Ask Jesus to be your Saviorand enter the
kingdom of optimism where the last word is‑ then came the morning.
Bill Gaither – Then Came The Morning Lyrics
They all walkedaway, with nothing to say,
They'd just lost their dearestfriend.
All that He said, now He was dead,
So this was the way it would end.
The dreams they had dreamed were not what they'd seemed,
Now that He was dead and gone.
The garden, the jail, the hammer, the nail,
How could a night be so long.
Then came the morning, night turned into day;
The stone was rolled away, hope rose with the dawn.
Then came the morning, shadows vanishedbefore the sun,
Deathhad lost and life had won, for morning had come.
The angel, the star, the kings from afar,
The wedding, the water, the wine.
Now it was done, they'd takenher son,
Wastedbefore his time.

She knew it was true, she'd watched him die too,
She'd heard them callHim just a man,
But deep in her heart, she knew from the start,
Somehow her Son would live again.
Then came the morning, night turned into day;
The stone was rolled away, hope rose with the dawn.
Morning had come.
CollingsworthFamily - ResurrectionMorn Lyrics
Artist: CollingsworthFamily
Album: NOC Live Volume 11
Heyo! SONGLYRICS just got interactive. Highlight. Review:RIFF-it.
RIFF-it good.

Play "ResurrectionMorn"
on Amazon Music
Oh what a day will soontake place
When the redeemedof Adam's race
In an instant will all be transformed
They'll come from near
Some from afar
On pastthe moon beyond the stars
What a sight on that greathappy morn
Then sea and land give up their dead
The earth too long has been their bed
Releasedthey rise through the air
They'll come and join as magnet drawn
To gather round that greatwhite throne
Behold their King waiting there
The trump will sound amens resound
The saints will rise up from the ground
Such singing and shouting

We've run the race
We'll see his face
And start to sing amazing grace
What a sight on that resurrectionmorn
Then row on row
They'll fall in line
Their perfect garments snowy white
They'll march in and claim their ownland
Their home at lastthe King will say
"These are my own for these are they
Washedwhite in the blood of the lamb"
The mighty band will start to play
The hallelujah chorus that day
All glory to the king of all kings
Then tears of joy will start to flow
BecauseI've chosenlong ago
To be there when the saints start to sing
The trump will sound and amens resound
The saints will rise up from the ground
Such singing and shouting

We've run the race
We'll see his face
We've run the race
We'll see his face
What a sight
What a sight
What a sight on that resurrectionmorn.
1 On the resurrectionmorning
Soul and body meet again;
No more sorrow, no more weeping,
No more pain.
2 Here awhile they must be parted,
And the flesh its sabbath keep,
Waiting in a holy stillness,
Wrapt in sleep.
3 For a space that tired body

Lies with feet towardthe dawn;
Till there breaks the last and brightest
Eastermorn.
4 But the soul in contemplation
Utters earnestprayers and strong;
Breaking at the resurrection
Into song.
5 Soul and body reunited,
Thenceforthnothing will divide,
Waking up in Christ's own likeness,
Satisfied.
6 Oh, the beauty, oh, the gladness
Of that resurrection-day!
Which shall not through endless ages,
Pass away!
7 On that happy Eastermorning
All the graves their dead restore,
Father, sister, child and mother,
Meetonce more.
8 To that brightest of all meetings,
Bring us, Jesus Christ, at last;
To Thy cross, through death and judgment,
Holding fast.

Amen.
Source:The Church Hymnal: revised and enlargedin accordancewith the
actionof the GeneralConvention of the ProtestantEpiscopalChurch in the
United States ofAmerica in the year of our Lord 1892. (Ed. B) #243a
All representative texts • Compare texts
^ top
Author: S. Baring-Gould
Baring-Gould, Sabine, M.A., eldest sonof Mr. Edward Baring-Gould, of Lew
Trenchard, Devon, b. at Exeter, Jan. 28, 1834, and educatedat Clare College,
Cambridge, B.A. 1857, M.A. 1860.Taking Holy Orders in 1864, he held the
curacy of Horbury, near Wakefield, until 1807, whenhe was preferred to the
incumbency of Dalton, Yorks. In 1871 he became rector of EastMersea,
Essex, and in 1881 rectorof Lew Trenchard, Devon. His works are numerous,
the most important of which are, Lives of the Saints, 15 vols., 1872-77;
Curious Myths of the Middle Ages, 2 series, 1866-68;The Origin and
Developmentof Religious Belief, 2 vols., 1869-1870;and various volumes of
sermons. His hymns, original and translated, appearedin the Church Times;
Hymns Ancien… Go to person page >
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BARCLAY
Here we have Matthew's storyof the empty tomb. And there is something
peculiarly fitting in that Mary Magdalene and the other Mary should be the
first to receive the news of the RisenLord and to encounterhim. They had
been there at the Cross;they had been there when he was laid in the tomb;
and now they were receiving love's reward; they were the first to know the joy
of the Resurrection.
As we read this story of the first two people in the world to be confronted with
the factof the empty tomb and the RisenChrist, three imperatives seemto
spring out of it.
(i) They are urged to believe. The thing is so staggering that it might seem
beyond belief, too goodto be true. The angelreminds them of the promise of
Jesus, and confronts them with the empty tomb; his every word is a summons
to believe. It is still a factthat there are many who feel that the promises of
Christ are too goodto be true. That hesitationcan be dispelled only by taking
him as his word.
(ii) They are urged to share. When they themselves have discoveredthe fact of
the RisenChrist, their first duty is to proclaim it to and to share it with
others. "Go, tell!" is the first command which comes to the man who has
himself discoveredthe wonder of Jesus Christ.
(iii) They are urged to rejoice. The word with which the RisenChrist meets
them is Chairete (Greek #5463);that is the normal word of greeting;but its
literal meaning is "Rejoice!" The man who has met the RisenLord must live
for everin the joy of his presence from which nothing can part him any more.
Hope Rose with the Dawn
Matthew 28: 1-10

Todaywe have gatheredto celebrate the greatesteventin human history. For
many EasterSunday is more about eggs and bunnies. Others mark it as the
beginning of the long vacationseason. Forthe believer Easteris a celebration
of the glorious resurrectionof our Lord. That single event establishedthe
foundation of our faith.
We know Jesus came to earth with purpose. He came to die for the sins of
humanity. Had He not suffered the death of the cross there would have been
no payment for sin. Had He not died we would not have been offeredlife.
However, His death was not the end of the story. In fact, had His death been
the end we would have no hope this morning. Had Jesus not risen from the
grave, He would’ve been like all other men. His resurrectionsets Him apart
from all who came before Him. His resurrectionis the source and assurance
of our hope this morning! BecauseHe lives, those who belong to Him are
promised life eternal in Him.
Our text records the events of ResurrectionSunday. I want to look in on
these events, a very familiar accountto most of us, as we considerthe thought:
Hope Rose with the Dawn.
I. A Time of Weeping (1) – In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn
toward the first day of the week, came MaryMagdalene andthe other Mary
to see the sepulchre. We find the women came very early on Sunday morning
to the sepulcher. The other gospels speakofthem bringing spices to anoint the
body. They were expecting to find the Lord still in the grave.
 Likely we all have experiencedthe loss of a loved one and the grief it brings.
These womenhad believed Jesus was the Messiah. Theirhopes were shattered
as He bled and died upon the cross. I’m sure this was a difficult journey to the
tomb that morning.

II. A Time of Wonder (2-6) – As the women made it to the sepulcher, they did
not find what they expected. This moment of weeping quickly became a
moment of wonder. Consider:
A. The Stone (2) – And, behold, there was a greatearthquake: for the angelof
the Lord descendedfrom heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from
the door, and sat upon it. As they made their way that morning, there was a
greatearthquake. Surely they experiencedthe earth trembling and shaking as
they walked. Upon arriving at the tomb, the stone was rolled awayfrom the
door. This would’ve createdgreatwonder. The stones were placedat the door
to secure the grave from robbers and thieves
Rev. David Holwick EasterSunrise Service
First Baptist Church (short meditation)
Ledgewood, New Jersey
March 31, 1991
Matthew 28:1
MEETING BEFORE DAWN
I. We are following an ancient Christian custom this morning.
A. Pliny the Younger was governorof Bithnyia (Turkey) in

AD 111-113.
B. He wrote to the Roman Emperor, Trajan, about how to persecute
Christians. His policy:
1) Christians were turned in, but not sought out.
2) They were given a chance to curse Jesus.
3) If they kept true to the faith, they were killed.
a) Policyapplied to young and old alike.
C. Pliny also reveals one of the earliestdescriptions of
Christian worship, and the first by a pagan:
"They were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before
it was light, when they sang an anthem to Christ as God, and
bound themselves by a solemnoath not to commit any wickeddeed,
but to abstain from all fraud, theft and adultery, never to break
their word, or deny a trust when calledupon to honour it;
After which it was their custom to separate, and then meet again
to partake of food, but food of an ordinary and innocent kind."
Pliny, "Letters" X:96, AD 112

II. Origin of sunrise services is the resurrectionof Jesus.
A. Matthew's accountof resurrection: Matthew 28:1
"After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week,
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb."
B. Disciples were few in number.
1) By end of Jesus'appearances, only 120.
2) Notice how few are here this morning!
3) Jesus himself says few will have genuine faith in him.
C. Even the disciples were reluctant to believe news.
III. The results of believing in resurrection.
A. They were filled with joy and excitement.
1) Joy is sign of real faith.
2) Joy is often lacking in Christians.
a) Eastermessageseems like old-hat.
b) You don't have to believe or do much to be saved.
B. They experiencedchangedlives.
1) Even Peterwent from denying Lord to preaching powerful
(and dangerous)sermon.
2) Non-christians noticed, and felt convicted.

a) Often a reasonfor persecution.
C. They told everyone they could find.
1) In one generation, Christianity spread throughout the
Roman Empire.
2) Whom have you told about Jesus?
BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATOR
In the end of the Sabbath.
The meaning and memories of Sunday
Let us considersome of the religious principles which have given and
preservedthis holy day to us.
I. “The first day of the week” is a day of mighty memories-memories that we
cannot let die.
1. The celebrationof the Lord’s Day has never lostsight of that precious fact
in all revelationand religion-the creationof the world and of man, and
consequentlyall the claim of God’s law upon our conscience,and of God’s
goodness onour gratitude. The main idea of the Sabbatic rest is that man
should occasionallylift his eyes from the clouds of earth and gaze into the face
of his Creator.
2. “The first day of the week” is full of the memories of redemption.

3. “The first day of the week” is the great memorial of the giving of the Holy
Spirit of Godto man. It is the memorial of the beginning of that greatwork in
human nature by which it becomes like Christ, and is made one with God-the
incarnation of the Holy Ghost.
II. “The first day of the week” is a day of happy and noble associations. Itis
rich in memories of the past greatacts of God, but it comes downburdened
with all the brightest and most beautiful thoughts of earth; greatrevivals of
human friendships; great, stirring conflicts with evil; the great, prosperous
changes and revolutions of nations-the deliverance of untold millions from the
slavery of sin and the powerof death; have all left their impress upon it.
III. It is a day of holy anticipations. Memory is blessed;but what would men
do without hope. The “first day of the week”predicts perpetually the Sabbath
of God’s love-the end of conflict, the light of heaven.
IV. It is a day of holy duties. It is the first day of the week, notthe last, the day
of activity, not of indolent repose. This day will lend a meaning to your other
days. “Hallow God’s Sabbaths.” (H. R. Reynolds, B. A.)
The day of resurrection
Philip Henry used to call the Lord’s Day the queen of days, the pearl of the
week, and observedit accordingly. His common salutation of his family or
friends on the Lord’s Day in the morning, was that of the primitive
Christians-“The Lord is risen, He is risen indeed; “ making it his chief
business on that day to celebrate the memory of Christ’s resurrection; and he
would say sometimes,” EveryLord’s Day is a true Christian’s EasterDay.”

Mark 1:35 35Very early in the morning, while it was
still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a
solitaryplace, where he prayed.
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Pulpit Commentary Homiletics
The History Era Prayer Of Christ
Mark 1:35
A.F. Muir
I. ITS IMMEDIATE OCCASION.
1. To be found in connectionwith his work. It was incessant. Freshclaims
upon his attention and compassionwere continually being made. Only the day

before "all the city" had been "gatheredtogetherat the door." The exercise of
his healing power was a drain upon his emotional and spiritual nature, and
the fatigue of the work, which lasted from morning to night, must have been a
severe tax upon the delicate organizationof the Saviour. He neededrest.
2. To be found in the excitementattaching to it. He was at the beginning of his
ministry, and it was full of novelty and uncertainty. As the supernatural
powerof Christ displayed itself, the people began to broach ideas of a
temporal sovereignty. A profound impression was produced upon the public
mind, and vastcrowds attended him wherever he moved. The corruption and
depravity of the human mind, too, must have become increasinglymanifest to
him. The problem of salvationnever could have seemedmore distressing or
difficult. And, in the midst of his occupation, the contrary currents of worldly
thought and human ambition must have been felt by him.
II. ITS ULTIMATE REASON. The circumstances offatigue and excitement
in themselves would not accountfor the anxiety displayed by Christ to secure
opportunity for devotion; it is as associatedwith his unique personality and
aim that they acquire significance. Forit is only as arising from personal
longing and necessity, that such a departure from the scene ofhis labours can
be understood. We are not to suppose that it was done for an example; the
whole proceeding would thereby be rendered too artificial and self-conscious.
And yet the actionitself was exemplary in the highestdegree. Its value as a
pattern for our imitation consists in its very absence ofself-consciousness. We
cannot help asking, "Whatwas the place held by prayer in his spiritual life?"
"How was the practice of devotion related to the inward needs-be of his
nature?" It was not simply a reactionof overwroughtfeeling or an instinctive
craving for emotional relief and variation. By his entire spiritual constitution
he was intimately relatedto the Father. The filial bond was infinitely strong,
tender, and intense. His true life was twofold - a giving forth of himself to
man, and receiving from God; the latter was necessaryto the efficiencyof the
former. He said, "I canof mine own selfdo nothing," and therefore he ever
sought communion with his unseen Father:
1. Forrestorationof spiritual power.

2. To maintain the elevationof his feeling and purpose.
3. Forcomfort and encouragement.
III. How IT WAS PREPAREDFOR. There is a climax in the text; an
impression is thereby conveyedof inward trouble, leading to painstaking
effort, which results in final relief and comfort.
1. He sought the Father early. "Very early, in the midst of the night," is the
literal force of the words. His first impulse toward heavenly communion was
obeyed. The thoughts which had kept the night wakefulwere not corrupted by
the new associations ofanother day. Are the first impressions of our minds on
awaking Divine or human? of heaven or of earth? Do we earnestlyseek to
know first of all God's will, and strive to realize his presence? He who so
prepares for the work and intercourse of the day will not be overtakenor
surprised by evil. Better lose a little sleepthan the restful communion of the
Father.
2. His departure was secret. There was no consulting with flesh and blood.
There are inward promptings and voices concerning which no earthly advice
should be asked. It is possible that "Simon and they that were with him" were
not a little disconcertedand annoyed that they had to seek forhim; but even
their presence would have been a hindrance. The solemnyet fascinating
individualism of true prayer is not realized as it might be. Secretprayer is the
backgroundof earnestand real common prayer. In this matter we have not
only the example but the injunction of Christ (Matthew 6:6).
3. Notonly the actualpresence of men but human associationswere avoided.
"He departed into a desertplace. Such a situation, as formerly the weird
solitudes of the Quaritanian Desert, harmonized with his spiritual mood.
Wide upland spaces,far withdrawn, brought him nearer to the Unseen and
Eternal, afforded largerviews, spiritual as well as physical, and favored the
ideality and inwardness that are essentialto a greatspirit.
The silence that is in the starry sky,
The sleepthat is among the lonely hills," were an anodyne to his fretted and
troubled heart; in nature he met God. Such a spot could only have been found

at a distance, and this is further implied by the circumstance of the others
following after him, and their message, "Allare seeking thee." Lessons:
(1) Opportunities for secretprayer will be prized and even createdby devout
minds.
(2) If the purest and grandest moral Being the world has seenneeded such
communion with his Father, how much more such as we?
(3) God must be soughtdiligently, and before all else, if he is to be sought
effectually.
(4) How difficult of accessand realization is the oratory of the soul, where
devotion may be free from earthliness, continuous and uninterrupted! ? M
Biblical Illustrator
And in the morning, rising up a greatwhile before day.
Mark 1:35

Jesus was an early riser

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