SECTION XXII.

THE RESURRECTION OF THE LORD. THE GLORIFICATION OF THE DEATH ON THE CROSS BY THE WORD OF PROPHECY, AND BY THE RESURRECTION ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES. THE GLORY OF THE NEW LIFE OF CHRIST, AND THE BEAUTIFUL COMBINATION OF HEAVENLY SPIRITUALITY AND EARTHLY CORPOREITY IN HIS MANIFESTATIONS. THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD INTO HEAVEN AMIDST TOKENS OF BLESSING FOR THE EARTH, AND ITS ELEVATING INFLUENCE,

(Luke xxiv.)

The resurrection of the Lord was a fact of salvation for the Gentiles as for the Jews — the same gospel of reconciliation and of victory over death for all mankind. Yet, notwithstanding, it had a special aspect for the Gentiles, especially as these are represented by the Hellenic world. There were elements in the history of the resurrection which possessed a quite peculiar significance for the Greeks, whilst they had for the Jews a less measure of importance; and again other elements which were of superlative moment for the Jews, whilst for the Greeks they sank more into the background. According to this relation of the Hellenic spirit to the Gospel history, must the selection and combination of the facts of the resurrection by Luke give shape to his conception and description of the Easter narrative.

Among the Jews, woman had already in some measure been placed on a footing of equality with man by the first-fruits of the New Testament spirit, which had been vouchsafed to that people. Therefore also prophetesses had appeared alongside of the prophets. Among the Greeks, however, woman had not yet been acknowledged as on an equality with the man, when Christianity made its entrance into the world. The testimony of woman had still no public validity. The woman had first to obtain her right position by the influence of the Gospel. Paul therefore has not quoted the holy women who were the first to see the Risen One among the witnesses for the resurrection.¹ And so they appear also in Luke only as messengers of the angels who appeared at the grave of Jesus; whilst in the other Evangelists they appear as messengers of the Risen One Himself, and very specially in the Gospel of Matthew, which in the first instance was intended for Jewish Christians. In the latter Gospel, several women even present themselves as the first witnesses of the resurrection,² and form the medium of communication in reference to the return of the disciples to Galilee; whilst in Luke the circumstance is made conspicuous, that they could not at first obtain credit even for the angelic message. From the fund of like facts, therefore, the two Evangelists draw out quite opposite elements. The Jewish world, for which Matthew writes, knows already that women can be prophetesses and evangelists; the Gentile world, for which Luke writes, must first become ripe for this knowledge.

Further, the Gentile needs to learn that he is to be entitled to the same privileges with the Jew in the kingdom of God, the establishment of which begins with the resurrection. It is therefore important for him to know that this equality is already expressed in the manner of the first announcements of the Risen One. For him, thus, the fact is placed prominently in the foreground, that Christ made Himself known on the very first day of Easter to Hellenic disciples, from the wider circle of discipleship, nearly at the same time in which He made Himself known to Peter. It removes, all disquietude from his mind, when he hears that the Hellenic disciples who heard the salutation of the company of the Hebrew disciples, in the words,. The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon! could answer with the announcement, that the Lord had also already revealed Himself to them.

Still further, the Gentile, and most of all the Hellenic catechumen, must first be filled with the idea, or rather with the revelation, of the suffering and dying Messiah, before he is prepared for faith in the Risen One. The true Israelite knows already of holy suffering, of divine sorrow, of the blessing of affliction, nay, of the suffering of the Messiah., by the teaching of Old Testament scripture, and by his own Old Testament experience. Not so the Gentile, and least of all the Greek. To the Gentile, misfortune appears as a hated destiny, accursed, and only productive of curse; the Greek especially gladly turns away his eyes from distress and death, because within their limits the beauty of life grows pale, and dark shadows occupy its place. Therefore must the Hellenic disciple be first conducted from faith in God to faith in the divinely appointed sufferings of the cross, before he is in a position fully to receive the Risen One. He must pass through a compendious course of prophetic Christology, more particularly of the prophecies regarding the sufferings of Christ, and inwardly experience the burning of the holy fire, by which this beautiful world is reduced to ashes, in the spirit of the high-priesthood of Christ, before he can appreciate in one who is risen from the grave, the same Lord who first appears in spirit-like manifestation, and then withdraws into invisibility.

The Hellenic spirit needed also for its reflection, as well as for its sense of beauty, a more distinct conception of the Risen One. He must have the full expression of the glorified corporeal existence of Christ; and therefore he asked for a testimony in which the entire spirituality of Him who was risen in the body was made patent, and for another in which the full bodily subsistence of the spiritual, all-controlling power of the Risen One was declared, in order to contemplate in the vital unity of this contrast the ideality of the material body, the glorification of Him who rose from the grave.

He must also see the announcements of the Risen One during the forty days in a special light. What the Lord had spoken during this time regarding the necessity of the sufferings on the cross according to the Scriptures; what He had ordained regarding the preaching of the Gospel, that it should go forth to all nations as a preaching of repentance, and of the forgiveness of sins in His name; what He had commanded regarding the tarrying of the apostles in Jerusalem; and what might be the meaning of the priority of Jerusalem in the spreading of the kingdom of God: all this was to him of special importance.

Finally, the Hellenic spirit, according to its general conception of the world, desired to be made acquainted with the return of Christ to the Father, in which His glorification was perfected by the historical facts of the ascension in a definite, plastic form. But, last of all, he needed to be reminded that the Risen One, although He now actually belonged to the whole world, has not forsaken His people; that He first revealed Himself to the world in the thanksgiving hymns of pious Israelites, and through them, through their prayers, filled the temple of Jerusalem itself with the reflection of His glory.

In accordance with these wants, the Hellenic Evangelist took from the fulness of Gospel history what was suitable for him.

The female disciples, who desire to anoint the Lord, appear here in a large company. On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, came the Galilean women, who had attended the burial of the Lord, to the sepulchre, and several — female disciples who had afterwards joined them — along with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. And as they were filled with fear, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, 'Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, He is risen! Remember how He spoke unto you when He was yet in Galilee, saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.' And they remembered His words. And they returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things to the eleven, and to all the rest. It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and others with them, who told these things to the apostles. But their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.

Yet the word of the women was not altogether without effect. Peter, in particular, arose (after receiving their report) and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes lying by themselves. On this he turned back again, full of wonder (revolving in himself), at that which was come to pass (comp, ver. 24).

So little had the message of the angels, and so little had even the report of the women, borne fruit in calling forth faith in the resurrection of Jesus among the company of the disciples. Already it was afternoon, already the day declined, and still a deep dejection oppressed their hearts. This frame of mind seems to have induced the two Hellenic disciples, who were among the first to obtain a sight of Jesus, to leave the city and go to Emmaus.

And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus,³ which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs (or stadia, about seven English miles). And they talked together of all these things which had happened. But while they communed together, and reasoned, Jesus Himself drew near, and walked with them. But their eyes were holden, that they did not know Him; — for they on their part saw as yet only death and destruction, and the Lord on His part had passed over into a higher life. — And He said unto them, 'What manner of communications are these that ye have one with another, and why is your countenance so sad? 'Then answered the one of them, whose name was Cleopas,⁴ 'Art Thou the only stranger in Jerusalem who knoweth not the things that have taken place in these days? 'And He said unto them, 'What things? 'They answered, 'Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and in word before God and all the people: how the chief priests and our rulers — also the political⁵ — delivered Him over to the punishment of death, and crucified Him? But we trusted that it had been He who should have redeemed Israel — the promised Messiah.⁶ But it is now, for all this — that He did so great things, and we hoped so great things of Him — to-day the third day since that took place (he seems to mean, our hope is now all but extinguished). Certain women, also, of our company affrighted us, who were early at the sepulchre, did not find His body, and came, saying they had also — besides the empty grave — seen a vision of angels, who said that He was alive. And some of them who were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so, as the women have said; but Himself they did not see.'

Thus did they describe to the stranger who journeyed with them, with the utmost openness, faithfully their troubled and excited frame of mind, their great sorrow and their great hopes; although at first His question about what things they conversed seems almost to have offended them, as they took it for granted that every where at present there could be only one topic of discourse, namely, what had happened to Jesus, and that at the least every one must know of it. From this open expression of their state of mind towards Him, it was evident how deep an impression this stranger, unconsciously on their part, had already made upon them. Now therefore He could approach nearer to them, and show them that He knew more of Christ than they. 'O ye without understanding, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 'Thus did He chide them and continued, 'Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and— so, or thereby— enter into His glory? 'And beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things which were written concerning Himself—especially concerning His sufferings, and His entrance into glory by death.

In this manner He introduces them to the knowledge of the divine purpose in reference to the sufferings of Christ, as the Old Testament had prophetically declared it. Meanwhile they had approached near to the village, which was the termination of the journey of the two disciples; and He made as though He would have gone farther. But they recognized the superiority of this man; they felt the breathing of the high-priestly spirit in His presence; they anticipated that still some new discovery would be imparted to them in His company. They therefore besought Him urgently, saying, 'Abide with us; for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.'.

This was true of their frame of mind, as well as of the decline of the day. The old world declined and set for them, while they listened to the words of the stranger concerning the holy path of death by which Christ must enter into His glory (see vol. in. 386). He knew their need, and went in with them. When they sat down to meat He was in their eyes, all in silence, the head of the table. He it was who must dispense the bread in their midst. And as He took it and gave thanks, and brake and gave it to them, their eyes were opened, and they knew Him. So stood He there before them, the well-known Lord and Master, the same as before, and yet ma new light. But a moment only did He thus stand before them: He then vanished out of their sight.

In these discoveries of the Risen One Himself, they must first be made acquainted with the spirit-like character, the spiritual beauty and freedom of the new life, and with this obtain insight into the nature of His abode and spiritual glory, in the invisible, heavenly world.

And they said one to another, 'Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us by the way, and opened to us the Scriptures?' And they rose up, and returned in the same hour to Jerusalem, and found the eleven assembled together, and those that were — connected — with them.., n The company at Jerusalem received them with the intelligence,

'The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon!' They could reply to the great Easter announcement of the apostolical assembly with a similar one. They told them what things had happened on the way, and how He was known of them in the breaking of bread.

This was the grand Easter antiphony in facts, between the Hebrew and the Hellenic witnesses of the resurrection (comp. vol. iii. p. 387).

It is worthy of remark in this narrative, how Luke not only expressly mentions the appearance of the Risen One to Peter, but how he represents him also as the disciple who previously, on the first report of the women, ran to the grave of Jesus, whilst the great majority of the Church as yet gave no credit to their statements. It may also be noted, that he gives to the Easter salutation of the Church at Jerusalem precedence to the Easter salutation of the two Hellenic disciples.⁷

Now, however, when the assembly was complete, and so to speak both parts of the discipleship of Jesus, the Hellenic as well as the Hebrew, were represented, the Lord Himself appeared in the midst of them, while the two disciples were telling of what had befallen them. He Himself, Jesus, stood in the midst of them, and said, 'Peace be unto you! 'But they were terrified and full of fear, and supposed that they saw a spirit. And He said unto them, 'Why are ye so troubled? and why do doubting thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see Me have.' And while He thus spake. He showed them His hands and His feet. And as they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, He said unto them, ^ Have ye here any meat?' And they gave Him a piece of broiled fish, and of an honey-comb. And He took it, and did eat before them.

By this manifestation of Christ, the fear of His disciples, under the influence of which they supposed that they saw in Him a mere spectre, was overcome and removed. He gave them three signs, which in definite gradation should prove to them more and more distinctly the reality of His corporeal existence. First, He showed them His hands and His feet; and, without doubt. His object in this was to assure them, by the scars of his wounds, of His resurrection. Then He invited them to handle Him, in order to convince themselves that He had flesh and bones. And finally, He even partook of food before their eyes. Thus His corporeal life stood manifest before them. The new form of life was in substance one with the old: this was shown by the limbs, the marks of the wounds. It appeared as a definite, firm organization: this was shown by the body being formed of bones and flesh. It appeared as possessing earthly faculties and powers: this was made manifest by His partaking of earthly food.

The Greek, like the Gentile generally, being accustomed to conceive of the departed as spectral shadows — which in a like sense cannot be said of the Jews — there was a special necessity that the Hellenic Evangelist should place the corporeal character of the new life of Christ in as strong a light as he had already done with reference to its spirituality.

He had, however, in meeting this requirement, a distinct perception also, that the wonderful spirituality of Christ's new form of life did not in the very least contradict the fact of his perfected corporeal existence, — that, on the contrary, in the unity of this contrast, the glory and heavenly beauty of the Lord's body was manifested.⁸ For the spiritual body is the beautified body, and thus also the body of Christ perfectly endowed with spiritual power, the perfected image of human glory.

On this first appearance of the Lord in the midst of the apostles, He directed their attention to the harmony subsisting between His passage through death to the resurrection life, and the prophetic intimations of the Old Testament regarding His coming. 'These are the words,' He said — that is, the realization of the words — 'which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you (while He yet lived among them, which thus was now no longer the case); for all things must be fulfilled, which are written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and Psalms, concerning Me.⁹

These words of the Lord, from the history of His first salutation to the company of the apostles, were the most important for the Hellenic Evangelist, although Christ on that occasion made other highly important communications to them (vid. John xx. 19-23). His great object was the exhibition of the glory of the cross of Christ, in the light of the divine purpose. Whilst, however, he thus irradiated the New Testament obscurity of Christ's cross by the divine word in the Old Testament, he at the same time illuminated the darkness of the Old Testament by the light of the New. In the spirit of Paul, he produced the proof, that the Old Testament, in its innermost kernel, is nothing else than one great prophecy of the life of Christ.

These instructions regarding the harmony of His life with the prophecies of the Old Testament were still further continued by Christ throughout the forty days,¹⁰ in which He likewise showed them what, according to the Scriptures, must still be fulfilled. Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures; and He said unto them, 'Thus it is written, and thus it behoved that Christ should suffer, and rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.'

Thus, not only His sufferings were traced back by Christ to the divine announcements of the Old Testament, the written Old Testament record, but also the preaching of repentance and remission of sins in His name, the preaching of the Gospel among all nations. How important must it have been for the Hellenic Pauline Evangelist, to preserve such an intimation of Christ regarding the spread of the Gospel of grace among the Gentile nations, coupled with a distinct appeal to the testimony of the Old Testament!

He then mentions, with all brevity, the further dispositions made by Christ in the period of the forty days.¹¹ He notices the renewed calling of the disciples, in the words of Christ, 'And ye are witnesses of these things;' the renewed promise of the sending of the Comforter, 'And, behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you;' finally, His injunction, 'But tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.'

Although, however, the Evangelist passes rapidly over the history of the forty days, he cannot refrain from communicating to us their august termination in a distinct pictorial form. He carries us in spirit to Jerusalem. Jesus led His disciples out once more — as in days of old — across the Mount of Olives to Bethany — to a place where Bethany already lay before their eyes.¹² Here He stood still, and lifted up His hands and blessed them — announcing His departure. And while He blessed them, He parted from them — spirit-like; and this parting passed into an upward soaring — He ascended into heaven.

So solemn, and yet so level to our apprehension, was His return to the Father, and so rich was it in love and blessing. As a living representation of the eternal victory over sin and death, and of eternal blessing for His Church, He soared aloft into heaven, with bodily capacities, divinely free, yet true and well defined. There He dwells, and there with Him is the place of the festive manifestation of the new life, the kingdom of glory.

Thus did the disciples see with their eyes the perfecting of their Lord's exaltation. And they worshipped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God.

They were now assured in faith of one day beholding their Lord in His glory. The living certainty of their communion with the Lord in His resurrection and ascension expressed itself in the great joy of their heart. In this blessed frame of mind, they could now with composure revisit the scene of the crucifixion of Christ. Their prayer was now no longer a service of prayer which confined itself to appointed hours; they were continually, ever anew, in the temple. It was not now any longer the prayer of fear and of complaint, but a jubilee of the heart in praising and blessing God.

Thus, once more, at the conclusion of the Gospel history, did the brightness of the exalted Christ glorify the temple, which had been lighted up at its beginning by the appearance of the angel Gabriel, and later had been ever enlivened and consecrated anew by the visits of the Lord. The glory now imparted to it was the highest of all; for now was the perfecting of Christ proclaimed and celebrated in it by the mouth of living witnesses — it was filled with songs of praise by the witnesses of the victory of Christ. Therefore, also, its end was now accomplished. It still stood for a time radiant with the light of the glory of Christ, a dwelling-place of the Spirit, a symbol of the divine spiritual temple, which should now extend itself through earth and heaven, until, as an abode of desolation, as the home and the symbol of Israel forsaken of the Spirit, it was burnt, and became a heap of ruins, in the judgment which was decreed against that people.

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