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Chapter 24
1
. See
EGW comment on Mark 16:1, 2
.
5, 6
. See
EGW comment on Mark 16:6
.
13-15 (
Matthew 27:42
;
Mark 15:31
). Grief, Fear, and Won-
der Mingled
—Those strong men were so burdened with grief that
they wept as they traveled on. Christ’s pitying heart of love saw here
a sorrow which He could relieve. The disciples were reasoning with
each other concerning the events of the past few days, and marveling
how the fact of Jesus yielding Himself up to a shameful death could
be reconciled with His claims as the Son of God.
One maintained that He could be no pretender, but had been
Himself deceived in regard to His mission and His future glory.
They both feared that what His enemies had flung in His teeth was
too true—“He saved others; himself he cannot save.” Yet they won-
dered how He could be so mistaken in Himself, when He had given
them such repeated evidence that He could read the hearts of others.
And the strange reports of the women threw them into still greater
uncertainty (
The Spirit of Prophecy 3:207
).
13-31. Understanding Bible of First Importance
—Jesus did
not first reveal Himself in His true character to them, and then open
the Scriptures to their minds; for He knew that they would be so
overjoyed to see Him again, risen from the dead, that their souls
would be satisfied. They would not hunger for the sacred truths
which He wished to impress indelibly upon their minds, that they
might impart them to others, who should in their turn spread the
precious knowledge, until thousands of people should receive the
light given that day to the despairing disciples as they journeyed to
Emmaus.
He maintained His disguise till He had interpreted the Scriptures,
and had led them to an intelligent faith in His life, His character, His
mission to earth, and His death and resurrection. He wished the truth
to take firm root in their minds, not because it was supported by His
personal testimony, but because the typical law, and the prophets
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