Chapter 3—The Great Commission
After the death of Christ the disciples were well-nigh overcome
by discouragement. Their Master had been rejected, condemned, and
crucified. The priests and rulers had declared scornfully, “He saved
others; Himself He cannot save. If He be the King of Israel, let Him
now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him.”
Matthew
27:42
. The sun of the disciples’ hope had set, and night settled down
upon their hearts. Often they repeated the words, “We trusted that it
had been He which should have redeemed Israel.”
Luke 24:21
. Lonely
and sick at heart, they remembered His words, “If they do these things
in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?”
Luke 23:31
.
Jesus had several times attempted to open the future to His dis-
ciples, but they had not cared to think about what He said. Because
of this His death had come to them as a surprise; and afterward, as
they reviewed the past and saw the result of their unbelief, they were
filled with sorrow. When Christ was crucified, they did not believe that
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He would rise. He had stated plainly that He was to rise on the third
day, but they were perplexed to know what He meant. This lack of
comprehension left them at the time of His death in utter hopelessness.
They were bitterly disappointed. Their faith did not penetrate beyond
the shadow that Satan had cast athwart their horizon. All seemed vague
and mysterious to them. If they had believed the Saviour’s words, how
much sorrow they might have been spared!
Crushed by despondency, grief, and despair, the disciples met
together in the upper chamber, and closed and fastened the doors,
fearing that the fate of their beloved Teacher might be theirs. It was
here that the Saviour, after His resurrection, appeared to them.
For forty days Christ remained on the earth, preparing the disciples
for the work before them and explaining that which heretofore they had
been unable to comprehend. He spoke of the prophecies concerning
His advent, His rejection by the Jews, and His death, showing that
every specification of these prophecies had been fulfilled. He told them
that they were to regard this fulfillment of prophecy as an assurance
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