676
The Desire of Ages
wonderful news. Another angel in human form is there, and he says,
“Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen:
remember how He spake unto you when He was yet in Galilee, saying,
The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and
be crucified, and the third day rise again.”
He is risen, He is risen! The women repeat the words again and
again. No need now for the anointing spices. The Saviour is living,
and not dead. They remember now that when speaking of His death
He said that He would rise again. What a day is this to the world!
Quickly the women departed from the sepulcher “with fear and great
joy; and did run to bring His disciples word.”
Mary had not heard the good news. She went to Peter and John
with the sorrowful message, “They have taken away the Lord out of the
sepulcher, and we know not where they have laid Him.” The disciples
hurried to the tomb, and found it as Mary had said. They saw the
shroud and the napkin, but they did not find their Lord. Yet even here
was testimony that He had risen. The graveclothes were not thrown
heedlessly aside, but carefully folded, each in a place by itself. John
“saw, and believed.” He did not yet understand the scripture that Christ
must rise from the dead; but he now remembered the Saviour’s words
foretelling His resurrection.
It was Christ Himself who had placed those graveclothes with such
care. When the mighty angel came down to the tomb, he was joined
by another, who with his company had been keeping guard over the
Lord’s body. As the angel from heaven rolled away the stone, the other
entered the tomb, and unbound the wrappings from the body of Jesus.
But it was the Saviour’s hand that folded each, and laid it in its place.
In His sight who guides alike the star and the atom, there is nothing
unimportant. Order and perfection are seen in all His work.
Mary had followed John and Peter to the tomb; when they returned
to Jerusalem, she remained. As she looked into the empty tomb, grief
filled her heart. Looking in, she saw the two angels, one at the head
and the other at the foot where Jesus had lain. “Woman, why weepest
[790]
thou?” they asked her. “Because they have taken away my Lord,” she
answered, “and I know not where they have laid Him.”
Then she turned away, even from the angels, thinking that she must
find someone who could tell her what had been done with the body
of Jesus. Another voice addressed her, “Woman, why weepest thou?