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The Desire of Ages
disappointment in regard to their Master, “which was a prophet mighty
in deed and word before God and all the people;” but “the chief priests
and our rulers,” they said, “delivered Him to be condemned to death,
and have crucified Him.” With hearts sore with disappointment, and
with quivering lips, they added, “We trusted that it had been He which
should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, today is the third day
since these things were done.”
Strange that the disciples did not remember Christ’s words, and
realize that He had foretold the events which had come to pass! They
did not realize that the last part of His disclosure would be just as verily
fulfilled as the first part, that the third day He would rise again. This
was the part they should have remembered. The priests and rulers did
not forget this. On the day “that followed the day of the preparation,
the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, saying, Sir,
we remember that that deceiver said, while He was yet alive, After
three days I will rise again.”
Matthew 27:62, 63
. But the disciples did
not remember these words.
“Then He said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe
all that the prophets have spoken: ought not Christ to have suffered
these things, and to enter into His glory?” The disciples wondered who
this stranger could be, that He should penetrate to their very souls,
and speak with such earnestness, tenderness, and sympathy, and with
such hopefulness. For the first time since Christ’s betrayal, they began
to feel hopeful. Often they looked earnestly at their companion, and
thought that His words were just the words that Christ would have
spoken. They were filled with amazement, and their hearts began to
throb with joyful expectation.
Beginning at Moses, the very Alpha of Bible history, Christ ex-
pounded in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. Had
He first made Himself known to them, their hearts would have been
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satisfied. In the fullness of their joy they would have hungered for
nothing more. But it was necessary for them to understand the witness
borne to Him by the types and prophecies of the Old Testament. Upon
these their faith must be established. Christ performed no miracle to
convince them, but it was His first work to explain the Scriptures. They
had looked upon His death as the destruction of all their hopes. Now
He showed from the prophets that this was the very strongest evidence
for their faith.