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The Resurrection of Christ
The disciples rested on the Sabbath, sorrowing for the death
of their Lord, while Jesus, the King of glory, lay in the tomb. As
night drew on, soldiers were stationed to guard the Saviour’s resting
place, while angels, unseen, hovered above the sacred spot. The
night wore slowly away, and while it was yet dark, the watching
angels knew that the time for the release of God’s dear Son, their
loved Commander, had nearly come. As they were waiting with
the deepest emotion the hour of His triumph, a mighty angel came
flying swiftly from heaven. His face was like the lightning, and his
garments white as snow. His light dispersed the darkness from his
track and caused the evil angels, who had triumphantly claimed the
body of Jesus, to flee in terror from his brightness and glory. One of
the angelic host who had witnessed the scene of Christ’s humiliation,
and was watching His resting place, joined the angel from heaven,
and together they came down to the sepulcher. The earth trembled
and shook as they approached, and there was a great earthquake.
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Terror seized the Roman guard. Where was now their power
to keep the body of Jesus? They did not think of their duty or of
the disciples’ stealing Him away. As the light of the angels shone
around, brighter than the sun, that Roman guard fell as dead men to
the ground. One of the angels laid hold of the great stone and rolled
it away from the door of the sepulcher and seated himself upon it.
The other entered the tomb and unbound the napkin from the head
of Jesus. Then the angel from heaven, with a voice that caused the
earth to quake, cried out, “Thou Son of God, Thy Father calls Thee!
Come forth.” Death could hold dominion over Him no longer. Jesus
arose from the dead, a triumphant conqueror. In solemn awe the
angelic host gazed upon the scene. And as Jesus came forth from the
sepulcher, those shining angels prostrated themselves to the earth in
worship, and hailed Him with songs of victory and triumph.
Satan’s angels had been compelled to flee before the bright,
penetrating light of the heavenly angels, and they bitterly complained
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