Some time later, there occurs that second wondrous draught of fishes, at the command of the unrecognized Stranger, one morning at the breaking of the day, and the talk with Peter and the others as they walk along the old shore of the sea.  And to James, who seems to have been a leader by dint of a strong personality, He appears.

And one day when there was an unusually large meeting of His followers, as many as five hundred, He came as before and was recognized.  And then at the last upon Olives’ top came the goodbye meeting and message.

It is surely worthy of remark that the Bethany home is not represented at either cross or tomb.  Many of His dear friends are named in connection with both, but not these.  Here are some of those dearest to Him, and to whom He is most dear.  Here is one, a woman, who had discerned more keenly ahead than any other that He was to die and why.  She had understood the minor strains of the old Hebrew oratorio as none other.  She had learned at His feet.  And here, too, was one who knew death, and the life beyond, and then a return again to this life.  It was not indifference that kept them away.  They loved tenderly, and were tenderly loved.  Their absence is surely most significant.  Mary’s ointment had already been used.  This morning in glad ecstasy of spirit she and her brother and sister wait. They know.

Gravity Upward.

Two things stand out very clearly about Jesus’ resurrection.  It was not expected by these followers, but received at first with incredulity and doubt and stubborn unwillingness to accept it without clear undisputable proof.  And then that they were thoroughly satisfied that He was actually back again with them, with His personal identity thoroughly established; so satisfied that their lives were wholly controlled by the consciousness of a risen Jesus.  Sacrifice, suffering, torture, and violent death were yielded to gladly for His sake.

A new morning broke that morning, the morning of a new day, a new sort of day.  That resurrection day became a new day to them and to all Jesus’ followers.  The old Sabbath day was a rest-day.  God Sabbathed from His work of creation.  This new day is more, it is a victory-day.  Every new coming of it spells out Jesus’ victory over sin and death and our victory in Him.  The old Hebrew rest-day came at the week’s close.  The new victory-day comes at the week’s beginning.  With the fine tingle of victory in our spirits we are ever at the beginning of a new life and new victory and great things to come.

Did Jesus rise?  Or, was He raised?  Both are said of Him.  Both are true.  He was raised by the power of the Father.  Every bit of His human life was under the direction and control of His Father.  Every act of His from first to last was in the strength of the Father.  This last act was so.  The Father’s vindication of His Son was seen in the power that raised Him up from out of the domain of death.  He was raised.