CHAPTER 170
The crucifixion. Jesus prays for his murderers. Pilate puts an inscription above the cross. Jesus speaks words of encouragement to the penitent thief. Commits to John the care of his mother and Miriam. The soldiers divide his garments among themselves.
The Jewish mob pushed on toward Calvary and as they went the Marys, Miriam, and other women not a few, were close beside the Lord.
2 They wept aloud. When Jesus saw them weeping and lamenting thus he said,
3 Weep not for me, for though I go away, go through the gateway of the cross, yet on the next day of the sun, lift up your hearts, for I will meet you at the sepulchre.
4 The great procession came to Calvary. The Roman soldiers had already bound the two state prisoners to the cross.
5 (They were not nailed, but simply bound.)
6 Four soldiers of the Roman guard that Herod brought from Galilee were called to execute the orders of the court.
7 These were the men who had been set apart to torture Jesus and secure from him confession of his guilt.
8 These were the men who scourged him, put a crown of thorns upon his head, a broken reed into his hands, and wrapped him in a royal robe, and bowed in mockery, before him as a king.
9 These soldiers took the Lord and stripped him, laid him on the cross and would have bound him there with cords; but this would not suffice.
10 The cruel Jews were near with hammer and with nails; they cried, not cords, but nails; drive fast the nails and hold him to the cross.
11 And then the soldiers took the nails and drove them through his feet and hands.
12 They offered him a sedative to drink, a draught of vinegar and myrrh; but he refused to drink the draught.
13 The soldiers had prepared a place in which to plant Barabbas’ cross between the other criminals; and here they raised the cross of Jesus, who was called the Christ;
14 And then the soldiers and the mob sat down to watch him die.
15 And Jesus said, My Father-God, forgive these men; they know not what they do.
16 Now, Pilate had prepared a tablet to be placed upon the cross on which was written in the tongues of Hebrew, Latin and the Greek these words of truth: JESUS THE CHRIST, KING OF THE JEWS.
17 And this was placed upon the cross. The priests were angered when they read these words upon the tablet of the cross.
18 And then they prayed that Pilate would not say, He is the Christ, king of the Jews; but say, He claims to be the Christ, king of the Jews.
19 But Pilate said, What I have written, I have written; let it stand.
20 The Jewish multitudes who saw the Lord upon the cross were wild with joy; they said, All hail, fake king!
21 You who would tear the temple down and in three days would build it up again, why don’t you save yourself?
22 If you are Christ, the son of God, come from the cross; then all men will believe.
23 The priests and scribes and Pharisees looked on the scene and scoffed; they said, He rescued others from the grave; why don’t he save himself?
24 The Jewish soldiers and the Roman guards who came from Galilee were loud in mocking and deriding him.
25 One of the other men upon the cross joined in the mockery; he said, If you are Christ, you have the power; just speak the Word, and save yourself and me.
26 The other man upon the cross rebuked the man; he said, You wretch! have you no fear of God?
27 This man is innocent of any crime while you and I are guilty and are paying up the debts we owe.
28 And then he said to Jesus, Lord, I know thy kingdom comes, the kingdom that the world can never comprehend;
29 And when thou comest on the clouds of heaven, remember me.
30 And Jesus said, Behold, for I will meet you in the realm of souls this day.
31 Now, standing near unto the cross were many women from Judea and from Galilee. Among them were the mother of the Lord and Miriam,
32 And Mary, mother of the two apostles, James and John, and Mary Magdalene, and Martha, Ruth and Mary, and Salome.
33 When Jesus saw his mother and the singer Miriam standing close beside the cross and John a-near, he said to John,
34 In your most tender care I leave my mother and my sister Miriam.
35 And John replied, While they shall live my home shall be the home of your thrice blessed mother and your sister Miriam.
36 According to a custom of the Jews, to those who were the executioners of law and took the lives of criminals, belonged the garments of the criminals.
37 So when the Lord was crucified, the Roman guards divided up among themselves the garments of the Lord.
38 But when they found his coat it was a seamless coat and highly prized.
39 For it the guards cast lots, and thus determined who should have the prize.
40 And thus the scripture was fulfilled, which said, And they divided all my robes among themselves, and for my vesture they cast lots.
CHAPTER 171
Concluding scenes of the crucifixion. Joseph and Nicodemus, by consent of Pilate, take the body of Jesus from the cross and lay it in Joseph’s tomb. A guard of one hundred Jewish soldiers are placed about the sepulcher.
Now, at the sixth hour of the day, although the sun was at its height, the day became as dark as night;
2 And men sought lanterns and they builded fires upon the hills that they might see.
3 And when the sun refused to shine and darkness came, the Lord exclaimed, Heloi! Heloi! lama sabachthani? (Thou sun! thou sun! why hast thou forsaken me?)
4 The people did not understand the words he spoke; they thought he spoke the name Elijah and they said,
5 He calls upon Elijah in his hour of need; now we will see if he will come.
6 And Jesus said, I thirst. A Roman soldier dipped a sponge in vinegar and myrrh, and placed it to his lips.
7 Now, at the ninth hour of the day the earth began to quake, and in the darkness of that sunless day, a flood of golden light appeared above the cross;
8 And from the light a voice was heard which said, Lo, it is done.
9 And Jesus said, My Father-God, into thy hands I give my soul.
10 A Roman soldier in compassion said, This agony is all too great; relief shall come. And with a spear he pierced his heart and it was done; the son of man was dead.
11 And then the earth was shocked again; the city of Jerusalem rocked to and fro; the hills were rent and tombs were opened up;
12 And people thought they saw the dead arise and walk the streets.
13 The temple quivered and the veil between the sanctuary and the Holy Place was rent in twain, and consternation reigned through all the place.
14 The Roman guard who watched the body on the cross exclaimed, This surely was the son of God who died.
15 And then the people hurried down from Calvary. The priests, the Pharisees and scribes were filled with fear.
16 They sought the cover of their synagogues and homes and said, Behold, the wrath of God!
17 The great day of the Jewish pasch was near, and Jews could not by law permit a criminal to hang upon the cross upon the Sabbath day.
18 And so they prayed that Pilate would remove the bodies of the men that had been crucified.
19 And Pilate sent his guards to Calvary to note if all the men were dead.
20 And when the guards were gone, two aged Jews came to the palace door to see the governor, and they were members of the highest council of the Jews;
21 Yet they believed that Jesus was a prophet sent from God.
22 The one was Rabbi Joseph, the Arimathean counsellor, and he was just and loved the law of God.
23 And Nicodemus was the other one who came.
24 These men fell down at Pilate’s feet and prayed that they might take the body of the Nazarene and lay it in a tomb.
25 And Pilate gave consent.
26 Now, Joseph had prepared a costly mixture to embalm the body of the Lord, about a hundred pounds of aloes and of myrrh, and this they took and hastened out to Calvary.
27 And when the guards returned they said, The Nazarene is dead; the malefactors are alive.
28 And Pilate told the guards to go and smite the living men so they would die, and then to give their bodies to the flames; but give the body of the Nazarene to rabbis who would call for it.
29 The soldiers did as Pilate said.
30 The rabbis came and took away the body of the Lord and when they had prepared it with the spices they had bought,
31 They laid it in the new-made tomb that had been made for Joseph in a solid rock.
32 And then they rolled a stone up to the sepulcher.
33 The priests were fearful lest the friends of Jesus would go forth at night and take away the body of the Nazarene, and then report that he had risen from the dead, as he had said;
34 And they requested that the governor would send his soldiers to the tomb to guard the body of the dead.
35 But Pilate said, I will not send a Roman guard; but you have Jewish soldiers and may send a hundred men with a centurion to guard the tomb.
36 And then they sent a hundred soldiers out to guard the tomb.
SECTION XX
RESH
The Resurrection of Jesus
CHAPTER 172
Pilate places the Roman seal upon the stone door of the tomb. At midnight a company of the silent brothers march about the tomb. The soldiers are alarmed. Jesus preaches to the spirits in prison. Early Sunday morning he rises from the tomb. The soldiers are bribed by the priests to say that the disciples had stolen the body.
The tomb in which they laid the body of the Lord was in a garden, rich with flowers, the garden of Siloam, and Joseph’s home was near.
2 Before the watch began Caiaphas sent a company of priests out to the garden of Siloam that they might be assured that Jesus’ body was within the tomb.
3 They rolled away the stone; they saw the body there, and then they placed the stone again before the door.
4 And Pilate sent his scribe who placed upon the stone the seal of Rome, in such a way that he who moved the stone would break the seal.
5 To break this Roman seal meant death to him who broke the seal.
6 The Jewish soldiers all were sworn to faithfulness; and then the watch began.
7 At midnight all was well, but suddenly the tomb became a blaze of light, and down the garden walk a troupe of white clad soldiers marched in single file.
8 They came up to the tomb and marched and countermarched before the door.
9 The Jewish soldiers were alert; they thought the friends had come to steal the body of the Nazarene. The captain of the guard cried out to charge.
10 They charged; but not a white clad soldier fell. They did not even stop; they marched and countermarched among the frightened men.
11 They stood upon the Roman seal; they did not speak; they unsheathed not their swords; it was the Silent Brotherhood.
12 The Jewish soldiers fled in fear; they fell upon the ground.
13 They stood apart until the white clad soldiers marched away, and then the light about the tomb grew dim.
14 Then they returned; the stone was in its place; the seal was not disturbed, and they resumed their watch.
15 Now, Jesus did not sleep within the tomb. The body is the manifest of soul; but soul is soul without its manifest.
16 And in the realm of souls, unmanifest, the Lord went forth and taught.
17 He opened up the prison doors and set the prisoners free;
18 He broke the chains of captive souls, and led the captives to the light;
19 He sat in council with the patriarchs and prophets of the olden times;
20 The masters of all times and climes he met, and in the great assemblies he stood forth and told the story of his life on earth, and of his death in sacrifice for man,
21 And of his promises to clothe himself again in garb of flesh and walk with his disciples, just to prove the possibilities of man;
22 To give to them the key of life, of death, and of the resurrection of the dead.
23 In council all the masters sat and talked about the revelations of the coming age,
24 When she, the Holy Breath, shall fill the earth and air with holy breath, and open up the way of man to perfectness and endless life.
25 The garden of Siloam was silent on the Sabbath day; the Jewish soldiers watched and no one else approached the tomb; but on the following night the scene was changed.
26 At midnight every Jewish soldier heard a voice which said, Adon Mashich Cumi, which meant, Lord Christ arise.
27 And they supposed again that friends of Jesus were alert, were coming up to take the body of their Lord away.
28 The soldiers were alert with swords unsheathed and drawn, and then they heard the words again.
29 It seemed as though the voice was everywhere, and yet they saw no man.
30 The soldiers blanched with fear, and still to flee meant death for cowardice, and so they stood and watched.
31 Again, and this was just before the sun arose, the heavens blazed with light, a distant thunder seemed to herald forth a coming storm;
32 And then the earth began to quake and in the rays of light they saw a form descend from heaven, They said, Behold an angel comes.
33 And then they heard again, Adon Mashich Cumi.
34 And then the white-robed form tramped on the Roman seal, and then he tore it into shreds; he took the mighty stone in hand as though it were a pebble from the brook, and cast it to the side.
35 And Jesus opened up his eyes and said, All hail the rising sun! the coming of the day of righteousness!
36 And then he folded up his burial gown, his head bands and his coverings and laid them all aside.
37 He rose, and for a moment stood beside the white-robed form.
38 The weaker soldiers fell upon the ground, and hid their faces in their hands; the stronger stood and watched.
39 They saw the body of the Nazarene transmute; they saw it change from mortal to immortal form, and then it disappeared.
40 The soldiers heard a voice from somewhere; yea, from everywhere, it said,
41 Peace, peace on earth; good will to men.
42 They looked, the tomb was empty and the Lord had risen as he said.
43 The soldiers hastened to Jerusalem, and to the priests, and said,
44 Behold, the Nazarene has risen as he said; the tomb is empty and the body of the man is gone; we know not where it is. And then they told about the wonders of the night.
45 Caiaphas called a council of the Jews; he said, the news must not go forth that Jesus has arisen from the dead;
46 For if it does all men will say, He is the son of God, and all our testimonies will be proven false.
47 And then they called the hundred soldiers in and said to them,
48 You know not where the body of the Nazarene is resting now, so if you will go forth and say that his disciples came and stole the body while you slept,
49 Each one of you shall have a silver piece, and we will make it right with Pilate for the breaking of the Roman seal.
50 The soldiers did as they were paid to do.
SECTION XXI
SCHIN
Materialization of the Spiritual Body of Jesus
CHAPTER 173
Jesus appears, fully materialized, to his mother, Miriam, Mary of Magdala and to Peter, James and John.
Now, when the rabbis took the body of the Lord and laid it in the tomb the mother of the Lord, and Mary Magdalene, and Miriam were there.
2 And when the body was entombed they went to Joseph’s home and there abode.
3 They did not know that Jewish soldiers had been sent to guard the tomb, nor that the Roman seal was placed upon the stone;
4 So in the morning of the first day of the week they hastened to the tomb with spices to embalm the Lord.
5 But when they reached the tomb they found the terror-stricken soldiers running frantically about.
6 The women did not know the cause; but when they found an empty tomb they were excited and aggrieved.
7 The soldiers did not know what had transpired; they could not tell who took the body of the Lord away.
8 And Mary Magdalene ran with haste toward Jerusalem to tell the news to Peter and the rest.
9 She met, just by the gateway, Peter, James and John; she said, Some one has rolled away the stone and carried off the body of the Lord.
10 And then the three disciples ran toward the tomb; but John was fleet of foot and was the first to reach the tomb; he found it empty; the body of his Lord was gone.
11 When Peter came he went into the tomb, and found the grave clothes neatly folded up and laid aside.
12 Now, the disciples did not comprehend the scene. They did not know the meaning of their Lord when he informed them just before his death that he would rise from death upon the first day of the week.
13 The three disciples went back to Jerusalem; the mother of the Lord and Miriam went not away.
14 And Mary looked within the tomb, and saw two masters sitting there; they said, Why do you weep?
15 And Mary said, Because my Lord is gone; some one has carried off the body of my Lord; I know not where it is.
16 Then she arose and looked around; a man stood near and said, Why do you weep? whom do you seek?
17 And Mary thought it was the gardener and said, If you have borne away the body of my Lord, O tell me where it is that I may lay it in a sacred tomb.
18 And then the man came near and said, My mother! and Mary said, My Lord!
19 The eyes of Miriam were opened up and she beheld the Lord.
20 And Jesus said, Behold, I told you as we walked along the way up to the cross that I would meet you at the sepulcher upon the first day of the week.
21 Now, Mary Magdalene was sitting not a great way off, and Jesus went to her and said,
22 Why seek the living ’mong the dead? Your Lord has risen as he said. Now, Mary, look! behold my face!
23 Then Mary knew it was the Lord; that he had risen from the dead.
24 And then Salome, and Mary, mother of the two disciples, James and John, Joanna, and the other women who had come out to the tomb, saw Jesus, and they talked with him.
25 And Mary Magdalene was filled with joy. She sought again for Peter, James and John; she found them and she said,
26 Lo, I have seen the Lord; and Miriam has seen the Lord; the mother of the Lord has seen the Lord; and many more have seen his face; for he has risen from the dead.
27 But the disciples thought that she had simply seen a vision of the Lord. They did not think that he had risen from the dead.
28 Then Mary found the other members of the company and told them all about the risen Lord; but none of them believed.
29 Now, Peter, James and John were in the garden of Siloam; were talking with the gardener about the happenings of the day when John beheld a stranger coming up the walk.
30 The stranger lifted up his hands and said, I am. Then the disciples knew it was the Lord.
31 And Jesus said, Behold, for human flesh can be transmuted into higher form, and then that higher form is master of things manifest, and can, at will, take any form.
32 And so I come to you in form familiar unto you.
33 Go speak to Thomas, and the other men whom I have called to be apostles unto men, and say to them,
34 That he whom Jews and Romans thought was dead is walking in the garden of Siloam;
35 Will stand again before the priests and Pharisees within the temple in Jerusalem;
36 And will appear unto the sages of the world.
37 Tell them that I will go before them into Galilee.
38 Then Peter, James and John went forth and found their brethren, and said, Behold, the Lord is risen from the dead, and we have seen him face to face.
39 The brethren were amazed at what the three disciples said; but still they looked upon their words as idle talk and they believed them not.
CHAPTER 174
Jesus appears, fully materialized, to Zachus and Cleophas as they journey to Emmaus, but they know him not. He tells them many things about Christ. He eats the evening meal with them, and reveals himself to them. They go to Jerusalem and tell the news.
Towards the evening of the resurrection day, two friends of Jesus, Zachus and Cleophas of Emmaus, seven miles away, were going to their home.
2 And as they walked and talked about the things that had occurred a stranger joined their company.
3 He said, My friends, you seem discouraged and are sad. Has some great grief upon you come?
4 Cleophas said, Are you a stranger in Judea, and know not of the thrilling things that have transpired here?
5 The stranger said, What things? To what do you refer?
6 Cleophas said, Have you not heard about the man from Galilee who was a prophet mighty in both word and deed?
7 A man whom many thought had come to found again the kingdom of the Jews, and drive the Romans from the city of Jerusalem and be himself the king?
8 The stranger said, Tell me about this man.
9 Cleophas said, His name was Jesus; he was born in Bethlehem; his home was up in Galilee. He loved the people as he loved himself.
10 He was, in truth, a master sent from God, for he had matchless power. He healed the sick and made the deaf to hear, the blind to see, the lame to walk, and even raised the dead.
11 The Jewish scribes and Pharisees were jealous of his fame and power, and they arrested him; by perjured witnesses they proved him guilty of a score of crimes,
12 And on last Friday he was taken to the place of skulls and crucified.
13 He died and he was buried in a rich man’s tomb, out in the garden of Siloam.
14 This very morning when his friends went to the tomb they found it empty; the body of the Lord was gone.
15 And now the news has spread abroad that he has risen from the dead.
16 The stranger said, Yes, I have heard about this man; but it seems strange that after all the things that Jewish prophets long ago foretold concerning him that when he came men knew him not.
17 This man was born to demonstrate the Christ to men, and it is just to say that Jesus is the Christ.
18 According to the Word, this Jesus came to suffer at the hands of men, to give his life as pattern for the sons of men;
19 To rise from death that men might know the way to rise from death.
20 And then the stranger told the two disciples all about the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms, and read to them a multitude of things that had been written of this man from Galilee.
21 And now the men had reached their home and as the night was near they importuned the stranger to abide with them.
22 And he went in with them and as they sat about the table at the evening meal, he took a piece of bread, and blessed it in the name of Christ.
23 And instantly their eyes were opened up, and they perceived that he, the stranger, was the Lord, the man from Galilee; that he had risen from the dead; and then the form of Jesus disappeared.
24 When he had gone, the two disciples were amazed. They said, Did not our hearts burn with delight while he was talking to us by the way and opening up the testimonies of the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms?
25 Then Zachus and Cleopas went back to Jerusalem, and everywhere they went they said, Lo, we have seen the Lord;
26 He walked with us to Emmaus; he ate with us the evening meal, and broke for us the bread of life.