9 Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.
10 And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept.
11 And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not.
12 After that he appeared in another
form unto two of them, as they walk- ed, and went into the country.
13 And they went and told it unto the residue ; neither believed they them.
14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and up- braided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they be- lieved not them which had seen him after he was risen.
Let us mark, in these verses, what abundant proof we have thai our Lord Jesus Christ really rose again from the dead. In this one passage St. Mark records no less than three distinct occasions on which He was seen after His resurrection. First, he tells us, our Lord appeared to one witness, Mary Magdalene — then to two witnesses, two disciples walking into the country — and lastly to eleven witnesses, the eleven apostles all assembled to- gether. Let us remember, in addition to this, that other appearances of our Lord are described by other writers in the New Testament, beside those mentioned by St. Mark. And then let us not hesitate to believe, that of all the facts of our Lord's history, there is none more thoroughly established than the fact, that He rose from the dead.
There is great mercy in this. The resurrection of Christ is one of the foundation-stones of Christianity. It was the seal of the great work that He came on earth to do. It was the crowning proof that the ransom He paid for sinners was accepted, the atonement for sin ac- complished, the head of him who had the power of death bruised, and the victory won. It is well to remark how often the resurrection of Christ is referred to by
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the apostles. " He was delivered for our offences," says Paul, "and was raised again for our justification." (Kom. iv. 25.) " He hath hegotten us again to a lively hope," says Peter, " by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." (1 Peter i. 3.)
We ought to thank God that the fact of the resur- rection is so clearly established. The Jew, the Gentile, the priests, the Roman guard, the women who went to the tomb, the disciples who were so backward to believe, are all witnesses whose testimony cannot be gainsaid. Christ has not only died for us, but has also risen again. To deny it shows far greater credulity than to believe it. To deny it a man must put credit in monstrous and ridiculous improbabilities. To believe it a man has only to appeal to simple undeniable facts.
Let us mark, secondly, in these verses, our Lord Jesus Christ's singular kindness to Mary Magdalene. We are told that " when he was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils." To her before all others of Adam's children, was granted the privilege of being first to behold a risen Saviour. Mary, the mother of our Lord, was yet alive. John, the beloved disciple, was yet upon earth. Yet both were passed over on this occasion in favor of Mary Magdalene. A woman who at one time had probably been chief of sinners, a woman who at one time had been possessed by seven devils, was the first to whom Jesus showed Himself alive, when He rose victorious from the tomb. The fact is remarkable, and full of instruction.*
* There is nothing in the New Testament to justify the common
here