The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 636

nngol we.s e.t first not eeen by the women ; Cor. xv. 6), when he was seen by more t.han the.t Mnry Mo.gde.lene, observing the stone five hundred brethren at one timo, may l,av 9 removod, o.t once hurried to the city to tell occurred in Galilee. If this ia the CI\Ae, it Peter and John; thnt, the rest of the women would be remarkable as the only public rcve- remo.ining, the angel made himeelf visible lntion of Christ after his resurrection, e.ud to them and be.de them enter the sepulchre; the comparative seclusion of the northern e.nd thnt, doing eo, they behelcl another district may have been one ree.eon for its e.ngel sitting on the right side of the recese. selection a.a the scene for this great demon- Time, it is conjectured, tl10 accounts in etre.tion. There wae doubtless some moral Me.rk and John mo.y be harmonized with fitnese in the humble and deepised Galilee that in our text. (Seo also W eetcott on being made tlte ete.rting-point of his Church John xx., where is given a provisional who wae despised and rejected of men, or arrangement of the facts of the first Easter whom it was contemptuously said, "Doth Day.) the Christ come out of Galilee?" (,John vii. Ver. 7.-Go quickly, and toll his disciples. 41). "As in all things God eets e.t naught St. Mark significantly adds, "o.nd Peter." the pride of mankind, e.nd chooses persons, 'l'he disciples were to believe without see- instruments, and places mean in the eyes of ing, They had deserted Christ in his hour tl.ie world, teaching us that in humbler and of need, ho.d not stood by the cross, nor more retired abodee, secret from the worl,l, e.ided in bis burial; so they were not to be we are to seek for the strength of Goel, who honoured with tlie vision of e.ngele or the first hideth himseU" (I. Williams). Lo, I have eigl.it of the risen Lord. Thie was reserved told yon. The angel thus solemnly con- for the faithful women, who thus received firms what he hadjust said. The Authorizer! their mission to carry a message to tlie mes- Vulgate gives, Ecce, przdizi 'Dobis, whieh is sengers-a foretaste of the ministry which warranted by no existing Greek manu- they should perform in the Church of Christ. scripts, the uniform reading of the original He goeth before yon (1rpod.-y .. vµ.as) into being ,1,.011 or .1,.a.. Galilee. The verb is noticeable. It is that Ver. 8.-They departed (l{,Mov11a.z, better used by our Lord himself on his way to the &1r,>.8ov11a.,) quickly from the sepulchre. At garden of Gethsemane (eh. xxvi. 32), o.nd it the angel's invite.lion (ver. 6), they, or some implies the act of e. shepherd at the head of of them, had entered into the inner chamber hie flock, lee.ding them to new pastures of the tomb (Luke xxiv. 3), and now ea.rue (comp. John x, 4). The good Shepherd had hurrying out. With fee.r and great joy, been smitten, and the sheep scattered; now With e. mixture of emotions-fear at the under his guidance they were to be reunited. eight of the heavenly visitant, the super- The apoetolio band had been temporarily natural presence, ar.d joy at the assurance dissolved and disintegrated; the college was that their beloved Mo.ster had risen agnin, again to be re-formed, and wns to receive its having burst the bonds of death. Did run. renewed oommiesion in seclusion and peace, Tuey did as they were bidden with a.II pos- that it might return to Jerusalem with un- eible speed, acting e.s heralds of good tiilings impaired strength to commence its arduous to the disconsolate disciples. labours. The ple.ce of meeting is in Galilee, Ver. 9.-As they went to tell bis disciples. where mo~t of hie mighty works were clone, Th is clause is omitted by the best manu- and where it we.e safer for the 11ieciples to scripts, nnd tl.ie Vulgate and other versions, assemble than at Jerusalem. The majority and is rejecte,l by modern editors. It is not of them came from this region, e.nd thither quite in St. Mntthew'e sty le, and seems to they returned some ten days (John xx. 26; be rightly regarded as a gloss. There ie xxi. 1-4) after the Resurrection, to re- one ad vantnge in its omission, in that the enme their ordinary occupations (ver. 16). aotunl moment of this appearance of our Thus they would realize that it we.a the Lord is left undecided, e.nrl we are at liberty ee.me Jesus who met them there with whom, to hu.rmonize it, if so minded, with other these three po.et yeu.rs, tl.iey had held familiar details, Now tl.ie women, according to our intercourse, It was ordained, for some history, receive the reward of their faith and reason not expressly stated, thatJrom Go.li- love. Behold, Jesus met them, eaying, All lee should proceed Christ's spirituo.l king- hail! Xaip,n: literally, Rejoice ye I This is dom which he came to establish-that not the usual Eastern salutation, "Peace be "word which," e.s Peter said (Acts x. 37), unto you!" but one that cnme with peculiar "was published thronghout all Judmo., be- sign itic,1nce oo their lately sorrow-stricken ginning from Galilee." We read of only hearts. So he hacl saiJ to hie apcstles, two appearances of Obrist in Galilee--once "Your sorrow shnll be turned into joy,. at the lake, mentioned in the last chapter of (John xvi. 20), and now he made good hi!! St. John, and a.gain in ver. 17 of this chap- word. Tbie is the only one of Christ's nr- ter of St. Matthew. It is, however, possible peare.ncee in Jerusalem or its neighbourhofl(l that the appearance named ty St, Po.ul (1 that St. Matthew relates. They co.me anil H.ATTHEW-ll, 2 T 642 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. [o«. xxvm. 1-20.