Il]. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE BLOOD AND WATER. The blood and water that flowed from the fountain thus opened in the Saviour’s side are significant of the two great blessings which believers partake through Christ. There was blood for redemption, water for regeneration; blood for remission, water for renewal; blood for pardon, water for purity ; blood to put away the guilt of sin, water to purge away its filth; blood for justification, water for sanctification; blood for atonement (and this is the special work of the Son of God), water for purification (and this is the province of the Spirit of God); blood and the sacramental wine is a symbol of it, water and the baptismal element is a sign of it. Thus the two great agents in salvation—the Son of God and the Spirit of God; the two great works they accomplish—redemption and regeneration ; the two great doctrines of a standing and spiritual Church—justification and sanctifica- tion—are kept fresh in the memory and visible to the eye by the sacramental seals of the covenant. In allusion, probably, to this St. John (1 Hpist. v. €) says, “This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ ; not with water only, but with the water and with the blood ” (Revised Version). These two must always go together ; these two flowed forth together from the pierced side of the Saviour; these two the
| 846 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MARK. [ox. xvzL 1—20.
apostle has joined together. These two form the streams of the prophetic fountain ; and by meaus of the twofold stream of this fountain “ye are washed, ye are sanctified, ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
“ Rock of ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in thee ; Let the water and the blood, From tly riven side which flow’d, Be of sin the double cure, Cleanse me from its guilt and power.”
IV. Tas vonerau. The funeral consisted, as far as we can learn, of few persons. There are only four persons named by name as present on the occasion—two men and two women: though it is probable that a few females besides, who had accompanied him from Galilee, were also at least spectators, as St. Luke tells us that “the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.” Joseph wrapped the body in the fine linen he had purchased, and sprinkled the myrrh and aloes among the folds, then laid the body in the rock- hewn tomb, and rolled a stone of large size to close therewith the entrance of the sepulchre. In these several operations, but especially in that of rolling the huge stone, Joseph was assisted, we may be certain, by Nicodemus, and both by their servants ot attendants; while Mary of Magdala, and Mary the mother of Joses, and the othet
women from Galilee, were looking on. They beheld (é@edépouy), carefully olserving the place and manner of the sepulchre.—J. J. G.
EXPOSITION.
CHAPTER XVI.
Ver. 1.—And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices (jyépacay épéuara) that they might come and anoint him. A hasty but lavish embalming of our Lord’s sacred body had been begun on Friday evening by Joseph and Nicodemus. They had “ brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pound weight ” (John xix. 39), This would be a compound—the gum of the myrrh tree, and a powder of the fragrant aloe wood mixed together, with which they would completely cover the body, which was then swathed with linen cloths (00d11a), also steeped in the aromatic preparation. Then the sindon would be placed over all, Compare the evertaréer of St. Luke (xxiii. 53), as applying to the sindon, with the éincav of St. Jolin (xix. 40) as applying to the 6@dva. This verse records a further stage in the embalm- ing. What had been done on the Friday evening had been done in baste, and yet sufficiently for the preservation of the sacred body, if that had been needful, from decay. The remaining work could be done more carefully aid tenderly at the tomb, Observe the aorist in this verse (jydpacav), “they bought ;” not “ they had bought.”
Ver. 2.—And very early on the first day of the week (Alay mpwt TH mia Tay caBBarwr), they come (épxovra:)— not “they came,” St, Mark is fond of the graphic present—
to the tomb when the sun was risen. They bought the spices that they needed on the Saturday evening, after the sabbath was past; and then set out early the next morning, reaching the tomb when the sun was risen,
Ver. 3.—And they were saying (€Aeyov) among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the tomb? The usual form of tombs in Palestine was the following:—There was generally an ap- . proach to the tomb open to the sky; then a low entrance on the side of the rock, leading into a square chamber, on one side of which was a recess for the body, about three feet deep, with a low arch over it. The stone here referred to by the women would be the stone which covered the actual entrance into the vault. It would probably be not less than six feet in breadth and three in height. This great stone had been rolled by Joseph to ihe mouth of the tomb; and then he had departed. Now, as the women approached, “ they were saying (@Ac- yov) among themselves, Who shall roll us away (amoxvAice:) the stone?” They had seen the arrangements, and had observed the size of the stone on the Friday evening. (ch. xv. 47).
Ver. 4.—And looking up (avaBAdbacat), they see (Jewpotoiw) that the stone is rolled back (dmokervAiorat): for it was exceeding great (uéyas ooddpa). At this point we learn from St. John that Mary Magdalene ran away to tell Peter and John (John xx. 2),
OH. Xvi. 1—20.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MARK.
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Ver. 5.--And entering into the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, arrayed in a white robe; and they were amazed. They enter the tomb, the expres- sion “tomb” including the ante-chamber. They see that the stone has been rolled back, so as to expose tiie entrance into the place where Jesus had lain. On that stone @ young man was sitting. The ange) ap- peared in the form of a young man, because youth indicates the vigour, the beauty, and the strength of angels. The good angels always appear in beauty and comcliness of form. ‘There will be no deformity in heaven. The ange) appeared as arrayed in a@ white robe. ‘his white robe, or talar, indicated a heavenly spiritual being. St. Matthew (xxviii. 3) says that “ his counte- nance was like lightning,” flashing with splendour, and his ra:meut was as white as snow. It may be that he appeared more terrible to the keepers (Matt. xxviii. 4), and that he abated something of his dazzling brightness when he appeared to the women; but “they were affrighted” (efeOauBnoncar); literally, they were amazed. Amazement was the dominant feeling, though probably not unmingled with fear.