in 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._

<u>Gravity Upward.</u>

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.

_Jesus rose_ from the dead. The action was in accord with the law of His
life. He rose at will by the moral gravity of His character. He had gone
down, now He lets Himself rebound up. The language used of His death is
very striking. No one of the four descriptions of the death upon the cross
says that He _died_. The words commonly used to describe the death of
others are not used of Jesus. Very different language is used. Matthew
says, "He dismissed His spirit." Mark and Luke each say, "He breathed out"
His life. John says, "He delivered up His spirit."

His dying was voluntary. Not