#150.# _Second truth._ From the above it is most apparent that they
never _even thought_ of a resurrection (see Mark 9:10). When they saw
him die, and knew from the physical signs of the blood and water that
he was dead, they at once gave up all hope in him as the expected
Messiah. This is apparent from the remark of the two to the Master as
they were going to Emmaus (Luke 24:21). Their remark implies that now
they had given up any such hope. But more than this. Had they thought
of any resurrection, would they not have remained near the garden
where his body was laid? Surely John and the Master's mother would not
have abandoned that garden for Jerusalem. Nor would they have prepared
spices for his final entombment had they had any reasonable hope of
his resurrection. What took the women to the tomb on that Easter
morning was not any remotest hope that they might find him alive, but
only the completion of plans for his final burial. All this is
apparent from the unvarnished narrative of all of the evangelists.
Rightly read, the narrative reveals the one fact that they had not the
least hope that they would ever see him alive in this world.

#151.# _Third truth._ When the tomb was found empty on that Easter
morning, even that did not awaken any thought that the Lord had risen.
This is proved by the whole story of Mary on that day (John 20). All
her thought was, where is _the body_? Even when Jesus appeared to
Mary, she did not recognize him at first, so far was it from her
thought that he could be living. And when the women reported to the
disciples that they had seen him alive, their words seemed to the
Apostles as "idle talk" (Luke 24:11). So when Peter and John ran to
the tomb and found not his body, they simply believed that it had been
taken away by some one, and not at all that he had risen from the
dead, for as yet they knew not the truth that he must rise (John
20:9).

#152.# _Fourth truth._ When the women were convinced that the Lord was
really risen, still the men remained unconvinced. The two on their way
to Emmaus did not recognize him, for they never thought that it could
be he. Peter seems to have been convinced when the Lord appeared to
him, but in that upper chamber, when they all (excepting Thomas) saw
him, still they would not believe that it was really he, but thought
that they saw a spirit (Luke 24:36-40). It took physical demonstration
to prove to these men that he was really in their presence. No