Part 38

027:047 "The man is calling for Elijah," said some of the bystanders.

027:048 One of them ran forthwith, and filling a sponge with sour wine put it on the end of a cane and offered it Him to drink;

027:049 while the rest said, "Let us see whether Elijah is coming to deliver him."

027:050 But Jesus uttered another loud cry and then yielded up His spirit.

027:051 Immediately the curtain of the Sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom: the earth quaked; the rocks split;

027:052 the tombs opened; and many of God's people who were asleep in death awoke.

027:053 And coming out of their tombs after Christ's resurrection they entered the holy city and showed themselves to many.

027:054 As for the Captain and the soldiers who were with Him keeping guard over Jesus, when they witnessed the earthquake and the other occurrences they were filled with terror, and exclaimed, "Assuredly he was God's Son."

027:055 And there were a number of women there looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee ministering to His necessities;

027:056 among them being Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of the sons of Zabdi.

027:057 Towards sunset there came a wealthy inhabitant of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who himself also had become a disciple of Jesus.

027:058 He went to Pilate and begged to have the body of Jesus, and Pilate ordered it to be given to him.

027:059 So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean sheet of fine linen.

027:060 He then laid it in his own new tomb which he had hewn in the solid rock, and after rolling a great stone against the door of the tomb he went home.

027:061 Mary of Magdala and the other Mary were both present there, sitting opposite to the sepulchre.

027:062 On the next day, the day after the Preparation, the High Priests and the Pharisees came in a body to Pilate.

027:063 "Sir," they said, "we recollect that during his lifetime that impostor pretended that after two days he was to rise to life again.

027:064 So give orders for the sepulchre to be securely guarded till the third day, for fear his disciples should come by night and steal the body, and then tell the people that he has come back to life; and so the last imposture will be more serious than the first."

027:065 "You can have a guard," said Pilate: "go and make all safe, as best you can."

027:066 So they went and made the sepulchre secure, sealing the stone besides setting the guard.

028:001 After the Sabbath, in the early dawn of the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala and the other Mary came to see the sepulchre.

028:002 But to their amazement there had been a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord had descended from Heaven, and had come and rolled back the stone, and was sitting upon it.

028:003 His appearance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow.

028:004 For fear of him the guards trembled violently, and became like dead men.

028:005 But the angel said to the women, "As for you, dismiss your fears. I know that it is Jesus that you are looking for-- the crucified One.

028:006 He is not here: He has come back to life, as He foretold. Come and see the place where He lay.

028:007 And go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead and is going before you into Galilee: there you shall see Him. Remember, I have told you."

028:008 They quickly left the tomb and ran, still terrified but full of unspeakable joy, to carry the news to His disciples.