Why is it necessary for man to be brought to the knowledge of the truth after the paying of the ransom-price? ¶ 243.

Who shall have the knowledge of this truth?  Give Scriptural proof. ¶ 243.

What is the great pivotal truth of the divine plan? ¶ 243.

When the human race comes to a knowledge of the value of the ransom-sacrifice, what effect will it have upon the ones who appreciate it? ¶ 243.

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CHAPTER VII

String 6:  Resurrection

Nisan was the beginning of months in the Jewish religious year; and the fourteenth day of Nisan, A.D. 33, found Jesus of Nazareth dead and in the tomb.  The hopes of his followers were dashed to the ground.  Looking back to the promises made by Jehovah to faithful Abraham, his disciples and other associates had believed Jesus to be the promised Messiah and trusted that he would be the deliverer of Israel from Roman bondage and would also be the instrument for the blessing, through Israel, of all the nations of the earth.  But now he who they had hoped would redeem Israel (Luke 24:21) was dead.  They were perplexed and overwhelmed.  Seemingly they did not expect him to rise again from the dead, nor did they know at that time that Jehovah would not suffer the flesh of his Holy One to corrupt.  The conduct of the disciples at this time, as well as of those who were in full sympathy with them, shows that they did not expect his resurrection.  The body was carefully wrapped and placed in the tomb with myrrh, aloes, and spices, evidently to prevent decomposition.  The subsequent great sorrow of the women at the tomb and their belief that the body of Jesus had been wrongfully removed and hid elsewhere, also the perplexity of the disciples, all tends to show that they did not have any hope or expectation of the resurrection of Jesus.  Then we have the positive statement:  “For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead".—­John 20:9.

[246]The disciples were Jews and it might be supposed that they were somewhat acquainted with the Scriptures.  We remember, however, that they were not learned men; and even if they had been acquainted with the text of the Scriptures they could not have had a very clear understanding of them at that time; just as we now see there are many wonderful truths in the Bible which have been there for centuries and which Christians never understood until recently.  Now as we look at the inspired Word of God we can see some texts in the Old Testament which clearly refer to the resurrection of Jesus, and which texts must have been familiar to many Jews at the time Jesus was crucified.  For information we note some of these texts here.