The obvious meaning of these texts is that they saw him wrapped in "the fine linen" and laid away in the tomb. Here, then, are the contradictory statements. The writer of the fourth gospel relates how Jesus was embalmed on the day of his death; the writers of the second and third gospels state that the women came on the third day to perform this service, wholly unconscious of such embalmment having taken place on the day of Jesus' death; while the writer of the first gospel knows nothing of the embalmment on the day of his death, nor of the intended embalmment on the third day. He speaks of the early visit of the women as coming merely to see the grave. "In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn, toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher." (28 : 1.) Further contradictions are found in the statements of the writers as to the time when the women prepared the spices. Mark says (16 : 11), that when the "Sabbath was past" the women bought spices with which to anoint the body of Jesus. Luke says they bought them before the Sabbath; "And they returned and prepared spices and ointments, and rested on the Sabbath day." (23 : 56.) Jesus Foretells his Resurrection. There are a number of passages in the gospels which show that Jesus told his disciples over and over again that he should rise on the third day, and there are other passages which as plainly show that they had no thought of any such resurrection when the third day came. If he repeatedly told his followers that he was to be put to death in Jerusalem and rise again the third day, we must conclude that his disciples would remember his sayings and that at least some of them would wait for the third day to come, expecting to see the miracle transpire. But we are astounded to read over and over again of this "rising again the third day," and yet find no friend remembering or expecting the event when the third day came. It is urged that Jesus' followers did not understand his words, but this will not meet the case. If several of these disciples were intelligent enough to write the biography of their Master they could not have been so stupid as not to understand such plain words; besides, we must remember that his enemies understood him. The Pharisee said to Pilate, "Sir, we remember that the deceiver said while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again." Pilate said, "Ye have a watch, go your way, make it sure as ye can." The disciples could not have failed to understand him, because it was a special effort on the part of Jesus to show that he must die and rise again on the third day. "But their eyes were holden that they should not know him." (Luke 24 : 16.)