"Do not hold me," said Jesus, "for I have yet to arise and go to my Father in heaven; but go to my brothers, my disciples, and tell them that I shall soon rise up from the earth and go to my Father and your Father, to my God, and your God." Mary Magdalene went and found the disciples, and said to them, "I have seen the Lord!" telling them also what he had said to her. After Mary Magdalene had gone away from the tomb, the other women--Mary the wife of Clopas, Joanna, and Salome--came back from having seen the disciples, and having told them what the angel had said, that Jesus had risen. As they drew near the tomb, Jesus went to meet them. "Welcome!" he said to the women. They ran up to him, fell on their faces, and clasped his feet, just as Mary had done, for they felt joy and fear mingled as they saw him. "Do not be afraid," said Jesus, "go tell my brothers to go to Galilee and they shall see me there." So these women went again to find the disciples and give them the news that Jesus was really living, and that they had seen him. All this was on Sunday morning--the first Easter-day. [Illustration: Mary Magdalene turned and answered the strange man whom she thought was the gardener: "Oh, sir, if you have carried him anywhere, tell me where you have laid him." "Mary!" said Jesus. And as he spoke her name she knew him.] On that morning, when the soldiers who had fled from the tomb recovered from their terror, they went to the chief priests and told them about the earthquake and the angel who had rolled away the stone. The priests had a talk with the rulers of the city; then they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, and told them to say to everybody: "The disciples came at night, while we were asleep, and broke open the tomb, and stole the body of Jesus." They knew that a soldier had no right to sleep while on guard; and the rule of the army was, that any soldier who slept on his post should be put to death. But the rulers said to them: "If the governor hears about this, we will satisfy him, and see that no harm comes to you." So the soldiers took their money and did as they were told. And the story that the body of Jesus was stolen from the tomb, was told among the Jewish people and believed by them. [Illustration: Coins struck by Pontius Pilate] [Illustration: Then Jesus began to show them in all the Old Testament books, how all the prophets had foretold the things that should take place with Christ when he should come.] A Walk with the Risen Christ CHAPTER 100 WHEN JESUS was seen after he rose from the tomb, it was called an "appearance" because Jesus appeared to someone. His first appearance, as you have read, was to Mary Magdalene; his second appearance was to the other women; and his third appearance was to two men walking out into the country on that first Easter morning.