THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS AND BREATHING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (JOHN 20). Jesus Is The Son Of God. Finally in chapter 20 Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene and explains that He has not yet ascended to His Father (John 20:17 a), and tells her to inform His ‘brothers' that, ‘I ascend to My Father and your F... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene comes early, while it was yet dark, to the tomb and sees the stone taken away from the tomb.' ‘The first day of the week' could be any time after sunset on Saturday evening, but here it is early Sunday morning just prior to sunrise. The use of the te... [ Continue Reading ]
MARY MAGDALENE FINDS THE TOMB HAS BEEN OPENED AND CALLS ON PETER AND JOHN (JOHN 20:1).... [ Continue Reading ]
‘She therefore runs and comes to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and says to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid him”.' ‘She therefore runs.' She did not know what to make of the rolled away stone and assumed that it m... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Peter therefore went forth, and the other disciple, and they went towards the tomb, and they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came first to the tomb, and stooping and looking in he sees the linen cloths lying, yet he did not go in.' Mary's news shook Peter and John and the... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Simon Peter also therefore comes, following him, and went into the tomb, and he sees the linen cloths lying there, and the napkin that was on his head, not lying with the linen cloths, but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple also therefore went into the tomb, he who had come fir... [ Continue Reading ]
‘So the disciples went away again to their own.' The two then went back to the other disciples and spoke of what had happened. ‘To their own' is a neutral phrase which could mean to their own lodgings or tent (compare Luke 24:12) where the other disciples would be.... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But Mary was standing outside at the tomb weeping, so as she wept she stooped and looked into the tomb, and she sees two angels in white, sitting one at the head and one at the feet where the body of Jesus had lain.' Mary must have followed the other two, returning back more slowly. She could not... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS' APPEARANCE TO MARY (JOHN 20:11).... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And they say to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She says to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid him.” When she had thus said she turned herself round and sees Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus.' Mary did not realise that the... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Jesus says to her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?” She, supposing him to be the garden attendant says to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him and I will take him off your hands.” When the dimly discerned man asked her what was wrong, and wh... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Jesus says to her, “Mary”. She turns herself and says to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni”, which is to say “Master.” Then Jesus broke into her distress. ‘Jesus says to her, “Mary”.' The well remembered voice brought her up with a jolt. That she had to ‘turn herself' indicates that she had not been lookin... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Jesus says to her, “Do not retain me, for I am not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I ascend to my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God'.” ‘Do not retain me.' It would appear that Mary must have been clinging to Him as though she would never let Him... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Mary Magdalene comes and tells the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”, and how he had said these things to her.' Mary then went to the disciple and faithfully reported what she had experienced to all the disciples. Note how in this chapter Jesus is constantly referred to as ‘the Lord'. There was a... [ Continue Reading ]
‘When therefore it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were for fear of the Judaisers, Jesus came and stood among them and says to them, “Peace to you”. And when He had said this He showed them His hand and His side. The disciples ther... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS APPEARS TO ALL THE APOSTLES APART FROM THOMAS (JOHN 20:19).... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Jesus therefore said to them again, “Peace be to you. As the Father has sent me even so I send you.” To whom was Jesus speaking? As mentioned above others than the eleven were present, including the women. But John makes clear that the commission here is to ‘the disciples' and in the context of ch... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when He had said this He breathed on them, and says to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit”. Jesus now in a very real act of power endues the Apostles with the Holy Spirit. It is a travesty to suggest that this incident was merely symbolic. John mentions no other and sees this as the moment of endu... [ Continue Reading ]
“Of whoever you forgive the sins they have been and are forgiven, and of whoever you retain them they have been and are retained.” Few words have been more misrepresented than these. These words reveal that forgiveness of sin is the essential purpose of what Christ has accomplished, that He has com... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into his side,... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS APPEARS TO THE DISCIPLES INCLUDING THOMAS (JOHN 20:24). Thomas had been absent at Jesus' first appearance to the Apostles, but he too was now to see the risen Lord.... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas was with them. Jesus comes, the doors being shut, and stood among them and said, “Peace to you.” Then he says to Thomas, “Reach out here with your finger and see my hands, and reach out your hand and put it into my side and do not be... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Jesus says to him, “Because you have seen, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Response in faith to the word of God is here seen as the supreme achievement. Many believe for many reasons, but full response to God in response to His word is seen as the ult... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Many other signs therefore did Jesus in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.' It would appear clear that initially this was the end of the... [ Continue Reading ]