EARLY ON SUNDAY MORNING. See notes on Matthew 28:1-8. MARY MAGDALENE WENT TO THE TOMB. Mary Magdalene, the other Mary, and Salome start off toward the tomb, and Mary Magdalene evidently goes on ahead to the tomb, arriving there first. She sees the stone taken away, and runs back to the city a differ... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SAW THE LINEN CLOTHS LYING THERE. This argues against anyone having stolen the body. It would take time to carefully fold the linen cloths and the cloth that had been around Jesus! head.... [ Continue Reading ]
MARY STOOD CRYING. She thought the body had been stolen. AND SAW TWO ANGELS THERE.' Angels point to something supernormal. SAW JESUS STANDING THERE. The first human to see the; risen Lord was a woman. DO NOT HOLD ON TO ME. The other women did hold on to him (Matthew 28:9). The meaning must be: "I ha... [ Continue Reading ]
IT WAS LATE THAT SUNDAY EVENING. [Whether John used Jewish time or Roman time would identify the exact hour of the day. If Jewish time it is before six o'clock, and just getting dusk.] This is the third or fourth time Jesus has been seen on this most unusual day. This is the first time to the group... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SHOWED THEM HIS HANDS AND HIS SIDE. To convince them he was in his body [resurrection body] and not a ghost. A week later he showed these wounds to Thomas. His resurrection body showed these proofs of his death and his love! Some sixty years later at Patmos, John saw "The Lamb" which appeared to... [ Continue Reading ]
AS THE FATHER SENT ME, SO I SEND YOU. This is the Great Commission, which he speaks more fully in Galilee (Matthew 28:16-20), and finally completed on the Mount of Olives, just before he was taken up to heaven (Acts 1:8). He had carefully trained these men for just this work.... [ Continue Reading ]
IF YOU FORGIVE MEN'S SINS. From Matthew 16:19, we see that the "_keys_" were given to all the apostles. How they used these _"keys"_ is seen from Acts 3:26. Jesus placed an _obligation_ upon them [and the messianic community] to announce God's terms of salvation. _"You are to open their eyes and tur... [ Continue Reading ]
THOMAS (CALLED THE TWIN). He had not seen Jesus up to this point, and was hesitant to believe the Resurrection. He demanded _concrete evidence!_... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THOMAS WAS WITH THEM. This was the second Lord's day! [Christians quickly began calling Sunday the Lord's day, because he rose from death on that day of the week.]... [ Continue Reading ]
PUT YOUR FINGER HERE. Jesus had just "passed through" locked doors, which would imply to them he was a ghost. Now he tells Thomas to "put him to the test" to see and feel the REALNESS of his Resurrection.... [ Continue Reading ]
HOW HAPPY ARE THOSE WHO BELIEVE WITHOUT SEEING ME! [_Happy:_ see note on Matthew 5:3] Thomas believed by _"seeing. "_ Jesus _blesses_ those who will believe without seeing him in person [_on the evidence given by the eyewitnesses_]_. "For our life is a matter of faith, not of sight"_ (2 Corinthians... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS DID MANY OTHER MIGHTY WORKS. Compare John 21:25.... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE HAVE BEEN WRITTEN. This is the goal of the Gospels and the entire New Testament! Christ is REVEALED to all, to produce faith. [It is correct to say that the Holy Spirit produces (gives) faith through the witness of the Word (Bible). See John 16:8-11 and notes] Faith is _not_ "something we beli... [ Continue Reading ]