CHAPTER XX. _Mary Magdalene, coming early to the sepulchre, finds it_ _empty, and runs and tells Peter_, 1, 2. _Peter and John run to the tomb, and find all as Mary had_ _reported_, 3-10. _Mary sees a vision of angels in the tomb_, 11-13. _Jesus himself appears to her, and sends her with a mes... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 20:2. _THEN SHE RUNNETH_] This was after the women had seen the angels, who said he was risen from the dead, Luke 24:4. She told, not only Peter and John, but the other apostles also, Matthew 28:8; but only the two disciples above mentioned went to the tomb to see whether what she had sai... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 20:4. _OUTRUN PETER_] Not because he had a greater desire to see into the truth of these things; but because he was _younger_, and lighter of foot.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 20:5. _WENT HE NOT IN._] Why? Because he was fully satisfied that the body was not there. But why did he not seize upon the linen clothes, and keep them as a most precious _relic_? Because he had too much religion and too much sense; and the time of superstition and nonsense was not yet a... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 20:6. _SEETH THE LINEN CLOTHES LIE_] θεωπει: from θεαομαι, _to_ _behold_, and οραω, _to see _- to _look steadily_ at any thing, so as to discover what it is, and to be _satisfied_ with viewing it.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 20:7. _WRAPPED TOGETHER IN A PLACE BY ITSELF._] The providence of God ordered these very little matters, so that they became the fullest proofs against the _lie_ of the chief priests, that the body had been stolen away by the disciples. If the body had been stolen away, those who took it... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 20:8. _THAT OTHER DISCIPLE_] John. _SAW_] That the body was not there. _AND BELIEVED._] That it had been taken away, as Mary had said; but he did not believe that he was risen from the dead. See what follows.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 20:9. _THEY KNEW NOT THE SCRIPTURE_] Viz. Psalms 16:9: _Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell _- כי לא תעזב נפשי לשאול ki lo _taazob naphshi l'sheol - For thou wilt not abandon my life to the_ _grave, nor suffer thy Holy One to see corruption_. It was certainly a reproach to the disciples t... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 20:10. _UNTO THEIR OWN HOME._] Either to their own houses, if they still had any; or to those of their friends, or to those where they had a _hired_ lodging, and where they met together for religious purposes. See John 20:19.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 20:11. _BUT MARY STOOD WITHOUT_] She remained some time after Peter and John had returned to their own homes.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 20:12. _SEETH TWO ANGELS_] John 20:6. She knew these to be angels by their _white_ and _glistening_ robes. Matthew and Mark mention but one angel-probably that one only that spoke, John 20:13. _ONE AT THE HEAD, AND THE OTHER AT THE FEET_] So were the cherubim placed at each end of the me... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 20:13. _THEY HAVE TAKEN AWAY MY LORD_] It was conjectured, on John 19:42, that the body of our Lord was only put here for the time being, that, after the Sabbath, they might carry it to a more proper place. Mary seems to refer to this: _They have taken away my_ _Lord, and I know not where... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 20:14. _SHE TURNED HERSELF BACK_] Or, εστραφη εις τα οπισω, _she_ _was turned back_, i.e. to go again with the other women to Jerusalem, who had already departed; but she had not as yet gone so far as to be out of the garden. _KNEW NOT THAT IT WAS JESUS_] John has here omitted what the... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 20:15. _SUPPOSING HIM TO BE THE GARDENER_] κηπουρος, the inspector or overseer of the garden, from κηπος, _a garden_, and ουρος, _an inspector_-the person who had the charge of the workmen, and the care of the produce of the garden; and who rendered account to the owner. _AND I WILL TAKE... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 20:16. _MARY._] This word was no doubt spoken with uncommon emphasis; and the usual sound of Christ's voice accompanied it, so as immediately to prove that it must be Jesus. What transports of joy must have filled this woman's heart! Let it be remarked that Mary Magdalene sought Jesus mor... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 20:17. _TOUCH ME NOT_] μη μου απτου, _Cling not to me_. απτομαι has this sense in Job 31:7, where the Septuagint use it for the Hebrew דבק _dabak_, which signifies to _cleave, cling,_ _stick_, or _be glued to_. From Matthew 28:9, it appears that some of the women _held him by the feet and... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 20:18. _TOLD THE DISCIPLES - _THAT _HE HAD SPOKEN THESE THINGS_] St. Mark says, Mark 16:11, that the afflicted apostles could not believe what she had said. They seem to have considered it as an effect of her troubled imagination.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 20:19. _THE DOORS WERE SHUT - FOR FEAR OF THE JEWS_] We do not find that the Jews designed to molest the disciples: that word of authority which Christ spoke, John 18:8, _Let these go away _- had prevented the Jews from offering them any injury; but, as they had proceeded so far as to pu... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 20:20. _HE SHOWED UNTO THEM_ HIS _HANDS AND HIS SIDE._] So it appears that his body bore the marks of the nails and the spear; and these marks were preserved that the disciples might be the more fully convinced of the _reality_ of his resurrection.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 20:21. _EVEN SO SEND I YOU._] As I was sent to proclaim the truth of the Most High, and to convert sinners to God, I send you for the _very same purpose_, clothed with the _very same authority_, and influenced by the very same Spirit.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 22. _HE BREATHED ON_ THEM] Intimating, by this, that they were to be made _new_ men, in order to be properly qualified for the work to which he had called them; for in this breathing he evidently alluded to the first _creation of man_, when God breathed into him the breath of lives, and he bec... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 23. _WHOSE SOEVER SINS YE REMIT_] See the notes on Matthew 16:19; Matthew 18:18. It is certain God alone can forgive sins; and it would not only be blasphemous, but grossly absurd, to say that any _creature_ could remit the guilt of a transgression which had been committed against the _Creato... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 24. _THOMAS - CALLED DIDYMUS_] See this name explained, John 11:16. _WAS NOT WITH THEM_] And, by absenting himself from the company of the disciples, he lost this precious opportunity of seeing and hearing Christ; and of receiving (at this time) the inestimable blessing of the Holy Ghost. Whe... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 26. _AFTER EIGHT DAYS_] It seems likely that this was precisely on that day _se'nnight_, on which Christ had appeared to them before; and from this we may learn that this was the _weekly_ _meeting_ of the apostles; and, though Thomas was not found at the _former_ meeting, he was determined not... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 27. _THEN SAITH HE TO THOMAS_] Through his infinite compassion, he addressed _him_ in a particular manner; condescending in this case to accommodate himself to the prejudices of an obstinate, though sincere, disciple. _REACH HITHER THY FINGER_, c.] And it is very probable that Thomas did so f... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 28. _THOMAS ANSWERED_, c.] Those who deny the Godhead of Christ would have us to believe that these words are an _exclamation_ of Thomas, made through surprise, and that they were addressed to the _Father_ and not to _Christ_. _Theodore_ of _Mopsuestia_ was the first, I believe, who gave the... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 20:29. _THOMAS_] This word is omitted by almost every MS., version, and ancient commentator of importance. _BLESSED_ ARE _THEY_, C.] Thou hast seen, and therefore thou hast believed, and now thou art blessed thou art now happy - fully convinced of my resurrection; yet no less blessed sh... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 20:30. _MANY OTHER SIGNS TRULY DID JESUS_, c.] That is, besides the two mentioned here. John 20:19 John 20:26, viz. Christ's entering into the house in a miraculous manner _twice_, notwithstanding _the doors were fast shut_: see on John 20:19. The other miracles which our Lord did, and wh... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 20:31. _THAT YE MIGHT BELIEVE_] What is here recorded is to give a full proof of the Divinity of Christ; that he is the promised Messiah; that he really suffered and rose again from the dead; and that through him every believer might have eternal life. _LIFE_] Several MSS., versions, and... [ Continue Reading ]