THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK,.... On the sixth day of the week, towards the close of it, Christ was interred; he lay in the grave all the seventh day, and on the first day of the week rose from the dead: so the women, after they had observed where the body was laid, went home and prepared spices and oi... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SHE RUNNETH AND COMETH TO SIMON PETER,.... That is, after she had not only seen that the stone was took away, but had looked into the sepulchre, and saw that the body of Christ was removed; for otherwise she could not have said, that it was took away out of it: upon which she made all the haste... [ Continue Reading ]
PETER THEREFORE WENT FORTH,.... Out of the house where he was, upon hearing the account Mary gave: AND THAT OTHER DISCIPLE; John, the Evangelist and Apostle; the rest of the disciples staying at home and continuing together, waiting to hear what account these two would bring: AND CAME TO THE SEPUL... [ Continue Reading ]
SO THEY RAN BOTH TOGETHER,.... At first setting out, and for a while; not content to walk, they ran, being eagerly desirous to know the truth of things: AND THAT OTHER DISCIPLE DID OUTRUN PETER, AND CAME FIRST TO THE SEPULCHRE; John was a younger man than Peter, and so more nimble, and swift of foo... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE STOOPING DOWN AND LOOKING IN,.... That is, John; when he came to the sepulchre, stooped down to look into it, and see what he could see; he only went into the court, or stood upon the floor, where the bearers used to set down the bier, before they put the corpse into one of the graves in the... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN COMETH SIMON PETER FOLLOWING HIM,.... In a very little time after him: AND WENT INTO THE SEPULCHRE; itself, though not without first stooping down, as John did; see Luke 24:12. AND SEETH THE LINEN CLOTHES LIE; as John did; and as by the mouth of two or three witnesses everything is confirmed,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE NAPKIN THAT WAS ABOUT HIS HEAD,.... The word σουδαριον, rendered "napkin", is thought to be originally Latin, and signifies an handkerchief, with which the sweat is wiped off the face, and so it is used in Acts 19:12 but Nonnus says it is a common word with the Syrians, and the word סודרא i... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN WENT IN ALSO THE OTHER DISCIPLE,.... John, being animated by the example of Peter, went down into the sepulchre likewise; whither Peter also might beckon, or call him, to be witness with him of the order and situation in which things lay: WHICH CAME FIRST TO THE SEPULCHRE; yet went last into i... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR AS YET THEY KNEW NOT THE SCRIPTURE,.... Meaning not some particular passage of Scripture, but the writings of the Old Testament in general, and the various places in it, which spoke of the resurrection of Christ, either in a way of type, or prophecy; such as Genesis 22:3 and though our Lord had... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THE DISCIPLES,.... Peter and John, after they had seen and examined things, and satisfied themselves as much as they could: WENT AWAY AGAIN UNTO THEIR OWN HOME; or "to themselves", as in the original text, and so the Vulgate Latin reads it; not that the meaning is, that they had been out of th... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT MARY STOOD WITHOUT AT THE SEPULCHRE,.... She returned from the city to the sepulchre again, following Peter and John thither, who continued here when they departed, being willing to get some tidings of her Lord, if possible. The word "without", is omitted by the Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versio... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SEETH TWO ANGELS IN WHITE,.... Matthew and Mark speak but of one, but Luke of two, as here; whom he calls men, because they appeared in an human form, and in shining garments, or white apparel; and which appearance is entirely agreeable to the received notion of the Jews, that as evil angels or... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY SAY UNTO HER, WOMAN, WHY WEEPEST THOU?.... Signifying, that she had no reason to weep, but to rejoice and be glad; since, though the body of her Lord was not there, yet he was risen from the dead, and was alive. This they said, partly to rebuke her for her grief, and to comfort her under it... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN SHE HAD THUS SAID,.... As soon as the words were out of her mouth, before she could have an answer from the angels: SHE TURNED HERSELF BACK; perceiving, either by the looks and gesture of one of the angels, or by hearing a noise, that somebody was behind her: AND SAW JESUS STANDING, AND K... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS SAITH UNTO HER, WOMAN, WHY WEEPEST THOU,.... The same question he puts to her, as was put by the angels: adding, WHOM SEEKEST THOU? for she was not only weeping for the loss of him, but was inquiring after him, if anyone saw him removed from thence, and where he was carried: SHE SUPPOSING HI... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS SAITH UNTO HER, MARY,.... He might alter the tone of his voice, and speak unto her as he used to do, calling her by her name in his usual manner: so Christ has personal knowledge of all his people, and can call them by name; he knows them, and makes himself known to them, before they can know... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS SAITH UNTO HER, TOUCH ME NOT,.... Not that his body was an aerial one, or a mere "phantom", which could not be touched; the prohibition itself shows the contrary; and besides, Christ's body was afterwards presented to Thomas, to be touched by him, and to be handled by all the disciples; and hi... [ Continue Reading ]
MARY MAGDALENE CAME,.... Directly and immediately, being ready and willing to obey the commends of her Lord, with the utmost cheerfulness; and glad to go on such an errand, and carry such news to his disciples, even though her private interest and personal affection might have inclined her to desire... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THE SAME DAY AT EVENING,.... The same day Christ rose from the dead, and appeared to Mary; at the evening of that day, after he had been with the two disciples to Emmaus, about eight miles from Jerusalem, and they had returned again to the rest; and after there had been such a bustle all day in... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN HE HAD SO SAID,.... The above salutation, in the most kind, tender, and affectionate manner: and to put them out of all pain, and that they might know certainly who he was, HE SHOWED THEM HIS HANDS AND HIS SIDE; his hands, which had been pierced with the nails, the marks of which were then... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SAID JESUS TO THEM AGAIN,.... The words he said before: PEACE BE UNTO YOU; which he repeated, to put them out of their fright, by reason of which they returned him no answer; and to raise and engage their attention to what he was about to say; and to pacify their consciences, distressed with a... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN HE HAD SAID THIS,.... That is, declared he sent them forth in like manner as his Father sent him: HE BREATHED ON THEM; in allusion to God's breathing the breath of life into man, at his creation; or rather, to the Spirit himself, who is the breath of God, and proceeds from him, as from the... [ Continue Reading ]
WHOSE SOEVER SINS YE REMIT,.... God only can forgive sins, and Christ being God, has a power to do so likewise; but he never communicated any such power to his apostles; nor did they ever assume any such power to themselves, or pretend to exercise it; it is the mark of antichrist, to attempt anythin... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THOMAS, ONE OF THE TWELVE, CALLED DIDYMUS,.... The person here spoken of, is described by his Hebrew name Thomas, and his Greek one Didymus, which both signify a twin; and perhaps he was one. It was common with the Jews to have two names, a Jewish and a Gentile one; by the one they went in the l... [ Continue Reading ]
THE OTHER DISCIPLES THEREFORE SAID UNTO HIM,.... Some time in the same week, as they had opportunity of seeing him, with great joy, and full assurance of faith in Christ's resurrection: WE HAVE SEEN THE LORD; they had not only the testimony of the women, and the declaration of the angels, but they... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AFTER EIGHT DAYS,.... That is, after another week, the same day a week later, which taking in the day in which Christ rose and appeared to Mary Magdalene, and his disciples, and the day in which he now appeared to the disciples with Thomas, made eight days; a like way of speaking see in Luke 9:2... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SAITH HE TO THOMAS,.... For whose sake he chiefly came, and whom he at once singled out from the rest, and called by name in the most friendly manner, without upbraiding or reproaching him for not believing the testimony that had been given him: REACH HITHER THY FINGER, AND BEHOLD MY HANDS, AN... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THOMAS ANSWERED AND SAID UNTO HIM,.... Without examining his hands and side, and as astonished at his condescension and grace, and ashamed of his unbelief: MY LORD AND MY GOD; he owns him to be Lord, as he was both by creation and redemption; and God, of which he was fully assured from his omni... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS SAITH UNTO HIM, THOMAS,.... The word Thomas is omitted in the Alexandrian copy, and in Beza's ancient copy, and in some others, and in the Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions. BECAUSE THOU HAST SEEN ME, THOU HAST BELIEVED; which carries in it a tacit and gentle reproof for his unbelief, and... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MANY OTHER SIGNS TRULY DID JESUS,.... Besides these wonderful appearances to his disciples once and again, when the doors were shut about them: and which signs refer not to what was done before, but after his resurrection; and which he did, IN THE PRESENCE OF HIS DISCIPLES; for he appeared to,... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THESE ARE WRITTEN,..... The several ends of recording what is written in this book, in proof of Christ's resurrection, are as follow: one is, THAT YE MIGHT BELIEVE THAT JESUS IS THE CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD; that Jesus, who was diminutively called Jesus, the son of Mary, the son of Joseph, the ca... [ Continue Reading ]