John 20:12

And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. AND SEETH TWO ANGELS. There need be no difficulty in reconciling this with the accounts of the angelic appearances at the sepulchre in the other Gospels; since there can be no reasonable doubt, as Olshausen suggests, that angels can render themselves visible or invisible as the case may require, and so they may have been seen at one time and soon after unseen-seen also by one party and not by another, one seen by one set of visitants and two by another. 'What wonder,' asks Alford pertinently, 'if the heavenly hosts were variously and often visible on this great day, "when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy"?' IN WHITE - as from the world of light (see the note at ),...

12._And seeth two angels. _What an amazing forbearance displayed by our Lord, in bearing with so many faults in Mary and her companions! For it is no small honor which he confers on them by sending his _angels, _and, at length, making himself known to them, which he had not done to the apostles. Though the apostles and the women were afflicted with the same disease, yet the stupidity of the apostles was less excusable, because they had profited so little by the valuable and careful instruction which they had received. One purpose, certainly, which Christ had in view in selecting the women, to make the first manifestation of himself to them, was, to fill the apostles with shame. _In white garments. _Whether _Mary _knew them to be _angels, _or thought that they were men, is uncertain. We know that _white garments _were an emblem of the heavenly glory; as we find that Christ was clothed in...

11-18 We are likely to seek and find, when we seek with affection, and seek in tears. But many believers complain of the clouds and darkness they are under, which are methods of grace for humbling their souls, mortifying their sins, and endearing Christ to them. A sight of angels and their smiles, will not suffice, without a sight of Jesus, and God's smiles in him. None know, but those who have tasted it, the sorrows of a deserted soul, which has had comfortable evidences of the love of God in Christ, and hopes of heaven, but has now lost them, and walks in darkness; such a wounded spirit who can bear? Christ, in manifesting himself to those that seek him, often outdoes their expectations. See how Mary's heart was in earnest to find Jesus. Christ's way of making himself known to his people is by his word; his word applied to their souls, speaking to them in particular. It might be read,...

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 mercy-seat: Exodus 25:18-2. _Lightfoot_....

For an account of the resurrection of Christ, see the notes at Matthew 28. John 20:9 THE SCRIPTURE - See Luke 24:26, Luke 24:46. The sense or meaning of the various predictions that foretold his death, as, for example, Psalms 2:7, compare Acts 13:33; Psalms 16:9, compare...

EXPOSITION JOHN 20:1 2. The complete glorification of Jesus in his resurrection. The record pauses for the awful day of that great sabbath, and resumes the marvelous recital when the greatest event in the history of the world is assumed and asserted to have taken place. Heathen and foes admit the fact of the death of Jesus; the evidence is overwhelming, multiform, sufficient to establish itself to the ordinary reason of mankind. It is a matter of indubitable history. The proof was given to all the world; but it is otherwise with the fact of the anastasis of Jesus. That stupendous event was revealed to the eye and mind of faith by a series of communications, which afford to different classes, groups, kinds, and states of mind specimens of the manner and quality of the resurrection-life. "Many infallible proofs" wrought (as St. Luke says,...

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 devils are clothed in black, so good angels, or ministering spirits, לבושי לבנים, "are clothed in white" l, expressive of their spotless purity and innocence: SITTING THE ONE AT THE HEAD, AND THE OTHER AT THE FEET, WHERE THE BODY OF JESUS HAD LAIN; in what position the body of Christ was laid, whether from west to east, as some, or from north to south, as others, is not certain; since the Jews observed no rule in this matter, as appears from the form of their sepulchres, and the disposition of the graves in them; some lying one way, and some another, in the same vault; Luke 24:12.

John 20:1. _The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulcher, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulcher._ Her love for her Lord made her rise early, and helped her to overcome the fear which would have prevented many from going out "when it was yet dark, unto the sepulcher." There are fears which some cannot shake off in the dark, and those fears would be apt to become intensified in going to a sepulcher in the dark; but love wakes early to try to find Christ, and love can see in the dark when looking for Jesus. Mary little expected to find the tomb of Jesus rifled, and the stone rolled away; she was so surprised at what she saw that she hurried away to tell the story to other friends of her Lord. John 20:2. Then she runneth, and cometh t

CHAPTER 20 _ 1. The Empty Sepulchre. (John 20:1 .)_ 2. The Risen One and Mary of Magdala. (John 20:11 .) 3. The Gathered Company and He in the midst. (John 20:19 .) 4. The Second Time. (John 20:24 .) 5. The Purpose of John's Record. (John 20:30 .) “I lay down my life that I might take it up again.” The sufferings were accomplished. The Good Shepherd laid down His life for the sheep and now we learn how He arose from the dead. John 2:19 was fulf

JESUS AND MARY. Mary has apparently followed the two disciples back to the tomb. After their departure she looks in, and sees a vision of angels (_cf._ Luke 24:4 ff.). Her thoughts are still full of the removal of the body, as her answer to the supposed gardener also shows. As usual, there is no expectation of the event that follows. It is only the pronunciation of her own name that reveals Jesus-' identity. Her attempt to offer worship is forbidden on the ground that He has not yet entered into His glory (_cf._ Matthew 28:9). Perhaps John 20:17 means that the old relations are no longer possible, and the time for the newer and more spiritual communion is not yet. The message to the brethren is so worded as to emphasize the