John 20
TFGJohn 20:1-10
(Joseph’s Garden. Sunday, very early.) M 1-8; M 1-8; L 1-8, 12; J 1-10. [ .] [the Roman soldiers on guard] [The angel sat upon the stone that the Roman guards might make no attempt to reclose the tomb.] [739] [John mentions Mary Magdalene alone, though she came with the rest of the women. As she was the one who reported to John and Peter, he describes her actions, and makes no mention of the others.] [Though Mary came with the other women, she departed at once, while the others tarried, as the sequel shows. The narrative proceeds to tell what happened to the other women after Mary had departed.] [For the words referred to, see , . The angel continues his speech as follows] [Here is a double wonder, that men should put the Son of God in a grave, and that he should consent to be put there.] [740] [The women were told to hasten, for the disciples were not to endure their sorrow a moment longer than was needful. Peter was mentioned by name that he might know that he was not cast off for his denial. The Lord appeared to some chosen few in Judæa, but the large body of his disciples were to see him in Galilee; see , , and many other passages set forth the resurrection of our Lord; his own words, too, had plainly foretold it, yet among the disciples it was so much beyond all expectation that the prophecies had no meaning until made clear by the event itself. Yet these are the men whom the Jews accused of inventing the story of a resurrection!] [FFG 739-742]
John 20:11-18
(Jerusalem. Sunday morning.) M 9, 10; M 9-11; L 9-11; J 11-18. [The women, having received the message of the angels, and remembering that the message accorded with the words [742] of Jesus himself, made haste.] [Mark here agrees with John that Mary separated from the other women. As to Mary Magdalene, see ), lest the shock of his sudden appearance might be too much for her, as it was for even his male disciples [743] . Conversation with him assured her that he was not a disembodied spirit.] [Christ’s first question expressed kindly sympathy; the second suggested that he knew the cause of her grief, and might be able to help her find what she sought. Thus encouraged, Mary at once assumes that the gardener himself had removed the body, probably under instructions from Joseph, and hope lightens her heart. In her effort to remove the body, she doubtless counts upon the help of her fellow-disciples.] [Her eyes and ears were no longer held; she knew him. It was the same way he used to speak, the same name by which he used to call her.
The grave had glorified and exalted him, but had not changed his love.] [Seasons of greatest joy are marked by little speech. Jesus and Mary each expressed themselves in a single word.] [This passage is one of well-known difficulty, and Meyer or Ryle may be consulted by those wishing to see how various commentators have interpreted it.
We would explain it by the following paraphrase: “Do not lay hold on me and detain yourself and me; I have not yet ascended; this is no brief, passing vision; I am yet in the world, and will be for some time, and there will be other opportunities to see me; the duty of the moment is to go and tell my sorrowing disciples that I have risen, and shall ascend to my Father.” Jesus does not say “our Father.” Our relation to God is not the same as his. While, however, our Lord’s language recognizes the difference between his divine and our human relationship to the Father, his words are intended to [744] show us our exaltation. We have reason to believe that next to our Lord’s title as Son our title as sons of God by adoption is as high in honor as any in the universe.] [The poignancy of the disciples’ grief, even after the intervention of the Sabbath day, explains why the Lord and his angels were so eager to bring them word of the resurrection.] [It is likely that Mary brought the first word, for we shall see below that Luke places her first in the catalogue of witnesses. The narrative now turns back to take up the account of the other women.] [This was a customary salutation. But the old formula took on new significance, for it means “rejoice.”] [This delay, permitted to them, and denied to Mary, probably explains why she became the first messenger, though the other women were first to leave the tomb.] [The repetition may be due to the reticence of the women remarked by Mark in the last section by the key words “and they said nothing to any one.” The women may have been hesitating whether they should tell the disciples. Thus Jesus reiterates the instruction already given by the angel.
This is the first time the word “brethren” is applied by our Lord to his disciples.] [they] [Lamar well says that this very incredulity on the part of the apostles “enhances the value of their [745] testimony to of the resurrection. They were not expecting it; they were no visionary enthusiasts, prepared to welcome and credit any story that might be told them; nor would they be satisfied with any proof short of palpable and ocular demonstrations.”] [FFG 742-746]
John 20:19-25
(Jerusalem. Sunday evening) M 14; L 36-43; J 19-25. [while the two from Emmaus were telling their story] [751] [His entrance through a bolted door lent weight to their idea that he had no corporeal body. They knew nothing of the possibilities of a resurrected body.] [here, as in the previous section, Jesus shows that the heart has much to do with the belief] [They had had the testimony of three men and perhaps a half dozen women; they had not lacked evidence.] [These members not only showed that he was not a disembodied spirit, but they served to identify his body with that which they had seen crucified, and hence the person who now spoke was the Jesus whom they had known and lost.] [Thus at last satisfying them that he was not a ghost.] [Now that the apostles [752] knew their Master, he repeats his blessing, and as the New Testament is now sealed in his blood according to the commission under which he came, he, in turn, commissions the twelve to go forth and proclaim its provisions. Symbolic of the baptism which they were to receive at Pentecost, he breathes upon them, and, having thus symbolically qualified them, he commissions them to forgive or retain sin, for this was the subject-matter of the New Testament.] [see ] [The apostles had undoubtedly seen and talked with someone, but the question was, Who? They said that it was Jesus, and Thomas, holding this to be impossible, thought that it must have been someone else whom they mistook for Jesus. But would not be deceived; he would thoroughly examine the wounds, for these would identify Jesus beyond all doubt–if it were Jesus.] [FFG 751-753]
John 20:26-31
(Sunday, one week after the resurrection.) J 26-31; I. C 5. [He came in the same manner and with the same salutation as formerly, giving Thomas a like opportunity for believing.] [753] [Thomas had proposed an infallible test, and Jesus now cheerfully submits to it.] [We have here the first confession of Christ as God. It should be said in Thomas’ favor that if his doubts were heaviest, his confession of faith was fullest. He had more doubts as to the resurrection because it meant more to him; it meant that Jesus was none other than God himself.] [Thus, while rejoicing in the belief of Thomas, Jesus pronounces a beatitude upon the countless numbers of believers in his resurrection, who are not witnesses of it.] [This sounds like an ending to the Gospel, but it is like some of Paul’s apparent but not real endings. Starting it with the proposition that Jesus, as the Word, was God, he comes here to the climax of Thomas’ confession that Jesus is God, and the beatitude of Jesus upon those of a like faith. He then declares that he has written his book that men might have this faith, and the eternal life to which it leads.] [FFG 753-754]