John 20:1-10
THE FIRST EVIDENCE OF THE RESURRECTION... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FIRST EVIDENCE OF THE RESURRECTION... [ Continue Reading ]
1. The Resurrection itself is left undescribed. Like all beginnings, whether in history or nature, it is hidden from view. 1. The evidence begins with the visit of women to the sepulchre in the early morning. 1. Τ. ΣΑΒΒ. Τὰ σάββατα may mean either _the Sabbath_, on the analogy of names of festival... [ Continue Reading ]
2. The manifestations were granted to disciples only, but to disciples wholly unexpectant of a Resurrection. The theory that they were visions resulting from enthusiastic expectations, is against all the evidence. 2. The first sign was the removal of the stone. 2. Concluding that the body must be... [ Continue Reading ]
3. They were received with doubt and hesitation at first. 3. Angels were seen before the Lord was seen. (See Westcott, _Speaker’s Commentary_, II. pp. 287, 8. 3. The change from the single act, ἘΞΗ͂ΛΘΕΝ, to that which lasted some time, ἬΡΧΟΝΤΟ, is marked by change of tense; see on John 11:29.... [ Continue Reading ]
4. Mere reports were rejected. 4. ἜΤΡΕΧΟΝ … ΠΡΟΈΔ. ΤΆΧ. Τ. Π. Literally, _began to run … ran on before, more quickly than Peter_: τάχ. τ. Π. being epexegetic. The more usual form θᾶσσον does not occur in N.T. (John 13:27; 1 Timothy 3:14; Hebrews 13:19; Hebrews 13:23). S. John ran more quickly as bei... [ Continue Reading ]
5. The manifestations were granted to all kinds of witnesses, both male and female, both individuals and companies. 5. ΠΑΡΑΚΎΨΑΣ. The word occurs again John 20:11 and Luke 24. in a literal sense, of ‘bending down to look carefully at;’ in a figurative sense 1 Peter 1:12; James 1:25 (see notes). In S... [ Continue Reading ]
6. The result was a conviction, which nothing ever shook, that ‘the Lord had risen indeed’ and been present with them. All four accounts also agree in some of the details; 6. Both Apostles act characteristically. S. John remains without in awe and meditation: S. Peter with his natural impulsiveness... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΑῚ ἘΠΊΣΤΕΥΣΕΝ. See on John 1:7. More difficulty has perhaps been made about this than is necessary. ‘Believed what?’ is asked. That Jesus was risen. The whole context implies it; and comp. John 20:25. The careful arrangement of the grave-clothes proved that the body had not been taken away in haste... [ Continue Reading ]
ΟΥ̓ΔΈΠΩ. NOT EVEN YET. S. John’s belief in the Resurrection was as yet based only on what he had seen in the sepulchre. He had nothing derived from prophecy to help him. The candour of the Evangelists is again shewn very strongly in the simple avowal that the love of Apostles failed to grasp and rem... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΠΗ͂ΛΘΟΝ … ΠΡῸΣ ΑΥ̓ΤΟΎΣ. The reading is doubtful: αὑτοὺς = ἑαυτούς is best. Comp. ἀπῆλθον καθ' ἑαυτούς (1 Samuel 26:12).... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤΩ͂Ι ΜΝΗΜΕΊΩΙ for τὸ μνημεῖον with AB against KUX. 11. ΜΑΡΊΑ ΔἙ. She had returned to the sepulchre after the hurrying Apostles. Mark 16:9 states definitely, what we gather from this section, that the risen Lord’s first appearance was to Mary Magdalene: the details of the meeting are given by S. Joh... [ Continue Reading ]
THE MANIFESTATION TO MARY MAGDALENE 11–18. It has been noticed that the three manifestations in this Chapter correspond to the three divisions of the Prayer in Chap. 17. Here we see Jesus Himself; in the second, Jesus in relation to His disciples; in the third, Jesus in relation to all who have not... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΓΓΈΛΟΥΣ. Here only do angels appear in S. John’s narrative. Comp. John 1:51; John 12:29, [John 5:4]. An appearance of angels to women occurs in all the accounts of the Resurrection. We are ignorant of the laws which determine such appearances; the two Apostles had seen nothing. For ἘΝ ΛΕΥΚΟἹΣ comp.... [ Continue Reading ]
Τ. ΚΎΡΙΌΝ ΜΟΥ … ΟἾΔΑ. In John 20:2 it was τ. κύριον and οἴδαμεν. In speaking to Apostles she includes other believers; in speaking to strangers she represents the relationship and the loss as personal. These words express the burden of her thoughts since she first saw that the stone had been removed... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΣΤΡΆΦΗ. Perhaps she becomes in some way conscious of another Presence. But Christ’s Risen Body is so changed as not to be recognised at once even by those who had known Him well. It has new powers and a new majesty. Comp. John 21:4; Luke 24:16; Luke 24:37; Matthew 28:17; [Mark 16:12].... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΗΠΟΥΡΌΣ. Because He was there at that early hour. The omission of His name is again (John 20:7) very natural: she is so full of her loss that she assumes that others know all about it. ΣΎ is emphatic; ‘Thou, and not some enemy.’ For ἘΒΆΣΤΑΣΑΣ see on John 12:6. In her loving devotion she does not me... [ Continue Reading ]
16. Before ῬΑΒΒΟΥΝΊ insert ἙΒΡΑΪΣΤΊ with אBDLXΔ against A (omitted as unnecessary). 16. ΜΑΡΙΆΜ. The term of general address, Γύναι, awoke no echo in her heart; the sign of personal knowledge and sympathy comes home to her at once. Thus ‘He calleth His own sheep _by name_’ (John 10:3). The addition o... [ Continue Reading ]
ΜΉ Μ. ἌΠΤΟΥ. This is a passage of well-known difficulty. At first sight the reason given for refraining from touching would seem to be more suitable to a permission to touch. Comp. John 4:44. It is perhaps needless to enquire whether the ΓΆΡ refers to the whole of what follows or only to the first s... [ Continue Reading ]
ἜΡΧΕΤΑΙ … ἈΓΓΈΛΛΟΥΣΑ. The more usual form is ἐλθοῦσα�; John 11:17; John 16:8. Comp. John 20:6. She becomes an Apostle to the Apostles. Thus as Mary’s love seems to have been the first to manifest itself (John 20:1), so the first Manifestation of the Risen Lord is granted to her. It confirms our trus... [ Continue Reading ]
19. Before ΣΑΒΒΆΤΩΝ omit τῶν (from John 20:1), and before ΔΙΆ omit συνηγμένοι (explanatory gloss). 19. ΟΥ̓́ΣΗΣ ΟΥ̓͂Ν ὈΨ. Note the great precision of the expression. WHEN THEREFORE IT WAS EVENING ON THAT DAY, THE FIRST OF THE WEEK: that memorable day, the ‘day of days.’ Comp. John 1:39; John 5:9; Joh... [ Continue Reading ]
THE MANIFESTATION TO THE TEN AND OTHERS... [ Continue Reading ]
20. After ἜΔΕΙΞΕΝ omit αὐτοῖς: ΑΥ̓ΤΟΙ͂Σ for αὐτοῦ. 20. ΚΑῚ Τ. ΠΛΕΥΡΆΝ. S. Luke, who does not mention the piercing of the side, has καὶ τ. πόδας (Luke 24:39-40, the exact parallel of this, is of very doubtful genuineness). ΤῸΝ ΚΎΡΙΟΝ (not αὐτόν) is important: till then they had seen a form, but like... [ Continue Reading ]
ΕἾΠΕΝ ΟΥ̓͂Ν. HE _said_ THEREFORE: because now they were able to receive it. Their alarm was dispelled and they knew that He was the Lord. He repeats His message of ‘Peace.’ For ἈΠΈΣΤΑΛΚΕΝ and ΠΈΜΠΩ see on John 1:33. Christ’s mission is henceforth to be carried on by His disciples. He is ὁ� (Hebrews... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΝΕΦΎΣΗΣΕΝ. The very same verb (here only in N.T.) is used by the LXX. in Genesis 2:7 (Wis 15:11) of breathing life into Adam. This Gospel of the new creation looks back at its close, as at its beginning (John 1:1), to the first Creation. We are probably to regard the breath here not merely as the e... [ Continue Reading ]
ἌΝ ΤΙΝΩΝ�. Comp. ἄφες in the Lord’s Prayer. This power accompanies the gift of the Spirit just conferred. It must be noticed (1) that it is given to the whole company present; not to the Apostles alone. Of the Apostles one was absent, and there were others present who were not Apostles: no hint is g... [ Continue Reading ]
ΘΩΜΑ͂Σ … ΟΥ̓Κ ἮΝ ΜΕΤ' ΑΥ̓ΤΩ͂Ν. His melancholy temperament (see on John 11:16) might dispose him to solitude and to put no trust in the rumours of Christ’s Resurrection if they reached him on Easter Day. And afterwards his despondency is too great to be removed by the repeated (ἔλεγον) testimony even... [ Continue Reading ]
THE MANIFESTATION TO S. THOMAS AND OTHERS Peculiar to S. John... [ Continue Reading ]
ΒΆΛΩ … ΒΆΛΩ. In both places, PUT: see on John 5:7. The negation is in the strongest form, ΟΥ̓ ΜῊ ΠΙΣΤ., _I will_ IN NO WISE _believe;_ and the condition is stated without hope: not, ‘_If_ I see, I _will_ believe,’ but, ‘_Except_ I see, I will _not_.’ This obstinacy appears also in the repetitions in... [ Continue Reading ]
ἩΜ. ὈΚΤΏ. Including both extremes, according to the Jewish method. This is therefore the Sunday following Easter Day. We are not to understand that the disciples had not met together during the interval, but that there is no appearance of Jesus to record. They are left to ponder over what they have... [ Continue Reading ]
27. Jesus at once shews S. Thomas that He knows the test which he had demanded. The reproduction of his very words helps to bring home the grossness of the demand. Note ΓΊΝΟΥ: BECOME. He is at the point where faith and unbelief part company: his suspense of judgment has been neither the one nor the... [ Continue Reading ]
28. Not merely the sight of Jesus but the conviction of His omniscience overwhelms S. Thomas, as it did Nathanael (John 1:50), and the Samaritan woman (John 4:29). His faith rises with a bound to its full height in the cry of adoration, with which the Gospel closes. Ὁ ΚΎΡΙΌΣ Μ. Κ. Ὁ ΘΕΌΣ Μ. For the... [ Continue Reading ]
29. After ΜΕ omit Θωμᾶ with אABCD. We enter now upon the third and last part of the second main division of the Gospel. The Evangelist having set before us the INNER GLORIFICATION OF CHRIST IN HIS LAST DISCOURSE (13–17), and HIS OUTER GLORIFICATION IN HIS PASSION AND DEATH (18, 19), now gives us hi... [ Continue Reading ]
30, 31. THE CONCLUSION AND PURPOSE OF THE GOSPEL ΠΟΛΛᾺ Μ. ΟΥ̓͂Ν Κ. ἌΛΛΑ Σ. _Many_ AND _other_ SIGNS, THEREFORE (as might be expected from those which _have_ been recorded in this book). The context shews that ΣΗΜΕΙ͂Α must not be limited to proofs of the Resurrection. S. John is glancing back over hi... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤΑΥ͂ΤΑ ΔΈ. _But these_ (_signs_). On the one hand there were many unrecorded; _but_ on the other hand some have been recorded. And these are all _signs_: every act has been significant. It was not S. John’s purpose to write a complete ‘Life of Christ;’ it was not his purpose to write a ‘Life’ at all... [ Continue Reading ]