John 20 - Introduction

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 Discourses (13 17), and His outer Glorification in His Passion and Death (18, 19), now gives us his record of the Resurrection and Threefold Manifestation of Christ (20).

The chapter falls naturally into five sections. 1. The first Evidence of the Resurrection(1 10). 2. The Manifestation to Mary Magdalene(11 18). 3. The Manifestation to the Ten and others(19 23). 4. The Manifestation to S. Thomas and others(24 29). 5. The Conclusion and Purpose of the Gospel(30, 31).

S. John's Gospel preserves its character to the end. Like the rest of his narrative, the account of the Resurrection is not intended as a complete record; it is avowedly the very reverse of complete (John 20:30); but a series of typical scenes selected as embodiments of spiritual truth. Here also, as in the rest of the narrative, we have individual characters marked with singular distinctness. The traits which distinguish S. Peter, S. John, S. Thomas, and the Magdalene in this chapter are both clear in themselves and completely in harmony with what is told of the four elsewhere.

Of the incidents omitted by S. John a good many are given in the other Gospels or by S. Paul: (S. Matthew and S. Mark) the angel's message to the two Marys and Salome; (S. Matthew and[S. Mark) the farewell charge and promise; (S. Luke and[S. Mark) the manifestation to two disciples not Apostles; (S. Matthew) the earthquake, angel's descent to remove the stone, soldiers" terror and report to the priests, device of the Sanhedrin, manifestation on the mountain in Galilee (comp. 1 Corinthians 15:6); ([S. Mark) the reproach for unbelief; (S. Luke) the manifestation to S. Peter (comp. 1 Corinthians 15:5), conversation on the road to Emmaus, proof that He is not a spirit (1co 24:38, 39), manifestation before the Ascension (50, 51; comp. Acts 1:6-9); (S. Paul) manifestations to the Twelve, to S. James, and to S. Paul himself (1 Corinthians 15:6-8).

To these incidents S. John adds, besides the contents of chap. 21, the gift of the power of absolution, and the manifestation on the second Lord's Day, when S. Thomas was present.

It may be freely admitted that the difficulty of harmonizing the different accounts of the Resurrection is very great. As so often in the Gospel narrative, we have not the knowledge required for piecing together the fragmentary accounts that have been granted to us. To this extent it may be allowed that the evidence for the Resurrection is not what we should antecedently have desired.

But it is no paradox to say that for this very reason, as well as for other reasons, the evidence is sufficient. Impostors would have made the evidence more harmonious. The difficulty arises from independent witnesses telling their own tale, not caring in their consciousness of its truth to make it clearly agree with what had been told elsewhere. The writer of the Fourth Gospel must have known of some, if not all, of the Synoptic accounts; but he writes freely and firmly from his own independent experience and information. All the Gospels agree in the following very important particulars;

1. The Resurrection itself is left undescribed.

2. The manifestations were granted to disciples only, but to disciples wholly unexpectant of a Resurrection.

3. They were received with doubt and hesitation at first.

4. Mere reports were rejected.

5. The manifestations were granted to all kinds of witnesses, both male and female, both individuals and companies.

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;

1. The evidence begins with the visit of women to the sepulchre in the early morning.

2. The first sign was the removal of the stone.

3. Angels were seen before the Lord was seen.

(See Westcott, Speaker's Commentary, ii. pp. 287, 8.)