_CHRIST'S RESURRECTION IS DECLARED BY TWO ANGELS TO THE WOMEN THAT CAME TO THE SEPULCHRE: THESE REPORT IT TO OTHERS. CHRIST HIMSELF APPEARETH TO THE TWO DISCIPLES THAT WENT TO EMMAUS. AFTERWARD HE APPEARETH TO THE APOSTLES, AND REPROVETH THEIR UNBELIEF: GIVETH THEM A CHARGE: PROMISETH THE HOLY GHOST... [ Continue Reading ]
AND CERTAIN OTHERS WITH THEM.— By these _other women_ must be meant some besides those who had followed Jesus from Galilee; of whom alone St. Luke speaks in the former part of this verse, and the latter part of the preceding chapter. By these, therefore, as contra-distinguished from the Galilean wom... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT CAME TO PASS, AS THEY WERE MUCH PERPLEXED THEREABOUT, &C.— _This threw them into a great perplexity, when on a sudden two men stood,_ &c. It hence seems probable, that the angels disappeared at certain times; for the words intimate, that the women did not see them at their first entrance into... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BOWED DOWN THEIR FACES— These words do not intimate their prostrating themselves before the angels, but a respectful and reverential declining of their heads, and looking downward, that they might not appear to gaze, which is well known to have been forbidden to the Jews upon the sight of a cele... [ Continue Reading ]
AND RETURNED FROM THE SEPULCHRE, &C.— These words may be rendered, _And returning back from the sepulchre, they told all these things to the eleven, and to all the rest;_ Luke 24:9. _Now they who related these things to the apostles, were Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and... [ Continue Reading ]
THEIR WORDS SEEMED TO THEM AS IDLE TALES,— Their Master's crucifixion gave such a severe blow to their faith, that they laid aside all the thoughts which they had entertained of his being the Messiah, and therefore they had not the least expectation of his resurrection, notwithstanding he had often... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN AROSE PETER,— _But Peter arose._ On this transaction we shall enlarge, when we come to John 20.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BEHOLD, TWO OF THEM WENT—TO—EMMAUS,— The same day on which our Lord arose, one of his disciples, named _Cleopas_ or _Alpheus,_ the husband of Mary, who was sister of our Lord's mother, and who, in the history of his resurrection, is called Mary the mother of James, was travelling to _Emmaus,_ a... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THEIR EYES WERE HOLDEN,— St. Mark says that our Saviour appeared to the two disciples in _another form,_ Mark 16:12. St. Luke, that _their eyes were holden:_ who does not see that both evangelists, meant to express the same thing? If Jesus appeared in another form, their _eyes_ of course _were h... [ Continue Reading ]
AS YE WALK, AND ARE SAD?— _As ye walk?—For ye are sad:_ see Bowyer's Greek Testament.... [ Continue Reading ]
ART THOU ONLY A STRANGER, &C.— _Are you the only person that sojourns in Jerusalem, and is unacquainted with the things which,_ &c.? Heylin, and Doddridge.... [ Continue Reading ]
YEA, AND CERTAIN WOMEN ALSO, &C.— The smallest attention will shew, that Cleopas and his companion do not here speak of Mary Magdalene's second information, given after she had seen the angels; because Jesus himself having appeared to her before she stirred from the spot, it is by no means probable,... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN HE SAID,—O FOOLS, &C.— _Again he said,—O thoughtless men;_— ανοητοι. The word expresses a want of due attention and consideration. The slowness of Christ's friends to believe his resurrection, is so far from being an argument that the proofs of it were defective; that, on the contrary, their be... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BEGINNING AT MOSES, &C.— That his reproof might appear well founded, that their drooping spirits might be supported, and that they might be prepared for the discovery he was about to make of himself, which he explained all the types and prophesies of the Old Testament which relate to the Messiah... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY CONSTRAINED HIM,— _They pressed him._ Heylin, &c. See ch. Luke 14:23. We are told in the subsequent verses, that the disciples, having returned from Emmaus, were telling their brethren what had happened to them, when _Jesus stood in the midst, and saluted them,_ Luke 24:35. Moreover, it is take... [ Continue Reading ]
AND—AS HE SAT AT MEAT, &C.— The 31st verse shews that the impediment,orsupernaturalinfluence,whichhinderedtheirknowinghimbefore,was now removed. Yet granting that no supernatural impediment was then existing, our Saviour's very action of breaking bread, which was the office of the master of the fami... [ Continue Reading ]
DID NOT OUR HEART BURN, &C.— Nothing can be more beautiful than this remark: the author of the _Guardian_ observes, that this whole narrative is delivered in a style which men of letters call "the great and noble simplicity:" the attention of the disciples when Christ expounded the scriptures concer... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY ROSE UP THE SAME HOUR,— As soon as Jesus departed, the two disciples made all the haste they could to Jerusalem, that they might have the pleasure of acquainting their brethrenwith the agreeable news; but they were in some measure prevented: for immediately on their arrival, the eleven, with th... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD IS RISEN INDEED,— Our Lord appeared to St. Peter the same day as he did to the disciples, in their way to Emmaus; but whether, before he conversed with the disciples, or after, is not certain. It was not till after the two disciples had left Jerusalem, and set out for Emmaus; for it appears... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AS THEY THUS SPAKE,— See John 20:19.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHILE THEY YET BELIEVED NOT, &C.— The disciples, beholding the infallible proofs of their Master's resurrection specified in the former verses, received him with exultation and rapture; but their joy and wonder so wrought upon their minds, that some of them, sensible of the commotion they were i... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE LAW OF MOSES, AND IN THE PROPHETS, &C.— The Old Testament was in those days divided into three parts; _first,_ the law, which contained the five books of Moses; _secondly,_ the hagiographa, which contained divine hymns and moral instructions, and went under the general title of the _Psalms,_... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN OPENED HE THEIR UNDERSTANDING,— That is, he strengthened and enlarged their understandings, so as to make them comprehend the meaning of the inspired writings; several passages of which he now explained to them, as we may gather from the next verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
BEGINNING AT JERUSALEM.— It was both graciously and wisely appointed by our Lord, that the gospel, which was to be disseminated among all nations, should begin to be preached at Jerusalem: _graciously,_ as it encouraged the repentance of the greatest sinners, when they saw that even the murderers of... [ Continue Reading ]
AND YE ARE WITNESSES OF THESE THINGS.— That this was the grand business of the apostles, is evident; and the ingenious author of _Miscellanea Sacra_ has taken great pains to shew how the title of witnesses, and the office of testifying, are, in the sacred writings, appropriated to the apostles. But... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, I SEND THE PROMISE, &C.— That is, I will short_ly send;_ the present being used for the future tense, as it is frequently in scripture. _Till ye be endued,_ or _invested with power from on high,_ means, "Till you are inspired with the Holy Ghost from above.... [ Continue Reading ]
HE LED THEM OUT AS FAR AS TO BETHANY;— The town of Bethany was about _fifteen furlongs_ from Jerusalem; John 11:18 whereas the place from which our Lord ascended on mount Olivet, was but a sabbath-day's journey, or about _half that distance_ from Jerusalem; Acts 1:12. So that to reconcile what St. L... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY WORSHIPPED HIM,— The apostles, having seen their Master ascend into heaven, were fully convinced of his having come down from thence, and of his being the true Messiah. This persuasion they testified by paying him divine honours; _they worshipped him:_ and they _returned to Jerusalem, fille... [ Continue Reading ]