John 20:1

CHAPTER XX.

Mary Magdalene, coming early to the sepulchre, finds it

empty, and runs and tells Peter, 1, 2.

Peter and John run to the tomb, and find all as Mary had

reported, 3-10.

Mary sees a vision of angels in the tomb, 11-13.

Jesus himself appears to her, and sends her with a message to

the disciples, 14-18.

He appears to the disciples, gives the fullest proof of the

reality of his resurrection, and communicates to them a measure

of the Holy Spirit, 19-23.

The determined incredulity of Thomas, 24, 25.

Eight days after, Jesus appears again to the disciples, Thomas

being present, to whom he gives the proofs he had desired,

26, 27.

Thomas is convinced, and makes a noble confession, 28.

Our Lord's reflections on his case, 29.

Various signs done by Christ, not circumstantially related, 30.

Why others are recorded, 31.

NOTES ON CHAP. XX.

All that John relates concerning the resurrection of our Lord he has collected partly from the account given by Mary Magdalene, and partly from his own observations. From Mary he derived the information given, John 20:1, and from John 20:11. From his own actual knowledge, what he relates, John 3:3; John 3:19, and the whole of John 21:1. It is supposed that he details the account given by Mary, without altering any circumstance, and without either addition or retrenchment. See Rosenmuller.

Verse John 20:1. The first day of the week] On what we call Sunday morning, the morning after the Jewish Sabbath. As Christ had been buried in haste, these holy women had bought aromatics, Mark 16:1; Luke 24:1, to embalm him afresh, and in a more complete manner than it could have been done by Joseph and Nicodemus. John only mentions Mary of Magdala, because he appears to wish to give a more detailed history of her conduct than of any of the rest; but the other evangelists speak of three persons who went together to the tomb, viz. Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of James, and Salome: Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:1.