(1) At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus,
(1) Here is in John, an example of an invincible courage, which all
faithful ministers of God's word ought to follow: in Herod, an example
of tyrannous vanity, pride, and cruelty, and in short, of a refined
conscience, and of their mis... [ Continue Reading ]
And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from
the dead; and therefore mighty (a) works do shew forth themselves in
him.
(a) By works he means that force and power by which works are
performed, and not the works which are often seen before.... [ Continue Reading ]
But when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced
before them, and pleased (b) Herod.
(b) There were three Herods: the first of them was Antipater's son,
who is also called Ascalonius, in whose reign Christ was born, and it
was he that caused the children to be slain. The second w... [ Continue Reading ]
(2) And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved
with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.
(2) Christ feeds a great multitude with five loaves and two little
fish, showing by it that they will lack nothing who lay all things
aside and seek the kingdom of heaven.... [ Continue Reading ]
(3) But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves:
for the wind was contrary.
(3) We must sail even through mighty tempests, and Christ will never
forsake us, so that we can go wherever he has commanded us to go.... [ Continue Reading ]
And in the (c) fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking
on the sea.
(c) By the fourth watch is meant the time nearer to day break: for in
ancient times they divided the night into four watches in which they
posted watches.... [ Continue Reading ]
And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled,
saying, It is a (d) spirit; and they cried out for fear.
(d) A spirit, as it is taken here, is that which a man imagines to
himself vainly in his mind, persuading himself that he sees something
when he sees nothing.... [ Continue Reading ]
(4) And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come
unto thee on the water.
(4) By faith we tread under our feet even the tempests themselves, but
only by the power of Christ, which helps that faith, which he by his
mercy has given.... [ Continue Reading ]
And when they were gone over, they came into the land of (e)
Gennesaret.
(e) This Gennesaret was a lake near Capernaum, which is also called
the Sea of Galilee or Tiberias; so the country itself grew to be
called Gennesaret.... [ Continue Reading ]
(5) And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out
into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were
diseased;
(5) In that act where Christ heals the sick, we are shown that we must
seek remedy for spiritual diseases at his hands: and that we ourselves
are bo... [ Continue Reading ]