JOHN 20. JESUS APPEARS

Jesus appears to Mary and the disciples after his death.  I've posted this to give you an idea of where I am at with explaining John's Gospel. I have one chapter left, then I will create a compendium or cross reference for the entire book. That being accomplished, apart from editing and proofing, I consider the work done.

T H E  G O S P E L  A C C O R D I N G  T O  S A I N T  J O H N

CHAPTER XX

“1 Mary commeth to the Sepulchre. 3 So doe Peter and Iohn ignorant of the Resurrection. 11 Iesus appeareth to Mary Magdalene, 19 And to his Disciples. 24 The incredulitie, and confession of Thomas. 30 The Scripture is sufficient to saluation.”

The Translators

OVERVIEW

Mary Magdalene came to the sepulchre early on the first day of the week. She saw the stone was taken away from the mouth of the tomb. Peter and John were coming and she ran to them, declaring they have taken her Lord away. The two Disciples ran to the tomb; the other Disciple got there first; and, he saw the linen. Then Peter arrived and saw it. But, the head wrapping was lying neatly wrapped apart from the other linen. They saw and believed; for, they didn’t know the scripture of the resurrection.

They went to their own homes.

Mary stood at the sepulchre and wept. She saw two angels in white, one sitting at the head and the other at the feet of where Jesus had lain. They asked her why she wept. She said because they had taken Jesus away and she didn’t know where.

Then she turned and saw Jesus, but didn’t recognize him. He asked her why she was weeping. She thought he was the gardener and asked if he had taken him.

Jesus said her name and she said to him, Rabboni, which is Master.

Jesus told her not to touch him, as he had not yet ascended to his Father and her Father.

Then Mary came and told the Disciples she had seen Jesus.

The same day in the evening, being the first day of the week, the Disciples were assembled in a room with the doors closed; and Jesus stood in their midst and said, peace be with you.

He showed them his hands and his side; and, they were glad; for, it was the Lord. Then he breathed on them and said, receive the Holy Ghost.

He spoke to them of the remittance of sins.

Thomas wasn’t with them, so they told him what happened; and, he said he wouldn’t believe unless he saw in his hands the print of the nails, put his finger in the print and thrust his hand into Jesus’ side.

After eight days, they were together and Jesus came and stood in their midst. He said to Thomas touch the wounds, be not faithless, but believe. And Thomas believed.

Jesus said, blessed are those who have not seen but have believed.

Jesus did many other signs in their presence, which are not written in this book. But, these were written that people might believe Jesus is the Christ, the Sonne of God, and by believing have life eternal through his Name.

V. 1

“1 The first day of the weeke, commeth Mary Magdalene earely when it was yet darke, vnto the Sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the Sepulchre.”

Near the end of the sixth day of the week, Jesus was placed in the grave. A stone was placed in front of the opening, and it was sealed according to Pilate’s approval (Matthew 24:64-66). He lay there throughout the seventh day (the sabbath), rising on the first day of the week. Though John mentions only Mary Magdalene, she was not alone (Mark 16:1). She had left early when it was dark, but as she approached the tomb, the sun was rising (Mark 16:2). The stone had been taken away from the entrance to the tomb.

V. 2

“2 Then she runneth and commeth to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple whom Iesus loued, and saith vnto them, They haue taken away the Lord out of the Sepulchre, and we know not where they haue laid him.”

Having seen the stone was removed, and obviously having looked in the tomb, she ran to Peter and the disciple whom Jesus loved and told them Jesus was gone, and she didn’t know where they had taken him. Again, she knew nothing of the doctrine of the resurrection.

Vs. 3 - 4

“3 Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the Sepulchre. 4 So they ranne both together, and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the Sepulchre.”

It sounds as though Mary went to the place where the Disciples were staying; and, the urgency of the matter pressed upon them, such that they ran to the Sepulchre; the other Disciple arrived first, because he was younger and more fleet of foot.

V. 5

“5 And he stouping downe and looking in, saw the linnen clothes lying yet went he not in.”

Though he did not go right into the tomb, he stooped and could see grave clothes that could only have belonged to Jesus; for, no other body had ever laid in Joseph of Arimethea’s Sepulchre (John 9:41).

Vs. 6 - 7

“6 Then commeth Simon Peter following him, and went into the Sepulchre, and seeth the linnen clothes lie, 7 And the napkin that was about his head, not lying with the linnen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by it selfe.”

Peter had to stoop down to enter the sepulchre; unlike the first Disciple, he went all the way in. There he saw the napkin or wrapping for Jesus’ head and he also saw the linen body wrapping, which the first Disciple saw upon stooping and looking in, but not fully entering. If the body had been stolen, it is highly unlikely they would have left the head napkin neatly wrapped. But, in a rush, they would likely have quickly taken the body with all the linen wrapping, for, there were guards stationed (Matthew 27:66), to prevent this very thing.

V. 8

“8 Then went in also that other disciple which came first to the Sepulchre, and he saw , and beleeued.”

Fully entering the sepulchre, and likely conversing with Peter, the first disciple believed Christ may have been resurrected, perhaps with uncertainty, as the next verse indicates. He saw the evidence, and reasoned accordingly that the body could not have been stolen.

V. 9

“9 For as yet they knew not the Scripture, that hee must rise againe from the dead.”

Having been taught that Messiah would come and set up an earthly kingdom, the disciples, like so many others, were prejudiced against Jesus dying and rising from the dead; they still had the conquering Messiah in mind; and, were unable to understand verses in the Old Testament that point to his resurrection, such as Job 19:25-27, Psalm 16:8-11 & 71:20, Isaiah 26:19-20, Ezekiel 37:7-10, Hosea 6:1-2 & Jonah 1:17, 2:2, 6-7 & 10). Yet, they were right in understanding Messiah would come as conquerer, but first to conquer sin and death; then to return as judge and King over all.

V. 10

“10 Then the disciples went away againe vnto their owne home.”

They went back from the sepulchre to where they lived.

Vs . 11 - 13

“11 But Mary stood without at the sepulchre, weeping: & as shee wept, she stouped downe, and looked into the Sepulchre, 12 And seeth two Angels in white, sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feete, where the body of Iesus had layen: 13 And they say vnto her, Woman, why weepest thou? Shee saith vnto them, Because they haue taken away my Lord, and I know not where they haue laied him.”

Mary Magdelene came to the sepulchre with the two Disciples but stayed behind when they left. She wept because she was uncertain what had happened to Jesus.

It seems the two Disciples left prematurely (v.10); for, Mary, remaining, stooped down and looked into the sepulchre where she saw two Angels in white; one sitting where Jesus head would have lain, and the other where his feet were. This special revelation given her, but not to the two Disciples.

Perhaps her grief was much greater than that of the Disciples, and the Angels were there to comfort and assure her. They asked her why she was weeping and she said that someone had taken away her Lord and she didn’t know where.

V. 14

“14 And when she had thus said, she turned herselfe backe, and saw Iesus standing, and knew not that it was Iesus.”

Before they could answer, she turned and saw Jesus, but didn’t recognize him. His appearance was different than what she was used to; perhaps, he appeared in his disfigured form that she didn’t recognize him; for, the scripture says, “As many were astonied at thee (his visage was so marred more then any man, and his forme more then the sonnes of men:” (Isaiah 52:14) Or, possibly, he appeared in a heavenly form (not an ascended form, as he had not yet ascended v.17), which could have been quite different from his earthly presence. Scripture does not say why she didn’t recognize him, so we can only speculate.

V. 15

“15 Iesus saith vnto her, Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? She supposing him to be the gardiner, saith vnto him, Sir if thou haue borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.”

Jesus addressed her in the same manner that he addressed his mother at the foot of the cross. He called her “Woman;” not addressing her by her name, perhaps avoiding greater familiarity than he expressed with his own mother when hanging on the cross; not that he meant any disrespect, but rather, to avoid elevating one Mary above the other, by using her first name. That she mistook Jesus for the gardener suggests that he was dressed in a common manner, and not in some kind of heavenly garb; he would have seemed quite ordinary. Her communication is not demanding, but polite and respectful, as she wants him to help her find Jesus’ body.

V. 16

“16 Iesus saith vnto her, Mary. She turned herselfe, and saith vnto him, Rabboni, which is to say Master.”

Upon hearing him calling her by name, she recognized him, and addressed him formally as Rabbi and Master; for, it was normative for Jesus’ followers to call him Master (Matthew 23:10, Mark 4:38, John 11:28). “She turned herself” suggests she had turned back to the Angels, hoping they could answer her; but upon hearing Jesus’ voice turned again in his direction.

V. 17

“17 Iesus saith vnto her, Touch me not: for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but goe to my brethren, and say vnto them, I ascend vnto my Father, and your Father, and to my God, and your God.”

It seems she approached Jesus close enough to touch him, as he asks her to not. This begs the question, why was she forbidden from touching him? It couldn’t be because his body was not material; for, what would be the point of Jesus asking her not to touch him? Rather, we might suggest that touching him would render him unclean, in the Levitical sense; whereby, all men being unclean, cannot touch that which is holy without profaning it. Thus, Jesus paid the price for the sins of the world (having been made sin, 2 Corinthians 5:21), that he might take the sins of mankind to the cross). The body that stood before Mary, being without a doubt Jesus, should ascend to the Father without having touched anything unclean; for, no unclean thing can stand in the presence of God.

“My brethren” probably refers to the Disciples and perhaps other believers; Jesus sends Mary to them that they might know he is risen from the grave; that he is, indeed, Messiah and Redeemer. The text suggests that Jesus would ascend immediately to his Father; not that he wouldn’t be present on earth; for, scripture teaches that he appeared to many others after Mary, and that Thomas was permitted to touch Jesus, indicating Jesus had ascended; but obviously was still present on earth.

Jesus refers to his Father and God, also as Mary’s Father and God. By faith in Christ, his Father is our Father; for, we are adopted and no longer bastards (Hebrews 12:8); likewise Jesus’ God is our God. The notion of Jesus having a God offers no confusion; for scripture also declares Jesus God (John 1:1). Thus logically, Jesus being God, calls God his Father, God.

V. 18

“18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that shee had seene the Lord, and that hee had spoken these things vnto her.”

Mary Magdalene went first to the Disciples and told them what had transpired; that Jesus is alive, but not yet ascended; and, she had spoken with him; and, he had asked her to go to them and tell them.

V. 19

“19 The same day at euening, being the first day of the weeke, when the doores were shut, where the disciples were assembled for feare of the Iewes, came Iesus, and stood in the midst, and saith vnto them, Peace bee vnto you.”

John reminds readers that it is still the first day of the week (v.1), but in the evening. The Disciples were together in a room. “The doores were shut” implies “locked,” for they were afraid of the Jews, because, by then, the Jews knew Jesus’ body was not in the sepulchre, and they may have suspected the Disciples of taking it.

“Iesus…stood in the midst,” suggests he appeared; not that he walked through a wall, as some, by necessity, have surmised; for, he is not bound by time, space or material. Those are things he created, and he may appear anywhere irrespective of material concerns; nor, must he pass through something to arrive somewhere; he simply appears where he wills.

“Peace bee vnto you,” is an ancient greeting long used by the Jews (Genesis 43:23). Also, it is an assurance from Jesus that all is well with him, and all things are as they should be. They need fear nothing; for, he is with them.

V. 20

“20 And when hee had so saide, hee shewed vnto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.”

To assure them that he is the very Jesus that died on the cross, he showed them the wounds on his hands and side; and, not an apparition; nor were they hallucinating.

V. 21

“21 Then said Iesus to them againe, Peace be vnto you: As my Father hath sent me, euen so send I you.”

Again reassuring them, Jesus repeated the same greeting, and spoke of things he had previously told them; namely, he was sent into the world by the Father, and likewise, Jesus was sending them; that the Gospel be preached in all nations (Mark 16:20 & Matthew 28:19-20).

V. 22

“22 And when he had said this, hee breathed on them, and saith vnto them, Receiue ye the holy Ghost.”

This reflects upon the creation of man, when God breathed life into the first man (Genesis 2:7). Similarly, the Disciples received the Holy Ghost; that they might be empowered for ministerial service, unto preaching the Gospel to the world.

V. 23

“23 Whose soeuer sinnes yee remit, they are remitted vnto them, and whose soeuer sinnes yee retaine, they are retained.”

Not that anyone but God has the power to remit or retain sins; for that is the sole prerogative of Jesus Christ. Rather, this is to be understood in the context of salvation through Jesus Christ; that, the Disciples in preaching the Gospel, and upon people receiving Christ their sins are remitted. Without hearing the Gospel and believing, there is no remission of sin; for, “faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17). Thus, vicariously the Disciples remit sins by the preaching of the Gospel, understanding that Christ alone remits sins. Furthermore, if the Gospel is not preached or a false Gospel is preached (not that the Disciples preach a false Gospel), then sins are retained; in other words, the Disciples are made to understand that they must preach the Gospel “…instant in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2), meaning, both when convenient and inconvenient; that there is no ‘perfect time’ to preach the Gospel; for only by hearing it are men saved. Otherwise, their sins are retained; they are not forgiven.

V. 24

“24 But Thomas one of the twelue, called Didymus, was not with them when Iesus came.”

It was common for Jews to have two names; one, for the Jews and another for the Greeks. Also, Didymus signifies a twin, and Thomas may have been one.

The Disciples, as Jesus predicted, would be scattered for a short time; and, perhaps Thomas was still overcome with fear, and therefore was not with the other Disciples when Jesus came. Thus, he had not been breathed on by Jesus; nor had he received the Holy Ghost (v.22).

V. 25

“25 The other disciples therefore said vnto him, We haue seene the Lord. But he said vnto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nailes, and put my finger into the print of the nailes, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not beleeue.”

The testimony of the other 10 Disciples should have been enough to convince Thomas; yet, he was resolved not to believe unless he saw for himself; and, that not being sufficient, he would need to press his finger into the nail print and thrust his hand into the wound in Jesus’ side.

V. 26

“26 And after eight dayes, againe his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: Then came Iesus, the doores being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be vnto you.”

The following week, the Disciples were gathered as per verse 19, the doors were shut and Jesus stood in their midst and said “Peace be vnto you.” This time Thomas was among them. Again, they felt the need to meet privately and perhaps secretly that the Jews not descend upon them.

V. 27

“27 Then saith he to Thomas Reach hither thy finger, and beholde my hands, and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side, and bee not faithlesse, but beleeuing.”

Jesus already knew that Thomas doubted; he did not have to be told; for, being God, he knows all things. So, after warmly greeting the Disciples, he told Thomas to do what he needed to dispel his doubt. And, we suspect he did so, as per verse 25, but he may not have; for the scripture does not say. Perhaps, upon seeing Jesus and observing his humility to submit to such an examination, he felt ashamed; and hearing Jesus’ encouragement not to be faithless, but believe, he answered as per verse 28.

V. 28

“28 And Thomas answered, and said vnto him, My Lord, and my God.”

So, perhaps rather than carry through with his examination, Thomas simply responded in faith, acknowledging Jesus as his Lord and God.

V. 29

“29 Iesus saith vnto him, Thomas, because thou hast seene mee, thou hast beleeued: blessed are they that haue not seene, and yet haue beleeued.”

Thomas demanded to see before he would believe; yet, not all who see believe. The unbelieving Jews saw Jesus perform many miracles: healings, raising the dead, prophesying, walking on water, feeding thousands from little, casting out devils, and in the case of Malchus’ severed ear, putting it back in place. Thomas’ statement of belief is the conclusion to the prophecy Jesus gave the Disciples, “…those that thou gauest me, I haue kept, and none of them is lost, but the sonne of perdition: that the Scripture might be fulfilled.” (John 18:9) John does not record if Jesus breathed the Holy Ghost into Thomas; however, it is a fairly safe assumption to say that he did; Thomas being one of the chosen and sanctified Disciples.

Though Thomas was a Disciple, he is not blessed in the way that those “…that haue not seene, and yet haue beleeued;” for, the faith of many to come would be without seeing, but still believing; and, many would hold fast through persecution and martyrdom. For these, the testimony of scripture, the Prophets, the witnesses and Jesus words were sufficient to believe; for, the Spirit of God prevailed upon them to know all that was prophesied of Jesus, and all that he did is true.

Vs. 30 - 31

“30 And many other signes truely did Iesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this booke: 31 But these are written, that yee might beleeue that Iesus is the Christ the Sonne of God, and that beleeuing ye might haue life through his Name.”

These signs were for the express benefit of the Disciples, who would be sent out into a hostile world, where they would suffer and die for the testimony of Jesus Christ. Jesus ensured that their resolve was profound and unshakeable; that the Gospel would go out into the world and endure forever. For those not chosen in the manner which Christ chose the Disciples, there are sufficient signs and miracles recorded by which to believe; if they are found insufficient, then no amount of marvels will change a hardened heart; even, if one were to come back from the dead, they will not believe. Matthew wrote, “A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a signe, and there shall no signe be giuen vnto it, but the signe of the Prophet Ionas….” (Matthew 16:4)

The things written are more than sufficient for belief (v.31). From Genesis to Revelation, Messiah is progressively revealed, and the historic record and the witnesses stand up to scrutiny. Paul wrote to the Hebrews, “Wherefore, seeing wee also are compassed about with so great a cloude of witnessess…” (Hebrews 12:1) What reasonable person can deny the evidence and the eyewitness testimonies? Thus, John wrote that all that is written is sufficient for belief “…that Iesus is the Christ the Sonne of God, and that beleeuing ye might haue life through his Name.” (v. 31) More information is not the answer for the unbelieving heart; rather, a softening of the heart and a willingness to believe is required; for, “…without faith it is impossible to please him…” (God) (Hebrews 11:6).