MATT. XXVIII. seek Jesus, which was 6 crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the 7 7 Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him:2 lo, I have told you. 8 § 162. THE WOMEN RETURN TO THE CITY. JESUS MEETS THEM.3-Jerusalem. MATT. XXVIII. 8-10. First Day of the Week. 8 MARK XVI. 8. And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his dis9 ciples word. And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they 10 came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me. And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid. LUKE XXIV. 9-11. 9 And they returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the 10 eleven, and to all the rest. It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told 11 these things unto the apostles. And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not. § 163. PETER AND JOHN RUN TO THE SEPULCHRE.-Jerusalem. First Day of the Week. JOHN XX. 3-10. 3 Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the 4 sepulchre. So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun nor yet with Luke 24. 11. What was it that John thus believed? Not the mere report of Mary Magdalene, that the body had been taken away; for so much he must have known and believed, when he stooped down and looked into the sepulchre. His belief must have been of something more and greater. The grave-clothes lying orderly in their place, and the napkin folded together by itself, made it evident that the tomb had not been rifled, nor the body stolen by violent hands; for these garments and the spices would have been of more value to thieves, than merely a naked corpse; at least, thieves would not have taken the pains thus to fold the garments together. The same circumstances showed also that the body had not been removed by LUKE XXIV. 12. 12 Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, 8 but wrapped together -and departed, wondering in him- 10 JOHN XX. Peter, and came first to the sepul5 chre. And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes 6 lying; yet went he not in. Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and 7 seeth the linen clothes lie, and the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, in a place by itself. Then went in which came first to the sepulchre, and For as yet they knew not the Scripture,' that he must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again unto their own home. § 164. OUR LORD IS SEEN BY MARY MAGDALENE' AT THE SEPULCHRE.-Jerusalem. First Day of the Week. JOHN XX. 11-18. : 11 But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping and as she wept, she 12 stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, and seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of 13 Jesus had lain. And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She 9 MARK XVI. 9-11. saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know 14 not where they have laid him. And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell 16 me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto 17 him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. Jesus saith unto her, Now when Jesus was risen early friends; for they would not thus have left the 2 Mary Magdalene now manifestly sees the angels for the first time; and this circumstance also goes to show, that she had previously left the other women at the sepulchre before the angels appeared to them. A main difficulty occurs here in fixing the order of time, between our Lord's appearance to Mary Magdalene and that to the other women in § 162. This arises from the use of the word first, in Mark 16. 9, which seems to imply that this appearance to Mary Magdalene was the first of all: he appeared first to Mary Magdalene. Yet the whole course of events and circumstances shows conclusively, that Jesus had previously appeared to the other women. We are therefore compelled, and that in accordance with good and ordinary usage, to regard first as put here not absolutely, but relatively. That is to say, Mark narrates three and only three appearances of our Lord; of these three that to Mary Magdalene takes place first, and that to the assembled disciples the same evening occurs last, Mark 16. 14, where our translators have used the word afterward, which is less correct. Now as the word for last is here put relatively, and does not exclude the subsequent appearances of our Lord to Thomas and in Galilee; so too first stands here relatively, and does not exclude the previous appearance to the other women. In this way the whole difficulty in the case before us vanishes. MARK XVI. 10 And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned 11 and wept. And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not. 11 165. REPORT OF THE WATCH.-Jerusalem. First Day of the Week. MATT. XXVIII. 11–15. Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, 12 and showed unto the chief priests all the things that were done. And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large 13 money unto the soldiers, saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and 14 stole him away while we slept. And if this come to the governor's ears, we 15 will persuade him, and secure you. So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day. § 166. OUR LORD IS SEEN BY PETER.' THEN BY TWO DISCIPLES ON THE WAY TO EMMAUS.-Jerusalem. Emmaus. 1 COR. XV. 5. First Day of the Week. 5 And that he was seen of Cephas.- 13 MARK XVI. 12, 13. 12 After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country. LUKE XXIV. 13-85. And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusa14 lem about threescore furlongs. And they talked together of all these 15 things which had happened. And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, 16 Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. But their eyes were holden 17 that they should not know him. And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are 18 sad? And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things 19 which are come to pass there in these days? And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which 20 was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to 21 death, and have crucified him. But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day 1 This appearance of our Lord to Peter, is mentioned only by Paul and by Luke, ver. 34. It had not taken place when the two disciples left Jerusalem for Emmaus; or at least they had not heard of it. It had occurred when they returned; and that long enough before to have been fully reported to all the disciples and believed by them. It may perhaps have happened about the time the two disciples set off, or shortly afterwards. 3 LUKE XXIV. 22 since these things were done. Yea, and certain women also of our com23 pany made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre; and when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision 24 of angels, which said that he was alive. And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women 25 had said: but him they saw not. Then he said unto them, O fools, and 26 slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: ought not 27 Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all 28 the Scriptures the things concerning himself. And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone 29 further. But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them. 30 And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and 31 blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, 32 and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us 33 by the way, and while he opened to us the Scriptures? And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven 2 gathered MARK XVI. 13 And they went and told it unto the residue : neither believed they them. together, and them that were with 34 them, saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. 35 And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread. § 167. JESUS APPEARS IN THE MIDST OF THE APOSTLES, THOMAS BEING ABSENT. 14 Jerusalem. Evening following the First Day of the Week, or the Lord's Day. MARK XVI. 14-18. Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them 36 with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had 11 Pet. 1. 11. 1 COR. XV. 5. 5 Then of the twelve. 19 LUKE XXIV. 36-49. And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto 2 The eleven. From John 20. 24, it appears that Thomas was absent on the occasion, so that only ten of the apostles were really present. But there is no contradiction in the two accounts; for Luke uses the eleven as expressing the apostles as a class, without implying that every member was present, just as Paul, in 1 Cor. 15. 5, uses the twelve as a designation for the apostolic band, though the company, present at the time there referred to, consisted in fact of only ten. 3 1 Cor. 15. 5. 4 When the disciples beheld their risen Lord, they thought they saw a spirit. Jesus reassures them; and presents to them indubitable evidence, that the same body of flesh and bones which had been crucified and laid in the sepulchre, was now risen and alive before them. On the general sub JOHN XX. 19-23. Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood ject of the nature of our Lord's resurrection-body, see a full discussion by Dr. Robinson in the Bib liotheca Sacra for May, 1845, p. 292, sq. Then follows our Lord's charge and commission to the eleven apostles, delivered to them here in private by themselves; and distinct from the public and more general commission recorded in Matt. 28. 19, 20.-As a symbol of this commission to them in particular, and of the power which they should shortly receive through the Spirit imparted from on high, "he breathed on them, and said, Receive ye the Holy Ghost," John 20. 22. There was in this emblem a recognition and reiteration of the gracious promise of the Spirit before made; which was to be abundantly fulfilled on the day of Pentecost. See John 14, 26; 16.7, sq.; Acts 2. 1, sq. seen him after he was 37 you. But they were risen. terrified and affright- 38 they had seen a spirit. And he 3 JOHN XX. in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. JOHN XX. And when he had so said, he showed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. 2 they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. 43, 44 And he took it, and did eat before them. And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, 45 concerning me. Then opened he their understanding," that they 46 might understand the Scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is 4 written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the 47 dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at 48 Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things." 17 shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new 18 tongues; they shall take up serpents; 10 and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. [See § 172.] JOHN XX. 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Re 1 Comp. Matt. 14. 26; Acts 12. 15. 2 Acts 10. 41. 3 Comp. Luke 18. 31. 4 Law of Moses-prophets-psalms. These three designations express the three divisions of the Old Testament, according to the Jewish classification. The law of Moses is the same as the Pentateuch. Under the class of the prophets, were comprised Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings, besides all the prophetical books excepting Daniel. The third class comprised Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Canticles, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Chronicles, and was called the Psalms, either because that book is the first and chief in it, or because most of its contents are poetical. 5 Then opened he, &c. This place, and the similar one in verse 27 of this chapter, are very weighty, as proofs that the apostles had explicit intimations from the Saviour respecting the interpretation of the Old Testament; so that we ought to regard the sense which they have put on certain difficult and doubtful passages, (such as Psa. 16.; Psa. 110.; Joel 3.; Gen. 12. 3; Deut. 18. 15, 18,) as having the direct sanction of our Lord's own interpretation, and therefore decisive. 6 Acts 3. 26. 7 John 15. 27; Acts 1. 8. 9 Acts 2. 4; 1 Cor. 13. 1. 11 James 5. 14, 15. |