Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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John
Book: John
Chapter: 20
Overview:
The
Sepulchre found to be empty.
(1-10) Christ appears to
Mary.
(11-18) He appears to the disciples.
(19-25) The unbelief
of
Thomas.
(26-29) Conclusion.
(30,31)
1-10 If
Christ gave his
Life a
Ransom, and had not taken it
again, it would not have appeared that his giving it was
accepted as satisfaction. It was a great trial to
Mary, that the
body was gone. Weak believers often make that the matter of
complaint, which is really just ground of
Hope, and matter of
joy. It is
Well when those more honoured than others with the
privileges of disciples, are more active than others in the duty
of disciples; more willing to take pains, and run hazards, in a
good work. We must do our best, and neither envy those who can
do better, nor despise those who do as
Well as they can, though
they come behind. The
Disciple whom
Jesus loved in a special
manner, and who therefore in a special manner loved
Jesus, was
foremost. The
Love of
Christ will make us to abound in every
duty more than any thing else. He that was behind was
Peter, who
had denied
Christ. A sense of guilt hinders us in the service of
God. As yet the disciples knew not the
Scripture; they
Christ
must rise again from the dead.
11-18 We are likely to seek and find, when we seek with
Affection, and seek in tears. But many believers complain of the
clouds and
Darkness they are under, which are methods of
Grace
for humbling their souls, mortifying their sins, and endearing
Christ to them. A sight of angels and their smiles, will not
suffice, without a sight of
Jesus, and
God's smiles in him. None
know, but those who have tasted it, the sorrows of a deserted
soul, which has had comfortable evidences of the
Love of
God in
Christ, and hopes of
Heaven, but has now lost them, and walks in
Darkness; such a wounded
Spirit who can
Bear?
Christ, in
manifesting himself to those that seek him, often outdoes their
expectations. See how
Mary's
Heart was in
Earnest to find
Jesus.
Christ's way of making himself known to his people is
By his
Word; his
Word applied to their souls, speaking to them in
particular. It might be read, Is it my Master? See with what
pleasure those who
Love Jesus speak of his authority over them.
He forbids her to expect that his bodily presence look further,
than the present state of things. Observe the relation to
God,
from union with
Christ. We, partaking of a Divine nature,
Christ's
Father is our
Father; and he, partaking of the human
nature, our
God is his
God.
Christ's
Ascension into
Heaven,
there to plead for us, is likewise an unspeakable comfort. Let
them not think this
Earth is to be their home and
Rest; their
Eye and aim, and
Earnest desires, must be upon another world,
and this ever upon their hearts, I ascend, therefore I must seek
the things which are above. And let those who know the
Word of
Christ, endeavour that others should get good from their
knowledge.
19-25 This was the first
Day of the
Week, and this
Day is
afterwards often mentioned
By the sacred writers; for it was
evidently set apart as the
Christian Sabbath, in remembrance of
Christ's resurrection. The disciples had shut the
Doors for fear
of the Jews; and when they had
No such expectation,
Jesus
himself came and stood in the midst of them, having
miraculously, though silently, opened the
Doors. It is a comfort
to
Christ's disciples, when their assemblies can only be held in
private, that
No Doors can shut out
Christ's presence. When He
manifests his
Love to believers
By the comforts of his
Spirit,
he assures them that because he lives, they shall live also. A
sight of
Christ will gladden the
Heart of a
Disciple at any
time; and the more we see of
Jesus, the more we shall rejoice.
He said, Receive ye the
Holy Ghost, thus showing that their
spiritual
Life, as
Well as all their ability for their work,
would be derived from him, and depended upon him. Every
Word of
Christ which is received in the
Heart By Faith, comes
accompanied
By this Divine breathing; and without this there is
neither
Light nor
Life. Nothing is seen, known, discerned, or
felt of
God, but through this. After this,
Christ directed the
apostles to declare the only method
By which
Sin would be
forgiven. This power did not exist at all in the apostles as a
power to give
Judgment, but only as a power to declare the
character of those whom
God would accept or reject in the
Day of
Judgment. They have clearly laid down the marks whereby a
Child
of
God may be discerned and be distinguished from a false
professor; and according to what they have declared shall every
case be decided in the
Day of
Judgment. When we assemble in
Christ's name, especially
On his holy
Day, he will meet with us,
and speak peace to us. The disciples of
Christ should endeavour
to build up one another in their most holy
Faith, both
By
repeating what they have heard to those that were absent, and
By
making known what they have experienced.
Thomas limited the Holy
One of
Israel, when he would be convinced
By his own method or
not at all. He might justly have been left in his unbelief,
after rejecting such abundant proofs. The fears and sorrows of
the disciples are often lengthened, to punish their negligence.
26-29 That one
Day in
Seven should be religiously observed, was
an appointment from the beginning. And that, in the kingdom of
the
Messiah, the first
Day of the
Week should be that solemn
Day, was pointed out, in that
Christ On that
Day once and again
met his disciples in a religious assembly. The religious
observance of that
Day has come down to us through every
Age of
the
Church. There is not an unbelieving
Word in our
Tongues, nor
thought in our minds, but it is known to the
Lord Jesus; and he
was pleased to accommodate himself even to
Thomas, rather than
leave him in his unbelief. We ought thus to
Bear with the weak,
Ro 15:1,2. This warning is given to all. If we are faithless,
we are Christless and graceless, hopeless and joyless.
Thomas
was ashamed of his unbelief, and cried out, My
Lord and my
God.
He spoke with
Affection, as one that took
Hold of
Christ with
all his might; "My
Lord and my
God." Sound and sincere
believers, though slow and weak, shall be graciously accepted of
the
Lord Jesus. It is the duty of those who read and hear the
Gospel, to believe, to embrace the doctrine of
Christ, and that
record concerning him, 1Jo 5:11.
30,31 There were other signs and proofs of our
Lord's
resurrection, but these were committed to
Writing, that all
might believe that
Jesus was the promised
Messiah, the
Saviour
of sinners, and the
Son of God; that,
By this
Faith, they might
obtain eternal
Life,
By his
Mercy,
Truth, and power. May we
believe that
Jesus is the
Christ, and believing may we have
Life
through his name.