John 20
DODDJohn 20:24-29
Christ appears to the eleven a second time, a week after the former; particularly offering to Thomas, who had before been absent, the most sensible proofs of his resurrection. John XX. 24—29.
JOHN XX. 24.
cxcix. John xx. 24 WE mentioned in the last section Christ’s appearing to his disciples on the evening of that day on which he arose; but it is farther to be observed, that Thomas, one of the twelve, who was also called Didymus, or the twin brother, was not with them at that time
when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore, as soon as they met with him, told him in a transport of joy, We have seen the Lord with our own eyes, and consequently can have no farther doubt of the truth of his resurrection, for he has condescended to shew us the very marks of those wounds he received on the cross. But he said to them, This is a matter of too great importance for me to believe on any report, even on yours; and more is necessary
JOHN XX. 24.
BUT Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
Thomas’s unbelief overcome.
to convince me of the truth of it, than merely a transient sight of mine own eyes : for, unless I shall evidently see in his hands, as you say you have done, the mark of the nails, and, more than that, shall put my finger upon the very individual mark of the nails,ᵃ and put my hand upon the very scar made by the spear in his side,ᵇ I will not by any means, or on any testimony whatsoever, believe his resurrection.
And, as there was a great degree of faulty obstinacy in such a resolution, our Lord left him a whole week under the perplexity which it must necessarily give him : but after eight days, or on that day seven night from our Lord’s rising, his disciples were again within doors as before, and Thomas was with them; [and] Jesus came to them again, the doors being shut and fastened, as in the former instance ; and, suddenly throwing them open, and in a moment shutting them again, he stood in the midst of them, and said, as in his former gracious salutation, Peace be unto you !
And then, to let them see that he was not unacquainted with what had lately passed among them in his absence, as well as to convince the overscrupulous disciple, he said to Thomas, Reach forth thy finger hither, and behold, and examine my hands; and reach thine hand hither, and put it on my side ;ᶜ and be not incredulous any longer, but believe on this evidence at least which addresses itself at once to so many of thy senses.
ᵃ And shall put my finger upon the mark of the nails.] I am sensible, it might seem more elegant, with the Prussian translators, to wave the repetition, and to render it, and put my finger into it : but, on, farther reflection, there seems to be a beauty in this repetition which admirably represents the language of a positive man, declaring again and again what he insisted upon ; which I have therefore endeavoured to express in the paraphrase, in terms which such persons often use.
ᵇ And put my hand upon his side.] So I would choose to render it, rather than into his side ; agreeable to Dr. Stevenson’s just criticism, that the here signifies upon ; as the the the (John viii. 6) is upon the ground ;
and the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the
ᶜ Reach forth thy finger hither, &c.] It is observable, that Spinoza himself could find out no more plausible objection against this evidence of the resurrection of Christ, than to say, that the disciples were deceived in what they imagined they saw, heard, and felt (Vie de Spin. p. 32) ; which, if granted, would be in effect to allow that no men could be competent judges of any fact whatsoever relating to their own sensations, and consequently would overthrow all human testimony in courts of judicature and elsewhere.
Happy are they who have not seen, and ye
And Thomas, overwhelmed at once with such abundant demonstration, and such humble condescension, fell under the conviction in a moment; and, instead of entering on any farther scrutiny,ᵈ answered and said to him, in the utmost transport of astonishment and joy, My Lord, and my God! as if he should have said, I do not only now acknowledge thee to be Jesus my Lord, infallibly risen from the dead, but I confess thy Divine knowledge and power, and prostrate myself before thee, as the great incarnate Deity, the glorious Emmanuel.ᵉ
Jesus says to him, Thomas, thou hast believed, because thou hast seen me, and hast received these sensible demonstrations of my resurrection; and it is well: but still more happy are they who have not seen me themselves, and [yet] have believed on the credible testimony of others; for they have shewn a greater degree of candour and humility, which renders the faith it produces so much the more acceptable.
IMPROVEMENT.
ver.25 We most evidently see in this instance of Thomas, as well as in many circumstances of the story mentioned above, how far the apostles were from being rashly credulous in the im-
ᵈ Instead of entering on any farther scrutiny.] It is not said that he actually touched the wounds; and our Lord afterwards says (ver. 29), that his belief was built on sight; which seems to intimate, that this condescension of our Lord, together with the additional evidence arising from the knowledge which he plainly had of that unreasonable demand which Thomas had made in his absence, quite overcame him: a turn of mind exceeding natural to so frank a temper as that of Thomas appears to have been.
ᵉ My Lord, and my God!] The irrefragable argument arising from these words in proof of the deity of our blessed Lord (which so many good writers have stated at large), cannot be evaded by saying, that these words are only an exclamation of surprise, as if he had said, Good God, is it indeed thus! For it is expressly declared he spoke these words to him: and, no doubt, Christ would severely have reproved him if there had not been just reason to address him thus.
ᶠ Happy are they who have not seen, and
yet have believed.] If it be queried, Why a greater blessedness is pronounced on those who believe on more slender evidence; it may be answered that our Lord by no means intended to assert, that every one who believes without seeing, is happier than any one believing on sight; for then the meanest Christian now would be more happy than the greatest of the apostles; but only, that where the effects of that faith were equal, it argued greater simplicity, candour, and wisdom, to yield to reasonable evidence without seeing, than could be argued merely from having believed on sight, after sufficient evidence of another kind had been proposed. It was therefore in effect telling Thomas, “It would have been more acceptable to him if he had not stood out so long:” and it was doing it in such a manner as would be most calculated for the comfort and encouragement of believers in future ages, to whom, in many of his speeches to the apostles themselves, our Lord expresses a most obliging and affectionate regard.
Reflections on Christ’s appearance when Thomas was present.
portant fact of Christ’s resurrection. It is apparent, they erred in the contrary extreme; yet our gracious Lord condescended to satisfy scruples which were carried to an extravagance. He renewed his visit, and at the same time renewed his salutation too. Peace be unto you was still his language; nor did he only speak, but act, as one who wished it, and was determined to give it.
What peace must it administer to the mind of this good man when his Lord said, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands, and reach hither thine hand, and put it on my side; and be not faithless, but believing! Evidently did he hereby shew, not only that he was risen from the dead, but that he circumstantially knew those events which had passed in his bodily absence, and needed not human information. Let us then ever behave ourselves as in the presence of Christ. Let us act, and speak, and think, in such a manner as may bear his inspection; and, struck with these united demonstrations of wisdom, power and grace, let us prostrate ourselves before him, and say, Our Lord, and our God! thus honouring the Son as we honour the Father (John v. 23), and adoring the indwelling Deity through this veil of flesh, in which it has been pleased to enshrine itself, and kindly to attemper, though not entirely to conceal, its rays.
Though we have not those sensible manifestations which were granted to Thomas, let it suffice us that the apostles were the appointed witnesses of all these things; and what they saw with their eyes, and their hands handled of the word of life, that have they declared unto us. (1 John i. 1, 3.) Let us thankfully receive so convincing a testimony. Let us shew an upright and candid mind in accepting such evidence as the wisdom of God has seen fit to give us; remembering that a truly rational faith is the more acceptable to God, in proportion to the difficulties which it is able to surmount; and that there are peculiar blessings in store for them who have not seen and yet have believed.