John 20

—blessed are they that have not seen, and yet &c.] These words are plainly comparative, expressing the greater blessedness of those who with less light find the way of truth, and with fewer helps and assistance do what is right. Yet it is very evident this is to be understood only of those who in all other respects are in like circumstances, and of whom are required the like instances of duty. It is not meant, that all who have believed without seeing, have on the whole the advantage over those who have believed on the evidence of might; but, so far only as their circumstances are in other respects equal, is the blessedness greater of those who have believed without seeing. Dr. S. Clarke. The Divine wisdom saw it expedient to suffer the Apostles to doubt, for the greater confirmation of the faith. And He managed those doubts so, that no circumstance should be wanting at last to prove His resurrection. Though He let them into those proofs by degrees as they were able to bear them, yet He did it so artificially that every fresh instance confirmed, and added something to, those that went before. The empty sepulchre confirmed the women’s report; Christ’s appearance to Mary Magdalene shewed He was alive; that to the disciples at Emmaus proved that it was at least the Spirit of Christ, by expounding the prophecies and breaking of bread; that to the eleven shewed the reality of His body; the conviction given to St. Thomas, proved it the selfsame body that had been crucified; and that miracle of the fishes, (John xxi. 6,) argued the same Divine nature, still united to the same body. So that, though there were many proofs, yet none of them were superfluous. Every one hath something new, and peculiarly its own; and altogether are a demonstration so full and satisfactory of the same Christ, the same God and man in one person, returned from the dead, that we have great reason to praise God for suffering the disciples to doubt so much and so long; since by their not believing “because they had seen,” there is the greater assurance afforded to us, “who have not seen, and yet have believed.” Dean Stanhope.

The resurrection of our Lord was the accomplishment both of the ancient prophecies and of His own prediction; a declaration on the part of God, that the great atonement was accepted; an attestation to the truth of His doctrines, and of His high pretensions; a confirmation of the hopes of His followers, which renders it no less unreasonable to doubt of the ultimate completion of His largest promises, than it would have been to entertain any hopes, if His promises had actually been found to fail in so important an instance. We have reason therefore to be thankful, that, in the first preaching of the Gospel, Providence ordained that a fact of such importance should be accompanied with irresistible evidence. Bp. Horsley.

He maketh himself known by a great draught of fishes. Anno DOMINI 33.

AFTER these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself.

Chap. XXI. ver. 1.—at the sea of Tiberias.] In Galilee, where He had promised, Matt. xxviii. 10, that they should see Him.

John 20:2

2.—and two other of his disciples.] Perhaps two of the inferior disciples, among the number of the seventy. Grotius. Or they may have been St. Philip and St. Andrew. Dr. Lightfoot.

John 20:3

3.—I go a fishing.] Want of occupation was disreputable among the Jews; and probably the Apostles were obliged, now that their Master was departed, to have recourse to their trades, as a means of livelihood. Grotius.

John 20:5

5. Then Jesus saith unto them, Children &c.] Our Lord addresses them as His children, and speaks to them with affection and authority, as a Father and a Master, giving them cause to suspect that He was no ordinary person, though unknown, and to make them the more ready to obey His orders. Dr. Jortin.

John 20:7

7.—saith unto Peter, It is the Lord.] He had good reason so to think, both on account of the miraculous draught, and because Christ had wrought the very same miracle once before in behalf of him and of some of the disciples now present. See Luke v. 4—9. Dr. Jortin.

—(for he was naked,) and did cast &c.] The expression “naked” was applied to the Jews when they had on them only their inner garment. See the note on Job xxii. 6. St. Peter cast himself into the sea, from impatience and eagerness to go to Christ as soon as possible. Bp. Mann. It is probable that, on account of the shallowness of the water, the vessel could not be drawn close to the shore.

John 20:8

8. — he saw, and believed.] Believed the report of Mary Magdalene, that the body was taken away, ver. 2. Dr. Campbell. Believed that the body was taken away out of the sepulchre, as Mary Magdalene had said, ver. 2, of which, until then, they doubted. As to His resurrection, ver. 9, they had no expectation of it, although foretold in the Scriptures. Bp. Mann.

John 20:9

9. For as yet they knew not the Scripture, &c.] That is, they did not understand from the Prophets, that the Messiah was to rise again from the dead; being, on the contrary, persuaded that those very Prophets had foretold the Messiah should not die, but abide for ever. West.

John 20:10

10. — unto their own home.] To the house where they and the other disciples were used to lodge, or at least to assemble themselves; for, on that evening, Jesus found them assembled together, ver. 19. Bp. Pearce.

John 20:11

11. But Mary stood] Mary Magdalene, to whom, as St. Mark relates, chap. xvi. 9, our Lord first appeared. See ver. 16. Bp. Pearce.

X 2 Christ appeareth to his disciples. Anno DOMINI 33.

11.—full of great fishes.] Modern travellers have found that the sea of Tiberias abounds in fish, some of them very large. Harmer.

John 20:12

12.—and dine.] The word here used applies to the morning meal: the Apostles had been fishing during the night, and it was now morning, ver. 3, 4. Grotius.

—And none of the disciples durst ask him.] None of them dared to ask Him, well knowing, both by the miracle and by His whole behaviour, that it could be no other than Jesus. Dr. S. Clarke.

John 20:14

14.—the third time that Jesus shewed himself] The third time that He shewed Himself to the disciples collectively; the two former instances being related by St. John at chap. xx. 19, 26. These are all the appearances after His resurrection which St. John has recorded. Dr. Lightfoot, Bp. Pearce.

John 20:15

15. — supposing him to be the gardener.] There probably was not sufficient daylight to enable her to see distinctly. Bp. Pearce.

— I will take him away.] Will carry Him to His grave again, or provide some other burying-place for Him. Dr. Hammond.

15.—lovest thou me more than these?] More than these My disciples do, who are here present. Christ’s words may thus be interpreted—Thou didst say to Me, on the night when I was betrayed, Although all Thy disciples should forsake Thee, yet will not I; I will live and die with Thee: which was in effect to pretend that thou didst love Me more than they; and now thou hast hastened before them all to come to Me through the sea; I ask thee therefore, Dost thou indeed love Me more than these My disciples love Me! Dr. Jortin.

—thou knowest that I love thee.] He would not presume to say, I love Thee more than these, for he remembered his own former weakness; but he affirmed that he did indeed sincerely love Christ. Dr. Jortin.

Christ’s repeated charge to Peter. He foretelleth him of his death. Anno DOMINI 33.

John 20:16

16.—Feed my sheep.] Express thy love to Me by thy care of the flock committed to thy charge. Dr. S. Clarke.

Some persons have argued from these words of our Saviour, in favour of the supremacy of St. Peter above the rest of the Apostles. But such an opinion is altogether groundless. For, if our Lord used these words with a view of commanding St. Peter to feed all His sheep and lambs without any exception, it is certain that he was wanting in his duty, for he never exercised any acts of supremacy over the rest of the Apostles; on the contrary, when sent by them, he obeyed, Acts viii. 14; and, when reproved by St. Paul, he held his peace; and was so far from feeding all the sheep of Christ, that he never fed any of the province of St. Paul. Dr. Whitby.

John 20:17

17. — Touch me not; for &c.] Be not solicitous to touch or hold Me now; thou wilt have sufficient time to converse with Me, and be assured of the reality of My resurrection; for I shall not immediately ascend, but shall stay some time with you here on earth. Dr. Whitby, Mary, and the other women who were with her, endeavoured to hold Jesus by the feet, (Matt. xxviii. 9,) fearing probably lest they might lose Him again. But He comforts them by saying, that He should not leave them very soon, but would give them several opportunities of seeing Him before His ascension into heaven. Bp. Mann.

— say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, &c.] These words, “I ascend,” &c. plainly refer to a conversation He had with them before He was betrayed, in which He told them He should go to His Father, &c. By these words, therefore, they were not only reminded of another prediction of His, but were called upon to expect the great things which were to be the consequence of His going to the Father; namely, the coming of the Comforter, a power of working miracles, and, what would be an earnest of all these things, the joy of seeing Him again; all which He had promised them in the conversation alluded to in this message, John xiv. West.

Or the words may be considered as relating to our Lord’s promise, that He would not leave them comfortless, and that He would send them another Comforter. Mary’s mind was perhaps intent on this promise, when she fell at His feet: on which He said, I must first ascend to My Father before I can bestow upon you these things which I have promised; do not therefore now touch Me and detain Me, from any expectation of that kind; but wait rather for My ascension, and go and tell the same things to My brethren for their encouragement. Dr. Lightfoot.

17.—Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, &c.] He was grieved at this threefold repetition, which looked as if Christ distrusted his sincerity, or foresaw his falling once more from his duty; and therefore he now answered with greater fervency. Our Lord here conveyed a rebuke for his threefold denial of his Master, and St. Peter could not fail so to understand it; but, though he was disquieted and afflicted at it, yet he saw plainly that it was not the angry upbraiding of an offended Master, who intended to take a final leave of an old servant, and to employ him no more; but that it was a most gentle, indirect reprimand, mixed with much tenderness and kindness, and a sure indication that his fall was forgiven him, and that he was reinstated in full favour and trust, since Christ not only thus inquired into the sincerity of his love, but laid upon him a threefold command to feed His flock. Dr. Jortin.

John 20:18

18.—When thou wast young.] Now when thou art young; that is, active, and comparatively not old. There is an allusion to what had just happened in St. Peter’s eagerness to come to our Saviour, and girding himself to walk through the sea. Orotus.

—thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, &c.] Thou shalt be girt and bound against thy will, and with thy hands stretched out shalt be fastened to the cross. This, accordingly, happened to St. Peter a short time before the destruction of Jerusalem, and above thirty years after the time when this was spoken, in the reign of Nero. Bp. Mann.

John 20:19

19. — Peace be unto you.] An usual form of salutation.

19.—by what death he should glorify God.] Should finally suffer martyrdom for the glory of God, and for a testimony of the truth of the religion of Christ. Dr. S. Clarke.

—Follow me.] That is, thou shalt follow Me in sufferings, as before thou didst in discipleship. Dr. Hammond.

John 20:20

20. — shewed unto them his hands and his side.] To convince them that it was His very person, and His real human body, which they saw. See Luke xxiv. 37—40. Dean Stanhope.

20.—seeth the disciple whom &c.] Meaning St. John himself.

John 20:21

21. — so send I you.] Not only to preach in My name, as I did in His; but, as He anointed Me to My office by baptizing Me with the Holy Ghost, Luke iv. 18; John x. 36; so will I baptize you also with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven, Luke xxiv. 49; and thus anoint you to your office, 2 Cor. i. 21, 22; in testimony of this, I now say unto you, ver. 22, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost,” and will soon after My ascension send Him more plentifully upon you. Dr. Whitby.

Our Lord here invests the Apostles with as ample powers of preaching the Gospel themselves, and commissioning others so to do, as He Himself had been entrusted with by God the Father. Dr. Nicholl.

When our Lord says that He sends the Apostles “as the Father had sent Him,” He must be understood to mean, that He sends them with the same design with which He Himself came, that of doing the work, and seeking the honour of Him that sent Him; that of propagating and establishing the kingdom of the Messiah, by faith in His blessed Gospel: also, that He sends them with the same authority, so far as was necessary for compassing that design; and with the same assurances of love, protection, and gracious assistance, engaging to grant success to their labours and protection to their persons, in the same manner as the Father had done to Him. Dean Stanhope.

The original of the commission by which the ministers of different orders in the Church exercise their office in the Church, is derived from God the Father, by whom our Lord was sent into the world, to mediate between God and man, as Himself also witnesseth. “As Thou hast sent Me into the world,” saith He to the Father, “even so have I also sent them into the world,” John xvii. 18. And to His Apostles, “As My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you.” So that the whole power of erecting the Christian Church, and of governing it since it was erected, is derived from the Father. But the Person, by whom this power is immediately conferred, is the Holy Spirit. He it was, by whose anointing our Lord was invested with the mediatorial office:

The incredulity of Thomas: Jesus satisfieth his doubts. Anno DOMINI 33.

John 20:22

22.—If I will that he tarry &c.] Jesus did not think fit to satisfy St. Peter’s curiosity by a direct answer, but returned an answer which restrained it by commanding him to look well to the discharge of his own duty, without troubling himself respecting the fate of others, which was no part of his concern. Dean Stanhope.

—till I come.] Meaning, till I come to destroy the city and nation of the Jews. Dr. Lightfoot.

—what is that to thee? follow thou me.] As if He had said, Instead of busying thyself in those inquiries which are beyond thy sphere, and do not belong to thee, obey My precepts and imitate My example, and then thou wilt be sure of doing right, for thy whole duty consists in this, and in nothing else. Dean Tucker.

The inquiry of St. Peter was innocent, and there is no reason to suppose that our Lord was angry with him for making it, but He was willing to take this opportunity, according to His custom on other occasions, of inculcating on St. Peter his own duty, and of discouraging needless curiosity about the affairs of other men. What was innocent in St. Peter in the present case, and may in numberless instances be innocent in any man, is yet a matter which may grow into a vice, and, by becoming a habit, may lead to things very detrimental to a right temper and disposition of mind. Dr. S. Clarke.

John 20:23

23. Then went this saying &c.] From this ambiguous manner of our Lord’s expressing Himself, some of the disciples imagined that St. John would never die, but he found among those that would be alive at Christ’s second coming. See 1 Cor. xv. 51, 52; 1 Thess. iv. 17. Whereas the real meaning of His words is, that this disciple would survive the destruction of Jerusalem, which in various passages of Scripture is called the coming of our Lord, being a most eminent judgment and evidence of His truth and power. See Matt. xxiv. 27, 37. Dean Stanhope.

St. John, living till the reign of Trajan, survived

John 20:26

26. — after eight days] Thus the Jews express a week. As our Lord had risen and appeared to the Apostles on the first day of the week, they seem thus early to have devoted that day peculiarly to His solemn worship, Acts xx. 7; 1 Cor. xvi. 2. Dr. Hammond, Grotina.

— the doors being shut.] “For fear of the Jews,” as at ver. 19. Dr. Lightfoot.

26.—My Lord and my God.] I acknowledge that Thou art my very Lord and Master; and that this is an evidence to me, that Thou art the Almighty God of heaven. Dr. Hammond.

It should be observed, that our Saviour does not censure St. Thomas, when he, on being convinced of His resurrection, exclaims, “My Lord and my God.” By allowing Himself, therefore, to be called God, He admits that the name was justly applied to Him. Bp. Tomlins.

The means employed by our Lord to remove the unbelief of St. Thomas, drew from him this noble confession; in which he not only acknowledged Jesus to be the Messiah, the very same Lord to whom he had been a servant and companion during His ministry, but he moreover owned His Divine nature, and drew the consequence to himself, which St. Paul did afterwards to the Romans, (Rom. i. 4,) that the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, and the power He exerted in it, did abundantly declare Him to be the very Son of God. So mighty a change do we find in this Apostle, that he now adores and admires as the Almighty and everliving God, Him whom he could not be prevailed upon, so lately, to believe to be any other than a deceased and merely human being. Dean Stanhope.

This is the most signal and important confession of faith in Christ to be found in the Gospels. It clearly and distinctly recognizes His proper sovereignty and Divinity, as our immediate Lord or Governour, Ps. xvii. 28; and our future Judge or mighty God. Dr. Hales.

John 20:27

27. — Reach hither thy finger, &c.] Let us observe and admire the marvellous love and condescension of our blessed Saviour, who thus stooped to the infirmities of the doubting disciple, and would not give him over to his unbelief, though that unbelief was most unreasonable. He had already convinced the other Apostles

Jesus satisfieth the doubts of Thomas. Anno DOMINI II.

John 20:29

29.—because thou hast seen me.] Thy faith would have been more excellent, if, without such demonstrative evidence, thou hadst believed; and such is their faith, who have believed without it. Dr. Hammond.

Jesus, in whom dignity and mildness were mixed in the most accurate proportion, spares His convert the additional confusion of a reproof; but gives him instruction, suitable to the occasion, necessary for himself, and useful to all the world ever after; that no great virtue could be shown by the mere admission of evidence which could scarcely be resisted, and consequently that no great recompense could be expected for it; but that the preserving a mind, open to embrace, and careful to seek after, such lower degrees of evidence, and less obvious kinds of it as our heavenly

might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

Anno DOMINI II. # CHAP. XXI.

John 20:32

32. — Receive ye the Holy Ghost:] He now gave them the Spirit, though the full effusion of it was reserved for the day of Pentecost. Abp. Newcome.

John 20:33

33. Whose soever sins ye remit, &c.] That is, whosoever embraces your doctrine and truly repents; when ye thereupon, in My name and by My authority, remit his sins, your sentence of absolution shall be ratified and confirmed in heaven; and whosoever either obstinately rejects your doctrine, or disobeys and behaves himself unworthily under it, his sins shall not be forgiven; but the censures ye pass upon him on earth, shall be confirmed in heaven. Dr. S. Clerk.

The ministerial office is of so high a nature that nothing but a Divine commission can qualify any person for the execution of it. The ministers of religion are to publish the laws of God, to pass His pardons, and to preside in His worship. God hath committed to them the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and “whose soever sins they remit, they are remitted; and whose soever sins they retain, they are retained.” They are the stewards of the mysteries of God, and the dispensers of His holy word and sacraments; and on their ministration, the assistance of the Holy Spirit and all the graces of a good life depend. All these characters are ascribed to them in Scripture; and consequently do sufficiently demonstrate the dignity of their office, and are a plain argument that none but God Himself can give them their commission. Wheatley.

John 20:34

34. — Thomas, — called Didymus.] Called Thomas among the Hebrews, and Didymus among the Greeks. Dr. Lightfoot.

John 20:35

35. — Except I shall see &c. — I will not believe.] It is no wrong to the virtues of the Apostle St. Thomas, to say that his slowness to believe, in the instance before us, discovered weakness to a very high degree, and a hardness to be persuaded; which, in an Apostle especially, must deserve considerable blame. But, in contemplating his conduct on this occasion, we should consider what benefits are to be derived from the faults and failings of such eminent persons. When the Evangelists so freely transmit to all future ages such blots, as the denial of St. Peter, the unbelief of St. Thomas, the fears, cowardice, and heaviness of all their brethren;

we must be fully satisfied that they were men of integrity, that they had not the slightest design of magnifying themselves or imposing on the world, and that their only object was to speak the very truth. Again, while this consideration should impress upon us the general frailty and imperfection of our nature, it should inspire us with great tenderness and caution, how we presume to judge and censure others; above all, how we presume to determine any thing concerning their spiritual and future state, on account of any evil actions which they have committed. If Prophets, if Apostles, if other shining lights, who are now so many suns in the kingdom of heaven, have had these misfortunes; and yet, by the grace of God and their own better consideration, have recovered their station, and come forth, like the morning light, with double lustre, after darkness and error; who are we that we should set bounds to the grace of God, or despair even of the worst of our brethren? Dean Stanhope.

— I will not believe.] The backwardness of believing, in some of the Apostles and disciples, added to the evidences afforded of our Lord’s resurrection, administered occasion for several most undeniable proofs. As these disciples were to be the attestors of this event to all the world, it was of great concern to know on what convictions they embraced the truth. And we find, indeed, that they proceeded so warily as to doubt every circumstance; that they were resolved not to believe till there was no pretence left for doubting any longer; and received nothing till it had been most critically inquired into. More than this we cannot have; more we cannot ask in any witness than judgment, care, and integrity; and all these attested by the seal of the Holy Ghost, the gift of miracles from heaven. Thus, upon all accounts, the delays and doubtings of the Apostles were of mighty advantage to this doctrine of the resurrection. They gave occasion for more convincing and sensible proofs of it to themselves; and they rendered them more competent and credible attestors of it to others. Dean Stanhope.