John 20

John 20:17

Do not stay now to express your affection to me in this manner, as you will have repeated opportunities of seeing me before I ascend to my heavenly Father; but run quickly to my poor disconsolate disciples, whom, notwithstanding their late defection, I still love as much as ever, and esteem as my brethren and heirs of the same glory with myself; and tell them that I am risen to an immortal life, and not to set up a temporal kingdom among them on earth; and am, after some time, to ascend to the right hand of God, who is my Father by nature, and their’s by regeneration and adoption, and who is my God as their Mediator, and their God as they are my members

John 20:21-23

I now effectually confer my promised peace upon you; and, as my Father hath sent me into the world to discharge the office of Mediator, so I, as Head of the New Testament church, appoint you, as my apostles, to preach the gospel to both Jews and Gentiles, and to confirm it with miraculous signs wherever you go. And receive ye now the gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost, which I can as easily convey as I thus breathe upon you, to enlighten your minds, and strengthen your faith in me as a risen Saviour, and as an earnest of that plentiful effusion which ye shall in a short time receive for your spiritual illumination, sanctification, and consolation, and for your assistance and success in the ministerial work which I commit to you. And this shall be attended with such divine authority, that whomsoever ye, according to the gospel, declare pardoned as a believer, or absolved from church censure as a penitent, he may take the comfort of forgiveness and absolution, as ratified by my authority: and whomsoever ye declare unpardoned on account of his unbelief, or keep under church censure as impenitent, his condemnation and continued censure shall stand ratified by my authority, and even the last judgment shall be past in agreement thereto. 11 17

REFLECTIONS UPON CHAP. XX.—Strong and many are the evidences of our Saviour’s resurrection, that fundamental article of our Christian faith. An opened grave, his grave clothes orderly placed, the testimony of angels, and his own repeated appearances, and even the jealousies of disciples, concur to render it unquestionable. But marvellous was his condescension and kindness to such as had forsaken him in his extremity—to Peter, who had denied him, and to Thomas, who had so perversely indulged the most obstinate unbelief. He gives them his peace, owns them for brethren, and qualifies and appoints them to preach his gospel. Great is the mercy that we have all this recorded by eyewitnesses, directed by the Holy Spirit, that we may believe it, to the eternal salvation of our soul. And that we have the weekly sabbath as a stated season of intercourse with our Saviour. If we love him much, eagerly and early, through darkness and danger, we shall push our way into his presence. For to a tender hearted Christian the felt absence of his Lord is the most distressing and insupportable. But often that is mourned over which is great ground of rejoicing And Jesus and his consolations are frequently at hand when we know not where to find him. He takes delight to recognize his relation and hasten to our help. And neither shut doors, slavish fears, nor unbelieving hearts, can hinder his gracious visits. Yea, the stoutest hearts delightfully melt in confident believing, under the transcendent intimations of his love 2 Compel of Luke. Luke 1. 3