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t 1 John v. 6, 8.

and that they might be taken away.
soldiers, and brake the legs of the first,
which was crucified with him. 33 But

32 i Then came the and of the other when they came to

Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs 341 but one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. 35 And he that saw it mbare record, and his record is true and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe. 36 For these things P were done, "that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be x Ps. xxii. 16, broken. 37 And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced. 38 And after this

u Exod. xii. 46. Num.

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xxxiv. 20.

17. Rev.

i. 7.

i render, So the soldiers came.

krender, having come to Jesus, when they saw.

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Prender, came to pass.
rrender, these things.

for the purpose of causing death, which
indeed it would not do. Friedlieb sup-
poses that the term involved in it the
coup de grace,' which was given to all
executed criminals, and that the piercing
with the spear was this death-blow, and
was also inflicted on the thieves.
34.] The lance must have penetrated
deep, for the object was to ensure death,
and see ch. xx. 27, probably into the
left side, on account of the position of
the soldier, and of what followed.
blood and water] The spear perhaps
pierced the pericardium or envelope of the
heart, in which case a liquid answering
the description of water may have flowed
with the blood. But the quantity would
be so small as scarcely to have been ob-
served. It is hardly possible that the sepa-
ration of the blood into placenta and serum
should so soon have taken place, or that,
if it had, it should have been by an ob-
server described as blood and water. It is
more probable that the fact, which is
here so strongly testified, was a conse-
quence of the extreme exhaustion of the
Body of the Redeemer. The medical
opinions on the point are very various, and
by no means satisfactory. Meyer's view
after all seems to be the safe and true
one-that the circumstance is related as a
miraculous sign, having deep significance
as to the work of the Redeemer, and
shewing Him to be more than mortal.
It can be no reason against this, that
St. John does not here dwell on any such

m render, hath borne witness.

• render, may.

¶ render, might.

typical significance: nor can I see how 1 John v. 6 ff. can be understood without reference to this fact: see note there. 35.] This emphatic affirmation of the fact seems to regard rather the whole incident, than the mere outflowing of the blood and water. It was the object of St. John to shew that the Lord's Body was a real body, and underwent real death. And both these were shewn by what took place: not so much by the phænomenon of the water and blood, as by the infliction of such a wound,-after which, even had not death taken place before, there could not by any possibility be life remaining.

The third person (he that saw it. .) gives solemnity. It is, besides, in accordance with St. John's way of speaking of himself throughout the Gospel. The usage of the word believe in St. John makes it probable that he lays the weight on the proof of the reality of the death, as above. The clause, that ye may believe, depends on the three preceding clauses, without any parenthesis, as the final aim of what has gone before: in order that your faith may receive confirmation.

36.] 'For' -i. e. as connected with the true Messiahship of Christ, these things were a fulfilment of Scripture.' It is possible that Ps. xxxiv. 20 may be also referred to;but no doubt the primary reference is to the Paschal Lamb of Exod. xii. 46: Num. ix. 12; see 1 Cor. v. 7. 37.] The prophecy, they shall look on Him whom they pierced, does not refer to the Roman

xii. 42.

Joseph of Arimathæa, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he y ch. ix. 22: might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.

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vii. 50.

39 And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first z ch. iii. 1, 2: came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. 40 Then took they the body of Jesus, and a wound it in linen clothes a Acts v. 6. with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. 41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was

8 render, his body.

soldiers, but to the repentant in the 23; Prov. vii. 17; Song of Sol. iii. 6. world, who, at the time the Gospel was written, had begun to fulfil the prophecy : and is not without a prophetic reference to the future conversion of Israel, who were here the real piercers, though the act was done by the hand of wicked men, Acts x. 28.

38-42.] His Burial. 38.] after these things-not immediately after this, but soon after. The narrative implies, though it does not mention (as St. Mark and St. Luke do), that Joseph himself took down the Body from the cross. Lücke thinks the soldiers would have done this: but their duty seems only to have extended to the ascertaining of the fact of death. The words of ver. 31, "that they might be taken away," need not imply, by their hands.'

It was customary to grant the bodies of executed persons to their friends. On Joseph, and the other particulars, see notes on Matthew. He came...-to Golgotha. 39.] St. John alone mentions Nicodemus. The Galilæan narrative had no previous trace of him, and does not recognize him here. Joseph bore too prominent a part not to be mentioned by all. Luthardt beautifully remarks on the contrast between these men's secret and timid discipleship before, and their courage now, "Their love to Jesus was called out by the might of His love. His Death is the Power which constrains men. And thus this act of love on the part of both these men is a testimony for Jesus, and for the future effect of His death. Hence also it appears why the Evangelist mentions the weight of the spices, as a proof of the greatness of their love, as Lampe observes." myrrh, - the gum of an aromatic plant, not indigenous in Palestine, but in Arabia Felix, see Exod. xxx. VOL. I.

aloes] The name of various sorts of aromatic wood in the East. Both materials appear to have been pulverized (the wood either by scraping or burning) and strewed in the folds of the linen in which the body was wrapped. The quantity, about an hundred pound weight, is large; but perhaps the whole Body was encased, after the wrapping, in the mixture, and an outer wrapper fastened over all. The proceeding was hurried, on account of the approaching Sabbath and apparently an understanding entered into with the women, that it should be more completely done after the Sabbath was over. This plentiful application of the aromatic substances may therefore have been made with an intention to prevent the Body, in its lacerated state, from incipient decomposition during the interval.

40.] See ch. xi. 44. Little is known with any certainty, except from these passages, of the Jews' ordinary manner of burying. 41.] See note on Matthew, ver. 60. The words, in the place where he was crucified, are so far in favour of the traditional site of the Holy Sepulchre, that Calvary and the Sepulchre are close together, under the roof of the same church. And those who have found an objection in that circumstance have forgotten this testimony of St. John.

a new sepulchre . . And therefore given for the purpose-so that the additional particular not here mentioned, that it belonged to Joseph, is almost implied. The newness of the tomb was important, that it should be seen that no one but Jesus had risen thence, and Jesus not by the power of another, as was once the case at the grave of Elisha: so that no room might be left for the evasions of unbelief.

TT

b Isa. liii. 9.

c ver. 31.

never man yet laid. 42 bt There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.

XX. 1 ■ The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. 2y Then a ch. xiii. 23: she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we

xix. 26: xxi.

7, 20, 24.

t better (see note) arranged as the original; There then, on account of the Jews' preparation day, because the sepulchre was nigh at hand, laid they Jesus.

a render, But on the first day. I render, while.

y render, She runneth therefore.

42.] the Jews' preparation day seems to indicate clearly the preparation of the Passover, as I have before main tained that the words mean; not the mere day of the week so called, which, as it was by the Christians also in the Apostles' time named the preparation (Parascévé), would not be qualified by the additional statement that it was "the Jews' preparation day." The words because the sepulchre was nigh at hand, may certainly at first sight appear as if St. John were not aware that the tomb belonged to Joseph; but it is more likely that the thought of asking for the Body may have been originally suggested to Joseph by his possess. ing a tomb close to the place of crucifixion, and so the nearness of the tomb may have been the real original reason of the whole proceeding; and St. John, not anxious to record every particular, may have given it as such. It is much better to keep the order of the original in rendering this verse. There is weight and pathos in the concluding words, as completing the great subject of this part of the narrative, which is lost by transposing as in A. V.

CHAP. XX. 1-29.] JESUS ALIVE FROM THE DEAD. COMPLETION OF THE DISCIPLES' FAITH WROUGHT THEREBY. And herein, 1-18.] Contrast between His former life, within the conditions of the flesh, and His present, in which His communion with His own partakes of his new relation to the Father. Compare Matt. xxviii. 1: Mark xvi. 1: Luke xxiv. 1. On the chronology of the events of the Resurrection, see note on Matt. xxviii. 1. I attempt no harmony of the ac

counts:-I believe all such attempts to be fruitless;—and I see in their failure strong corroboration of the truth of the evangelic narratives. It is quite impossible that so astounding an event, coming upon various portions of the body of disciples from various quarters and in various forms, should not have been related, by four independent witnesses, in the scattered and fragmentary way in which we now find it. In the depth beneath this varied surface of narration, rests the great central fact of the Resurrection itself, unmoved and immoveable. As it was THIS above all other things to which the Apos tles bore their testimony, so, in their testimony to this, we have the most remarkable proof of each having faithfully elaborated into narrative those particular facts which came under his own eye or were reported to himself by those concerned. Hence the great diversity in this portion of the narrative:-and hence I believe much that is now dark might be explained, were the facts themselves, in their order of occurrence, before us. Till that is the case, (and I am willing to believe that it will be one of our delightful employments hereafter, to trace the true harmony of the Holy Gospels, under His teaching of whom they are the record,) we must be content to walk by faith, and not by sight. We must also remember in this case, that our Evangelist is selecting his points of narration with a special purpose,--to shew us how the belief of the disciples was brought out and completed, after the unbelief of Israel: cf. vv. 30, 31. 1, 2. Mary Magdalene] She was not alone (Matthew,

b

know not where they have laid him. 3 Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and a came to the sepulchre. So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre, 5 and [he] stooping down and looking in, saw the bch. xix. 40. linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. 6 Then a cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, 7 and the napkin, that ech. xi. 44. was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. 8 h Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed. 9 For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead. & P.xvi. 10. 10k Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.

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Acts ii. 25 -31: xiii. 34,

35.

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Mark, Luke). Does this appear in the plural verb, "we know not where they have laid Him," below? This is not, as Meyer says, precluded by the use of "I know not" in ver. 13. Mary there speaks in her own person, which she might do, however accompanied. Still, probably not. She perhaps uses the plural, as involving all the disciples in her own feeling of ignorance and of consequent sorrow. So Meyer: and it is more natural to take it thus. One thing we may conclude for certain, that she, for some reason, did not see the vision related in the three other Gospels. 3] St. Luke, ver. 12, speaks only of Peter's going. 4-8.] Full of most interesting and characteristic detail. John, probably the younger, outruns Peter ;-but when there, reverently (not for fear of pollution, as some have thought) abstains from entering the sepulchre. The ardent and impetuous Peter goes directly in-John follows -and believes. What can exceed the inner truth of this description? And what is not related is as full of truth as that which is. For, vv. 6, 7, we seem to hear the very voice of Peter describing to his companion the inner state of the tomb.

8. he

describes the exhaustive gaze of Peter, who
did. Notice also that John, when he
stooped and looked in, saw only the linen
clothes, which seem to have been lying
where the Feet were, nearer the entrance,
whereas Peter, on going in, saw the napkin,
which was perhaps deposited further in,
near the place of the Head.
saw, and believed] Nothing is said of
Peter-did he believe too? I think not;
-and that John modestly suppresses it.
But what did John believe? Was it merely,
that the Body had been taken away, as
Mary had reported (Bengel and others)?
Surely not; the facts which he saw would
prevent this conclusion: nor does John
SO use the word believe. He believed
that Jesus was risen from the dead. He
received into his mind, embraced with his
assent, THE FACT OF THE RESURREC-

TION, for the first time. He did this, on
the ocular testimony before him; for as
yet neither of them knew the Scripture,
so as to be previously convinced of the
certainty that it would be so.
But (see
above) Peter does not seem to have as yet
received this fact;-accounting probably
for what he saw as Mary had done. Lampe
beautifully says, We conclude that from
this moment, in the gloom of the sepulchre,
the mind of John was enlightened by saving
faith in the Resurrection of Jesus, as with

On the napkin, see ch. xi. 44 and note. seeth represents the original word used of the cursory glance of John, who did not go in,-beholdeth, that which

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e ch. xxi. 4.

1

11 But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down and looked into the sepulchre, 12 and 1 seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. 14 [mAnd] when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. 15 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

render, beholdeth.

1

n render, that it was.

a new ray of the risen Sun of Righteousness.' 10. went away again unto their own home] St. Luke, xxiii. 12, has the very same expression; see there in margin. This is remarkable, as he evidently has a fragment of the same incident.

11.] She had come with them, but more slowly. 12.] From what has been said above, my readers will not expect me to compare the angelic appearances in the four Gospels. What wonder, if the heavenly hosts were variously and often visible on this great day, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?' What can be more accurate in detail than this description of the vision of Mary? Every word was no doubt carefully related to the Apostle, and as carefully recorded. And all is significant: they are in white, because from the world of light: they sit, as not defending, but peacefully watching the Body at the Head and the Feet, for the Body of the Lord was from head to foot in the charge of His Father and of His servants. 13.] Here again the finest psychological truth underlies the narrative. The other women (Mark, ver. 5. Luke, ver. 5) were afraid at the vision; but now Mary, having but one thought or desire, to recover the lost Body of her Lord, feels no fear. doubtless are proceeding further to assure her as they did the women before:-but this is broken off by the appearance of the Lord Himself, or perhaps by Mary's turning away. 14.] she turned herself back-having her attention attracted by consciousness of some one being present near her not perhaps by the approach of Jesus. Or it might be with intent to go

The angels

m omit.

forth and weep again, or further to seek her Lord. Chrysostom's reason is very beautiful, but perhaps hardly probable, from the fact that Mary on turning round did not recognize our Lord: "It seems to me that while she was saying these words, the sudden appearance of Christ behind her struck the angels, who saw their Lord, with amazement: and that they immediately shewed, both by their posture and by their look, that they saw the Lord: and this caused Mary to turn round and look behind her." We need not surely enquire too minutely, why she did not know Him. The fact may be psychologically accounted for-she did not expect Him to be there, and was wholly preoccupied with other thoughts: or, as Dräseke says, 'Her tears wore a veil, which concealed Him who stood before her. The seeking after the Dead prevents us from seeing the Living.' 15.] The same kind of repetition by the Lord of what the angel had before said is found in Matt. xxviii. 7-10. It is idle to enquire why she thought Him to be the gardener: but I may once for all observe that we must believe the clothing of His risen Body to have been that which He pleased to assume; not earthly clothing, but perhaps some semblance of it. Certainly, in this case, He was clothed ;-or she must at once have recognized Him. But see on the words "she turned herself" below. Sir] The Greek word rendered both “Sir” and "Lord" is one and the same throughout the New Test. We can only judge from the circumstances in each case, which it represents. Here there can be no doubt, seeing that she did not recognize her Lord, that it is merely the appellation of courtesy

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