16 Jesus saith to her, `Mary!' having turned, she saith to him, `Rabbouni;' that is to say, `Teacher.'
to this one the doorkeeper doth open, and the sheep hear his voice, and his own sheep he doth call by name, and doth lead them forth;
And Jesus having turned, and having beheld them following, saith to them, `What seek ye?' and they said to them, `Rabbi, (which is, being interpreted, Teacher,) where remainest thou?'
and the salutations in the market-places, and to be called by men, Rabbi, Rabbi. `And ye -- ye may not be called Rabbi, for one is your director -- the Christ, and all ye are brethren; and ye may not call `any' your father on the earth, for one is your Father, who is in the heavens, nor may ye be called directors, for one is your director -- the Christ.
he saw in a vision manifestly, as it were the ninth hour of the day, a messenger of God coming in unto him, and saying to him, `Cornelius;'
and having fallen upon the earth, he heard a voice saying to him, `Saul, Saul, why me dost thou persecute?'
ye call me, The Teacher and The Lord, and ye say well, for I am;
And these things having said, she went away, and called Mary her sister privately, saying, `The Teacher is present, and doth call thee;'
and there is in Jerusalem by the sheep-`gate' a pool that is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porches,
this one came unto him by night, and said to him, `Rabbi, we have known that from God thou hast come -- a teacher, for no one these signs is able to do that thou dost, if God may not be with him.'
And Jesus answering said to her, `Martha, Martha, thou art anxious and disquieted about many things,
And it cometh to pass after these things that God hath tried Abraham, and saith unto him, `Abraham;' and he saith, `Here `am' I.'
And now, thus said Jehovah, Thy Creator, O Jacob, and thy Fashioner, O Israel, Be not afraid, for I have redeemed thee, I have called on thy name -- thou `art' Mine.
I am sleeping, but my heart waketh: The sound of my beloved knocking! `Open to me, my sister, my friend, My dove, my perfect one, For my head is filled `with' dew, My locks `with' drops of the night.'
The voice of my beloved! lo, this -- he is coming, Leaping on the mountains, skipping on the hills. My beloved `is' like to a roe, Or to a young one of the harts. Lo, this -- he is standing behind our wall, Looking from the windows, Blooming from the lattice. My beloved hath answered and said to me, `Rise up, my friend, my fair one, and come away, For lo, the winter hath passed by, The rain hath passed away -- it hath gone. The flowers have appeared in the earth, The time of the singing hath come, And the voice of the turtle was heard in our land, The fig-tree hath ripened her green figs, And the sweet-smelling vines have given forth fragrance, Rise, come, my friend, my fair one, yea, come away. My dove, in clefts of the rock, In a secret place of the ascent, Cause me to see thine appearance, Cause me to hear thy voice, For thy voice `is' sweet, and thy appearance comely. Seize ye for us foxes, Little foxes -- destroyers of vineyards, Even our sweet-smelling vineyards. My beloved `is' mine, and I `am' his, Who is delighting among the lilies, Till the day doth break forth, And the shadows have fled away, Turn, be like, my beloved, To a roe, or to a young one of the harts, On the mountains of separation!
And Jehovah cometh, and stationeth Himself, and calleth as time by time, `Samuel, Samuel;' and Samuel saith, `Speak, for Thy servant if hearing.'
And Jehovah saith unto Moses, `Even this thing which thou hast spoken I do; for thou hast found grace in Mine eyes, and I know thee by name.'
and Jehovah seeth that he hath turned aside to see, and God calleth unto him out of the midst of the bush, and saith, `Moses, Moses;' and he saith, `Here `am' I.'
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on John 20
Commentary on John 20 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 20
This evangelist, though he began not his gospel as the rest did, yet concludes it as they did, with the history of Christ' resurrection; not of the thing itself, for none of them describe how he rose, but of the proofs and evidences of it, which demonstrated that he was risen. The proofs of Christ's resurrection, which we have in this chapter, are
What is related here is mostly what was omitted by the other evangelists.
Jhn 20:1-10
There was no one thing of which the apostles were more concerned to produce substantial proof than the resurrection of their Master,
In these verses we have the first step towards the proof of Christ's resurrection, which is, that the sepulchre was found empty. He is not here, and, if so, they must tell us where he is or we conclude him risen.
Jhn 20:11-18
St. Mark tells us that Christ appeared first to Mary Magdalene (Mk. 16:9); that appearance is here largely related; and we may observe,
Some make those words, I ascend to my God and your God, to include a promise of our resurrection, in the virtue of Christ's resurrection; for Christ had proved the resurrection of the dead from these words, I am the God of Abraham, Mt. 22:32. So that Christ here insinuates, "As he is my God, and hath therefore raised me, so he is your God, and will therefore raise you, and be your God, Rev. 21:3. Because I live, you shall live also. I now ascend, to honour my God, and you shall ascend to him as your God.
Jhn 20:19-25
The infallible proof of Christ's resurrection was his showing himself alive, Acts 1:3. In these verses, we have an account of his first appearance to the college of the disciples, on the day on which he rose. He had sent them the tidings of his resurrection by trusty and credible messengers; but to show his love to them, and confirm their faith in him, he came himself, and gave them all the assurances they could desire of the truth of it, that they might not have it by hearsay only, and at second hand, but might themselves be eye-witnesses of his being alive, because they must attest it to the world, and build the church upon that testimony. Now observe here,
There are three secondary ordinances (as I may call them) instituted by our Lord Jesus, to continue in his church, for the support of it, and for the due administration of the principal ordinances-the word, sacraments, and prayer; these are, the Lord's day, solemn assemblies, and standing ministry. The mind of Christ concerning each of these is plainly intimated to us in these verses; of the first two, here, in the circumstances of this appearance, the other v. 21. Christ's kingdom was to be set up among men, immediately upon his resurrection; and accordingly we find the very day he arose, though but a day of small things, yet graced with those solemnities which should help to keep up a face of religion throughout all the ages of the church.
Jhn 20:26-31
We have here an account of another appearance of Christ to his disciples, after his resurrection, when Thomas was now with them. And concerning this we may observe,
It is an affecting word with which Christ closes up what he had to say to Thomas: Be not faithless but believing; meµ ginou apistos-do not thou become an unbeliever; as if he would have been sealed up under unbelief, had he not yielded now. This warning is given to us all: Be not faithless; for, if we are faithless, we are Christless and graceless, hopeless and joyless; let us therefore say, Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief.