The Gospel According to John

Biblical Research Monthly
December, 1957
Dr. David L. Cooper
(Installment Thirty-five)
 

THE EMPTY TOMB

Because of the approaching Sabbath, the body of Jesus was removed from the cross and laid in the new tomb nearby which Joseph of Arimathea had hewn out of the rock for his own burial place (Matt. 27:60). With the mixture of myrrh and aloes (about a hundred pounds) that Nicodemus had brought, the two secret believers—one a wealthy man and a councillor, the other a Pharisee, and both probably members of the Sanhedrin—had bound the crucified body in linen cloths, "as the custom of the Jews is to bury" (John 19:40). But the women also prepared spices and ointments for the body. The synoptic Gospels name these women and tell of their going to the tomb and finding it empty, but John confines his account to Mary Magdalene. Seeing the stone rolled away, she ran to Peter and John, exclaiming, "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we know not where they have laid him." She was unaware that He had arisen.

The two disciples ran to the tomb. John arrived first, saw the grave cloths, but did not enter. Peter, however, went into the tomb and saw the linen cloths, as well as the napkin that had been placed upon Jesus' head, but that was now rolled up and lying in a place by itself. "8 Then entered in therefore the other disciple also, who came first to the tomb, and he saw, and believed. 9 For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead. 10 So the disciples went away again unto their own home" (John 20:8-10). The sight in the empty tomb of the grave cloths, stiffened by the juices from the spices that Nicodemus had brought, yet retaining the same shape that they had had when they were bound about the body of Jesus, was convincing proof that He had arisen.

Christ's Appearance to Mary Magdalene

The disciples left, but Mary remained outside the tomb, weeping, still unaware that the One for whom she mourned had arisen triumphant from the grave in fulfillment of prophecy. Looking into the tomb, she beheld two angels, who asked her why she wept. She replied, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him." Apparently she was so stunned with grief that the sight of the angels did not seem extraordinary to her. She may not even have been aware that they were celestial beings; for, after replying to them, she turned away. Then she saw Jesus, but did not recognize Him even when He asked, "Woman, why weepest thou? Whom sleekest thou?" Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said, "Sir, if thou hast borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away." Not until He called her by name did she realize that the person addressing her was the one whom she was mourning as dead:

"16 Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turneth herself, and saith unto him in Hebrew, Rabboni; which is to say, Teacher. 17 Jesus saith to her, Touch me not [or, Take not hold on me]; for I am not yet ascended unto the Father: but go unto my brethren, and say to them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father, and my God and your God. 18 Mary Magdalene cometh and telleth the disciples, I have seen the Lord; and that he had said these things unto her" (John 20:16-18).

The statement of Jesus "Touch me not [or, Take not hold on me]; for I am not yet ascended unto the Father" has been variously interpreted. One cannot be dogmatic on this point. Some scholars believe that Jesus forbade Mary to touch Him, but permitted the other women (Matt. 28:9) and Thomas to do so because, in the interim between His meeting with Mary and with the others, He ascended unto His Father. Other scholars believe that He ascended into heaven after each of His appearances and remained there during the intervening periods. Yet other scholars hold that Mary assumed the Resurrection of the Lord to be His complete victory over death, whereupon He endeavored to make her realize that it was actually only the beginning of His triumph and the forerunner of other glorious events. His Resurrection was not to be mistaken for His Second Coming, nor was He to continue to be known only "after the flesh" (II Cor. 5:16).

Christ's Appearance to the Apostles in the Absence of Thomas

The evening of the Resurrection day, the first day of the week, Jesus appeared to the Apostles in the absence of Thomas:

"19 When therefore it was evening, on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 20 And when he had said this, he showed unto them his hands and his side. The disciples therefore were glad, when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus therefore said to them again, Peace be unto you: as the Father hath sent me, even so send I you. 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit: 23 whose soever sins ye forgive, they are forgiven unto them; whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained" (John 20:18-23).

Although "Peace be unto you" was a common salutation at that time, it also was a reassurance to the Apostles, who were astounded by the presence of Jesus among them. The sight of His hands and His side, along with the sound of His voice, was sufficient evidence to them that they were beholding no phantom, but the Lord; and they rejoiced. His appearance in the room though the doors were closed, like His vanishing from sight at Emmaus and the passing of His body through the grave cloths without disturbing them, is proof that He was in the spiritual state after His Resurrection. But He was no bodiless spirit. He later bade Thomas to touch Him. He had flesh and bones; He also ate (Luke 24:39, 41-43).

His breathing on the Apostles and saying, "Receive ye the Holy Spirit," were probably a symbolic act, predictive of Pentecost.

The statement "Whose soever sins ye forgive, they are forgiven unto them; whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained" has been interpreted as bestowing upon the disciples the power of judging; but the meaning here is the same as in the statement of Jesus to Peter, recorded in Matthew 16:19, which literally translated reads: "I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of the heavens and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven." As in the case of Peter, Jesus was stating that the Apostles were to express what had already been determined in heaven. The fact that He here made to the ten Apostles present the same statement that He had made to Peter alone is proof that Peter was accorded no special power. Nor did Peter consider himself to be in authority over, but rather on a level with, the other Apostles and, later, with the church elders: "the elders therefore among you I exhort, who am a fellow-elder …" (I Peter 5:1).

Christ's Appearance to the Apostles, Including Thomas

When the ten Apostles told Thomas of the appearance of Jesus to them, he replied, "Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe" (John 20:25). Thomas apparently believed that the ten were the victims of hallucination. He, therefore, emphatically declared that he would not believe that he was actually in the presence of Jesus until he could not only see, but also touch, the nail-torn hands and the spear-wounded side. While this doubt is regrettable, God has turned it to good, for it led to further evidence which in the passing centuries has helped many naturally incredulous individuals to realize the actuality of the Resurrection.

"26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them. Jesus cometh, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. 27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and see my hands; and reach hither thy hand and put it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. 28 Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. 29 Jesus saith unto him, Because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed" (John 20:26-29).

John does not record whether Thomas actually touched Jesus; but the statement "Because thou hast seen me," instead of "Because thou has seen and touched me," implies that Thomas needed no further evidence than the ten had at the earlier appearance.

Thomas called Jesus his Lord and his God, acknowledging not only that he beheld his former leader and teacher, but also that this One who had risen from the grave was God incarnate. The statement of Jesus upon this recognition is of great significance, "Because thou has seen me, thou hast believed [or, hast thou believed?]: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." All the evidence of the Scriptures, all the teachings of Jesus, as well as the testimony of the ten, should have sufficed Thomas without his having to see for himself. Even so should mankind today believe in the Son of God without requiring the corroboration of the physical senses, as Abraham and David did. As these patriarchs looked forward to His coming and believed, so mankind can now look back upon the accomplished fact and believe and can await with joy His Return.

Purpose of the Gospel of John

The confession of Thomas and the consequent statement of Jesus are the closing event that John records in his Gospel. He fittingly concludes with his purpose in writing it:

"30 Many other signs therefore did Jesus in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book: 31 but these are written, that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye may have life in his name" (John 20:30, 31).

Thus John proclaimed Jesus of Nazareth to be the Messiah, the Son of God.

Epilogue to the Gospel of John

The twenty-first chapter of the Gospel of John is obviously an appendix, as the concluding verses of chapter twenty clearly show. The occasion for its writing may have been the saying that began to circulate among the brethren to the effect that John would not die, referred to in verse 23.

That John himself wrote the appendix, using the pronoun we editorially, is the view of some scholars. Others attribute it to the Ephesian elders. Yet another opinion is a combination of these two—that John wrote all of the appendix, or epilogue, except the twenty-fourth verse, which the Ephesian elders inserted to attest their faith in the witness of John.

1. Christ's Appearance to Seven Disciples by the Sea of Galilee

After Jesus had manifested himself to the ten Apostles and later to the eleven, He appeared to seven of them as they were fishing in the Sea of Galilee, which is called in the Epilogue the Sea of Tiberias. Their night's labor had yielded them nothing. "4 But when day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach: yet the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus therefore saith unto them, Children, have ye aught to eat? They answered him, No. 6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. 7 That disciple therefore whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his coat about him (for he was naked [or, had on his undergarment only]), and cast himself into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the little boat, (for they were not far from the land, but about two hundred cubits off), dragging the net full of fishes. 9 So when they got out upon the land, they see a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. 10 Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now taken. 11 Simon Peter wherefore went up, and drew the net to land, full of great fishes, a hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, the net was not rent. 12 Jesus saith unto them, come and break your fast. And none of the disciples durst inquire of him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus cometh, and taketh the bread, and giveth them, and the fish likewise" (John 21:4-13).

John, the beloved disciple, was quick to recognize Jesus. Impetuous Peter plunged into the sea to hasten ashore. But none doubted the identity or the reality of the One who had caused the net to be filled with fish, and who prepared breakfast for them by the seashore.

2. Christ's Charge to Peter

The purpose of this third manifestation to the disciples recorded by John soon became clear. "15 So when they had broken their fast, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. 16 He saith to him again a second time, Simon, son of John lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Tend my sheep. 17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of John, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep" (John 21:15-17).

Jesus came to the disciples by the seashore especially to give a charge to Peter. Possibly He asked Peter three times, "Lovest thou me?, because Peter had denied Him three times. Again He may have done so only to emphasize what He wanted Peter to do—to feed the lambs, the newborn in Christ, and the sheep, the more mature Christians. The use of two different words for love, the one signifying a higher, spiritual love than the other natural affection on the merely human level, was probably for more than euphonious reasons, as some scholars suggest. Very likely Jesus wished to impress upon Peter that the love required to carry out this charge is a deep, spiritual devotion which will prevail despite persecution, even martyrdom.

3. Christ's Prediction Regarding Peter's Death

Following the charge to Peter, Jesus foretold the manner of the Apostle's death. According to tradition, Peter was crucified head down, at his own request, because he considered himself unworthy to be put to death in the same manner as his Lord had been. John reveals that the death would glorify God (v. 19). After this prediction, Jesus bade Peter to follow Him, possibly to speak with the Apostle privately after making the charge before the others. John, however, followed, probably at a respectful distance, his great love causing him to want to talk also with Jesus. Having received a commission and a prediction of death, Peter naturally wondered about the duty and the fate of John. "Lord, and what shall this man do?" To this question Jesus replied, "If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me." According to tradition, John was the only Apostle of the eleven who was not put to death, but he suffered exile on the Isle of Patmos, where he wrote his Revelation: "I John, your brother and partaker with you in the tribulation and kingdom and patience which are in Jesus, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus" (Rev. 1:9).

This reply gave rise to a saying which the author or authors of the Epilogue refute: "this saying therefore went forth among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, that he should not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?" (v. 23).

4. John the Apostle the Author of the Gospel of John

When verse 24 of the Epilogue is read in connection with verse 20, to which it refers, one can see readily that the author of the Gospel of John is John the Apostle, the beloved disciple. "20 So Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; who also leaned back on his breast at the supper, and said Lord, who is he that betrayeth thee? … 24 This is the disciple that beareth witness of these things: and wrote these things: and we know that his witness is true."

5. The Greatness and the Glory of the Gospel

At the close of the Gospel proper, John states his purpose in writing: "… that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye may have life in his name" (John 20:31). The Epilogue concludes with the greatness and the glory of the Gospel:

"25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that should be written."

Thus concludes the fourth Gospel, which, with the possible exception of the Epistle to the Hebrews, is the most profound, deepest revelation of God.

The End