V. Period of Climax. V. 12:1-20:31

1. Climax of preparation for the cross. V. 12:1-17:26

2. Climax of unbelief of the Jews. V. 18:1-19:42

            1) The arrest. V.18:1-14

            2) The denial. V. 18:15-27

            3) The rejection. V. 18:28-40

            4) The mocking. V. 19:1-22

            5) The crucifixion. V 19:23-30

            6) The burial. V. 19:31‑42

V. 31

1. "The Jews" = belonging to the Jewish nation; refers mainly to the Sanhedren.

2. "Therefore" = in view of the fact that the day Jesus was crucified was the day of preparation of the passover.

3. "Because" = since.

4. "It was the preparation" = the day on which the Jews made necessary preparation to celebrate a feast‑‑passover in this case; on this day all leaven was to be disposed of and all ceremonial cleansing was to be finished.

5. First "that" = introduces the reason for the Jews' action.

6. "The bodies" = refers to Jesus and the two thieves.

7. "Should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day" = the law required that the bodies of those who were hung should not remain suspended during the night (Deut. 21:22‑23); the next day being a Sabbath day made it doubly important to the Jews for the bodies to be off the cross; Deut. 21:22‑23 was made when the punishment by crucifixion was unknown and when those who were suspended were near death.

8. "Sabbath day" = normally this was the seventh day of each week (Saturday) on which the Israelites were required to abstain from all work (Exo. 20:8‑10) and a day of rest; but this is a special Sabbath for John inserts "(for that sabbath day was an high day)" = several feast days had a day of holy convocation, a day set apart as a special day‑‑an "high day" = a great day; these special days were also called sabbath at times in the Scripture (Lev. 23:24;39); notice these Sabbaths were on a certain day of the month thus the day of the week changed from year to year‑‑they were not always on a Saturday; therefore, we conclude that Jesus died on April 14th, a Wednesday the day before the special sabbath of the feast of unleavened bread set aside as a memorial of the passover in Egypt (Exo. 12:14‑16); proof text is Mat. 12:40 which states clearly that Jesus had to be in the heart of the earth three 12 hour days and three 12 hour nights and there is no way one can get that from Friday to Sunday but you can from Wednesday to Sunday.

9. "Besought" = requested.

10. "Pilate" = Roman governor.

11. Third "that" = introduces what the Jews' requests were to Pilate‑‑two request:

A. "That their legs might be broken" = the effect of this was to hasten their death; this would make it impossible to push up with their legs to relieve pain on the hands and to allow the lungs to obtain air; if the feet could not press the body upward, death was swift; this was done with a crushing blow of a heavy mallet.

B. "That they might be taken away" = to be taken down from the cross and buried before 6:00 PM that same day for that was when the Sabbath began.

12. "Their" = "they" = refers to the two thieves as well as Jesus.

13. John is the only gospel writer who gives these details.

 

V. 32

1. "Then" = these things being so; gives the sequence of events‑‑after the Jews' request, Pilate permitted their legs to be broken and their corpses to be removed from the cross; Roman policy usually respected the religious customs of their subject nations; the Romans often left the bodies on the crosses as food for the birds of prey and as a warning to potential offenders; therefore, Roman custom was set aside in preference to the Jewish custom.

2. "Came" = to come from one place to another‑‑at the command of Pilate.

3. "The soldiers" = the Roman soldiers Pilate had put in charge for ending the lives of those on the cross.

4. "Brake the legs of the first, and of the other" = refers to the two thieves.

5. "Which" = who; the thieves are persons not things, therefore masculine gender not neuter.

6. "Crucified" = to impale on a cross to die a horrible death.

7. "Him" = Jesus, the virgin born Son of God.

 

V. 33

1. "But" = shows the contrast between the two thieves and Jesus.

2. "When" = as.

3. "They" = the Roman soldiers sent to hasten the death of those on the cross.

4. "Jesus" = "he" = the virgin born Son of God.

5. "Saw" = to perceive with the eyes.

6. "Was dead" = His body was limp due to the departure of His spirit and soul; He had dismissed His own spirit; death is separation of spirit and soul from one's body.

7. "Already" = by this time; this was unusual for many times those crucified lingered in pain and agony for as many as seven days.

8. "Brake not his legs" = there was no reason to for He had been master of His own death; also Scripture was to be fulfilled. (verse 36; Psa. 34:20)

 

V. 34

1. "But" = shows contrast between what the soldiers did instead of breaking His legs.

2. "One of the soldiers" = one of those appointed to watch the bodies until they were dead.

3. "Spear" = a lance of sharp‑pointed iron; used by the Roman soldiers as a bayonet in war.

4. "Pierced his side" = indicates a deadly wound; this was done that there might be fullest proof that He was truly dead; the providence of God prevented His legs from being broken but this action was proof that Jesus was dead, if not before, He was now; this furnishes conclusive proof that He was actually dead and that atonement had thus been made for mankind; we are not told which side was pierced nor can it be known for certain, but it seems to be on the left side near the heart; the wound was large enough to admit a hand. (John 20:27)

5. "Forthwith" = immediately.

6. "Came there out" = came forth out of the wound.

7. "Blood and water" = this would be a natural effect of piercing one's side and reaching the heart, for the heart is surrounded by a membrane called the pericardium which contains a liquid resembling water which prevents the surface of the heart from becoming dry by its continual motion; thus, when the spear reached the heart the blood rushed forth mingled with the water of the pericardium, proof that Jesus was truly dead‑‑on this depends the doctrine of the atonement and of His resurrection.

8. Others have stated, and so have I, in the past that blood and water mixed was a proof Jesus died of a broken heart.  No doubt Jesus' heart was broken because His own people‑‑the Jews‑‑would not come to Him for life. (John 1:11; 5:39‑40; Mat. 23:37)  But it seems after more study that this was strictly a natural result of Jesus' side being pierced.

 

V. 35

1. "He" = "his" = John, the human instrument used to write this gospel; he never uses his name in this gospel when referring to himself.

2. "Saw it" = to see with the eyes; to be an eyewitness of the soldier piercing Jesus' side, therefore, he could give these details with accuracy based on his own personal knowledge of these events; the tense is perfect in the Greek which means a past completed action with existing results; this means John saw it when it happened and now 60 years later he still sees it‑‑the incident was fresh on his mind 60 years later; this verse lets us know that John was there when Jesus died even though he may have carried Jesus' mother to his house (verse 27); if he did he returned to be an eye witness of the events that occurred around 3:00 PM on this Passover preparation day.

3. "Bare record" = to bear a witness; to give a first‑hand detailed account; the tense is perfect in the Greek which means he was a witness the day it happened and still bears witness 60 years later.

4. Second "record" = what one testifies.

5. "True" = real; genuine; opposite to what is fictitious or false.

6. "Knoweth" = to have absolute positive knowledge of the facts due to his being an eyewitness; the tense is perfect tense in the Greek which means he still has perfect knowledge of the facts even after 60 years.

7. Second "true" = truth.

8. "That" = introduces the reason that God moved on John to write down in detail the things he has concerning the cross‑‑"ye might believe" which is the reason this gospel is written. (John 20:30‑31)

9. "Ye" = whosoever; refers to anyone who reads these words.

10. "Believe" = trust; commit; refers to saving faith.

 

V. 36

1. "For" = "that" = introduces the reason these things were done.

2. "These things" = refers to the soldiers not breaking Jesus' legs but piercing Him with a spear.

3. "Were done" = took place; appeared in history.

4. "Scripture" = OT Scripture.

5. "Should be fulfilled" = to make complete in every detail; to bring to pass; the soldiers were not trying to fulfill Scripture for they knew not what the Scripture said, but God brought to pass what He had said.

6. "Him" = Jesus, the Messiah; the virgin born Son of God.

7. "A bone of him shall not be broken" = this was true of the passover lamb which was a type of the Lord Jesus (Exo. 12:46; Num. 9:12) and it was prophesied of the Messiah in Psa. 34:20; it came to pass just as type and prophecy had indicated.

 

V. 37

1. "And again" = shows repetition‑‑referring to another OT Scripture.

2. "Another scripture" = Zech. 12:10.

3. "They" = refers to the Jews in context; applies to all mankind for our sins nailed Jesus to the cross (Rev. 1:7); the Jews were guilty of piercing Jesus even though the Roman soldier did the actual deed; we also are guilty.

4. "Him" = Jesus, the passover Lamb that came to take away the sins of the world. (John 1:29)

 

V. 38

1. "And after this" = after the soldiers made sure Jesus was dead by piercing His side.

2. "Joseph of Arimathaea" = "he" = "him" = not a lot is known about this man;

A. He was rich. (Mat. 27:57)

B. He was an honorable counselor and waited for the kingdom of God. (Mark. 15:43)

C. He was a good and just man and had not consented to deeds of the Sanhedrin which may indicate he was a member of the Sanhedrin. (Luke 23:50‑51)

D. He was of the city of Arimathaea, a city we do not rightly know its location as there were many cities in Judah by this name.

E. He was now a settled inhabitant of Jerusalem since he had there provided himself with a burying place. (Mat. 27:60)

3. "Being a disciple" = follower; learner; the word itself does not mean to be saved but one who follows another's teaching.

4. "Jesus" = the virgin born Son of God.

5. "But" = shows contrast‑‑he was not an open follower of Jesus but a secret follower.

6. "Secretly" = to hide; to conceal; to keep safe; the tense is perfect in the Greek, which means a past completed action with existing results; this means for a period of time, how long we know not, Joseph had been following the teachings of Jesus.

7. "For" = introduces the reason he was a secret disciple‑‑"for fear of the Jews" = the Sanhedrin could and would take away one's social and religious status for their acknowledging Jesus as the Messiah. (Example: John 9:24)

8. "Fear" = that which strikes terror.

9. "The Jews" = refers of the Sanhedrin.

10. "Besought" = requested; Mat. 27:58 uses the word begged; Mark 15:43 states that he went in boldly‑‑took courage and openly went in.

11. "Pilate" = the Roman governor in charge of the affair in Jerusalem.

12. "That" = introduces the request made to Pilate.

13. "Might take away the body of Jesus" = to move Jesus' body from the cross and give it a proper burial; God had raised up this distinguished counselor and secret disciple for this important occasion; the apostles did not have any influence with Pilate and if Joseph hadn't come forth begging the body of Jesus, His body would have been buried that night in the same grave as the malefactors‑‑in potter's field.

14. "Gave leave" = to permit; allow.

15. "Therefore" = in view of the fact he had permission.

16. "He came" = arrived at the cross and "took" (to move from the place) the body of Jesus.

17. A question is raised concerning Joseph‑‑was he saved? if so when? We cannot state these facts for certain.  The Bible says he was a secret disciple which means he followed Jesus' teachings without revealing his true feelings.  This does not necessarily mean he was saved.  Nicodemus also had leanings toward Jesus' teaching for he took up for Jesus in John 7:50‑51.  The Bible is clear in Mark 8:38 that He would be ashamed of a person that was ashamed of Him.  Joseph was not ashamed of Jesus when he asked for Jesus' body; therefore, when it came time to take a stand he did. So I do not know when he was saved but at this point he was saved.

 

V. 39

1. "And there came also" = John is the only writer who records that Nicodemus joined Joseph of Arimathaea in burying the body of the Lord Jesus.

2. "Nicodemus" = a ruler and a Pharisee (John 3:1); one who spoke in behalf of the Lord at the gathering of the Council or Sanhedrin. (John 7:50)

3. "Which" = who; Nicodemus is a person not a thing; masculine gender not neuter.

4. "At the first came to Jesus by night" = refers to Nicodemus' first encounter with Jesus which was at night due to his fear of being cast out of the Sanhedrin (John 3:1‑15); now he comes openly to help bury Jesus' body; this indicates that he had been saved probably while observing Jesus' reaction while on the cross.

5. "Brought" = to bring as he came to help in Jesus' burial.

6. "Mixture" = that which has been produced by mixing.

7. "Myrrh" = a bitter gum and costly perfume which comes from a certain tree or shrub in Arabia and Ethiopia obtained by making incisions in the bark; as an antiseptic it was used for embalming.

8. "Aloes" = derived from the pulp in the leaves of a plant that belongs to the lily family;  used with myrrh, it acts as a drying agent and the fragrance would counteract the odor of decaying flesh.

9. "About" = an estimation for the exact weight was not known.

10. "Hundred pound weight" = the word for pound here is equal to 12 ounces; we do not know the value of this mixture but it would have been very costly; Nicodemus was a rich man and was willing to give all for his Lord.

11. "Jesus" = the virgin born Son of God.

 

V. 40

1. "Then" = these things being so.

2. "They" = Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus.

3. "Took" = to take up in order to carry away.

4. "Body" = a dead body or corpse.

5. "Jesus" = the virgin born Son of God.

6. "Wound" = to bind; wrapped.

7. "Linen clothes" = strips of bandages of linen cloth.

8. "With the spices" = each of His limbs was bound separately and the spices were applied within the wrappings and then it is possible they wrapped His entire body from head to feet with the spices within; the spices included the myrrh and aloes and could have included other spices "as the manner of the Jews is to bury."

9. "Manner" = custom.

10. "The Jews" = belonging to the Jewish nation.

11. "Bury" = to prepare a body for burial by the use of every provision and funeral adornment such as spices, baths, flowers, wreathes, and perfumes.

 

V. 41

1. "Now" = introduces explanation concerning His burial.

2. "In the place where he was crucified" = refers to Calvary where Jesus (he) was impaled on a cross to die a horrible death.

3. "Garden" = a piece of ground set aside for the cultivation of herbs, or plants, fruits and flowers; in this garden was also a new sepulchre.

4. "Sepulchre" = a rock tomb hewn out of the mountain side; described as "new" = recently made; unused; further described as "wherein was never man yet laid."

5. "Never yet" = not yet.

6. "Laid" = refers to a corpse being placed within–Joseph, a rich man, as the custom was of the rich, hewed out this tomb for himself but he placed Jesus' body in his own tomb thus fulfilling the prophecy of Isa. 53:9‑‑died with criminals but was buried in a rich man's tomb.

 

V. 42

1. "There" = in the garden near Calvary.

2. "Laid" = placed the body of Jesus.

3. "Jesus" = the virgin born Son of God.

4. "They" = Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus.

5. "Therefore" = in view of the fact that it was the Jew's preparation day.

6. "Because of the Jews' preparation day" = the day on which the Jews made necessary preparation to celebrate a feast‑‑passover; on this day all leaven was to be disposed of and all ceremonial cleansing was to be finished.

7. "For the sepulchre was nigh at hand" = near Calvary where Jesus was crucified.

8. The implication is that a more prominent site would have been chosen had they had time for its preparation.

9. Note the dedication of these two men.  Their part in the burial of Jesus would bring them seven days of ceremonial pollution. (Num. 19:11)  Therefore, during the entire Passover season they would be unclean and could not participate in any Passover worship or activity.  This was a no no for a Jew.  But their love for Jesus was stronger than their love for their law, customs, and personal safety.

10. John does not record the following incidents but the synoptic Gospels do.

A. Joseph and Nicodemus rolled a stone over the door of the tomb to conceal it. (Mat. 27:60)

B. Women watched the burial and took note where He was buried so they could express their devotion to Him by bringing spices and perfumes to the tomb after the Passover (Mark 15:47; Luke 23:55‑56)

C. The chief priest and Pharisees requested soldiers of Pilate to guard the tomb and to secure it by sealing the stone and setting a watch. (Mat. 27:62‑66)  Notice verse 65, Pilate who did not know anything concerning the resurrection said, "Make it as sure as you can."

      3. Climax of faith for the disciples. V. 20:1‑21:25

 

Chapter 20:

 

            1) Mary saw the Lord. V. 1‑18

V. 1

1. "The first day of the week" = Sunday; Mat. 28:1 states the time as "in the end of the sabbath" = means after the Sabbath‑‑that is after the Sabbath was fully completed or finished; the Sabbath closed at sunset or 6:00 PM on our Saturday.

2. "Cometh" = to come from one place to another; refers to arrival; Mary came from her place of abode inside the city of Jerusalem (for she lived in Galilee; Luke 23:55) and arrived at the tomb near Calvary; Mark and Luke state that the purpose of their coming was to anoint Jesus' body with the sweet spices which they had prepared. (Mark 16:1; Luke 24:1)

3. "Mary Magdalene" = the use of Magdalene with Mary's name is so that she would not be confused with the other Marys in the Scripture; she was from Magdala‑‑a place on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, about three miles south of Tiberias; Mark 16:1 states that Mary, the mother of James, and Solome were with Mary Magdalene; Luke 24:1 states that there were certain others (not named) with them; it is interesting to note that Mary the sister of Martha is not mentioned by name in any of the gospels as coming to the tomb for she had already anointed Jesus' body for burying (John 12:3,7) therefore, there was no need for her to do it again.

4. "Early" = gives the time of their arrival at the tomb; the Greek word indicates the fourth watch of the night‑‑from 3:00AM until 6:00AM.

5. "When it was yet dark" = further description of the time of their arrival; Mark 16:2 states it was at the rising of the sun, which means the sun was about to rise but had not yet done so for this verse says it was dark.

6. "Yet" = still.

7. "Sepulchre" = a rock tomb hewn out of the mountain side.

8. "Seeth" = to see with the physical eyes.

9. "Stone" = that which had been rolled over the opening of the tomb‑‑a great stone (Mat. 27:60) and sealed by Pilate to make it secure. (Mat. 27:65‑66)

10. "Taken away" = to move from its place; the tense in the Greek is perfect which means a past completed action with existing results; the stone had been removed from the entrance to the tomb before these women got there and the entrance remained uncovered; this stone was not rolled away to let Jesus out but to let the disciples see that the tomb was empty.

11. How was it rolled away?  Mat. 28:2 states that an angel rolled the stone away after an earthquake occurred.  The word here for earthquake refers to a shaking or a commotion. No doubt the soldiers on guard witnessed this commotion.

 

V. 2

1. "Then" = these things being so‑‑refers to the stone being rolled away from the tomb.

2. "She" = Mary Magdalene.

3. "Runneth" = she wasted no time, seemingly leaving the other women before the angel announced that Jesus was risen for she told Peter and John that someone had taken Jesus' body and placed it in a place she knew not.

4. John does not record some things that occurred at the tomb. Such as:

A. The women were afraid of the angel who set upon the stone he had rolled away. (Mat. 28:2‑5a)

B. He spoke to them. (Mat. 28:5‑7)

C. They entered the tomb; they were able to do so without the soldiers (keepers) stopping them because the keepers may have fainted (became as dead men). (Mat. 28:4)

D. Inside the tomb it seems they saw another angel whom Mark calls a young man. (Mark 16:5)  They also saw what Peter saw when he entered the tomb in verse 6‑7.  They did not see Jesus' body for He had risen.

E. These women then returned to Jerusalem to tell the disciples.

5. "Cometh" = to come from one place to another; speaks of her arrival to the place where Peter and John were staying while in Jerusalem.

6. "Simon" = Peter's old name before he met Christ.

7. "Peter" = Simon's new name after he met Jesus; means a rock or stone.

8. "The other disciple whom Jesus loved" = John the human instrument who wrote this gospel; identified as "who Jesus loved" = this could be said of any and all of the Lord's disciples because He loved them all equally; this was John's favorite designation of himself in his gospel.

9. "Jesus" = "him" = the virgin born Son of God now risen.

10. "Loved" = agape; God kind of love.

11. "Saith" = spoke.

12. "Them" = Peter and John.

13. "They" = someone; probably referring to the Roman soldiers.

14. "Taken away" = to move from its place; referring to Jesus' body being removed from the sepulchre (tomb).

15. "Lord" = supreme in authority; Master; Jesus the Christ.

16. "We" = may refer to Mary Magdalene and the other women who had been at the tomb even though she had left them behind.

17. "Know" = to have absolute positive knowledge; negated by "not."

18. "Where" = refers to the location of Jesus' body according to her thinking.               

19. "Laid" = place; referring to Jesus' body.

 

V. 3

1. "Peter" = one of the apostles Mary spoke to in verse 2.

2. "Therefore" = in view of the fact of what Mary had said to him.

3. "Went forth" = to go from the place where he was staying while in Jerusalem; they started instantly when they heard Mary's message.

4. "That other disciple" = John the writer of this gospel; the disciple whom Jesus loved as John referred to himself in verse 2.

5. "Came" = to come from one place to another; speaks of arriving at the "sepulchre" = a rock tomb hewn out of a mountain side; this was the tomb where Jesus's body had been placed by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus.

 

V. 4

1. "They both" = the two‑‑Peter and the other disciple‑‑John.

2. "Together" = indicates that both men left immediately after hearing the message.

A. Peter who was quick, impulsive, and prone to error.

B. John who was slow, meditative, and prone to thinking things through.

C. Now both, who were different could not wait to get to the tomb.

3. "The other disciple" = John.

4. "Did outrun" = was more swiftly or faster on his feet than Peter‑‑an apostle of our Lord.

5. "Came" = speaks of arrival at the tomb.

6. "First" = means John got there before Peter did.

7. "Sepulchre" = Jesus' tomb.

 

V. 5

1. "He" = John, the other disciple who outran Peter.

2. "Stooping down, and looking in" = implies a low opening; it is typical for John to think things through.

3. "Saw" = to see with his physical eyes.

4. "The linen clothes" = the strips of linen cloth Joseph and Nicodemus wrapped Jesus' body in. (John 19:40)

5. "Lying" = refers to the linen clothes lying in the shape of a body; the graveclothes lay like an empty cocoon; this is not the picture of a grave robbery, for no robbers could have gotten the body out of the graveclothes without tearing the cloth and disarranging things; Jesus has passed through the grave clothes and the rocky tomb.

6. "Yet" = however; John's timid nature made him pause.

7. "Went not in" = when John first arrived at the tomb he did not enter it.

 

V. 6

1. "Then" = introduces the next thing that happened.

2. "Cometh" = speaks of Simon Peter's arrival at the tomb.

3. "Following" = refers to Peter's arrival as being after John's (him).

4. "Went into the sepulchre" = entered the tomb hewn out of a rock wall.

5. "Seeth" = to view attentively‑‑not a mere glance as John gave in verse 5.

6. "Linen clothes" = the strips of linen cloth Joseph and Nicodemus used to wrap the body of Jesus.

7. "Lie" = refers to the linen clothes lying in the shape of a body.

 

V. 7

1. "Napkin" = a cloth used for wrapping the head of a corpse; used to wrap around ("about") Jesus' ("his") head.

2. "But" = shows contrast:

      A. "Not lying with the linen clothes." "but"

      B. "Wrapped together in a place by itself."

3. "Wrapped together" = having been folded up; the tense in the Greek is perfect which means a past completed action and continues to be just as it was; reveals that this action was done in an orderly fashion and there was no haste.

4. "By itself" = apart; separately.

 

V. 8

1. "Then" = at that time‑‑after Peter had entered the tomb.

2. "Went in" = entered the tomb.

3. "Also" = John as well as Peter.

4. "That other disciple" = "he" = John; identified as the one who "came first to the sepulchre" in verse 4.

5. "Which" = who; John is a person and not a thing; masculine gender, not neuter.

6. "Saw" = to have absolute positive knowledge; means more than just seeing with his eyes; means he had understanding.

7. "Believed" = to be persuaded to be true; refers to the resurrection of Jesus; even though Jesus had spoken repeatedly of His resurrection neither Peter nor John understood at first; now John does but Luke 24:12 states Peter went away "wondering" still.

 

V. 9

1. "For as yet" = not yet.

2. "They" = Peter and John.

3. "Knew not" = did not understand; did not have positive knowledge of the facts.

4. "Scripture" = the OT prophecies concerning the resurrection; the Scripture concerning the resurrection had not been made real to them; one place could have been Psa. 16:10 which Peter quotes on Pentecost. (Acts. 2:27,31)

5. "He" = Jesus, the virgin born Son of God.

6. "Must" = indicates the necessity stated by the Scriptures.

7. "Rise again from the dead" = to be raised up from the dead to live ever more.

8. "From" = out from among.

 

V. 10

1. "Then" = these things being so; refers to Peter and John entering the tomb and seeing first hand the evidence of Jesus' resurrection.

2. "The disciples" = "their" = Peter and John.

3. "Went away" = departed from the tomb.

4. "Again" = repetition of an action.

5. "Unto their own home" = their place of abode while they were in Jerusalem; they did not live in Jerusalem, therefore, they did not have a house they could call their home in Jerusalem.

6. No doubt John hurried back to the place he was staying for Jesus' mother was there and what a story he had to tell her.

 

V. 11

1. "But" = shows contrast; Peter and John left the tomb but Mary stayed.

2. "Mary" = Mary Magdalene. (verse 1)

3. "Stood without" = stood outside the tomb.

4. "At" = near; by; in front of.

5. "Sepulchre" = a tomb hewn out of a rock mountain.

6. "Weeping" = crying due to her grief‑‑caused by her Lord being crucified and now (according to her thinking), His body was missing.

7. "And" = therefore; in view of the fact her grief was heavy "she stooped down and looked into the sepulchre" = to look into with the body bent‑‑necessary because the top of the entrance was low and she wanted to get a view inside the tomb; she peeped inside but did not enter the tomb.

 

V. 12

1. "Seeth" = the Greek construction implies she viewed attentively; she saw and heard more than Peter and John did.

2. "Angels" = messengers from God; created beings who are ministering spirits waiting orders from God (Heb. 1:13‑14; Mat. 18:10); angels were commonly believed to be clad in white and here we have that proof from the inspired word = "in white."

3. "Sitting" = to sit down and John gives the location = "one at the head, and the other at the feet where the body of Jesus had lain."

4. "Body" = dead corpse.

5. "Jesus" = the virgin born Son of God, now risen.

6. "Had lain" = had been laying, though not there now.

 

V. 13

1. First "they" = "them" = the angels; this is an emphatic pronoun in the sentence; they asked the same question Jesus asked in verse 15 which shows that even the angels are compassionate toward God's sorrowing believers.

2. "Her" = "thou" = "she" = "I" = "my" = Mary Magdalene.

3. "Woman, why weepest thou" = their question was meant to help Mary realize there was more hope than she suspected.

4. "Woman" = a title of respect these angels used to address Mary.

5. "She saith" = her answer was a normal reaction under the circumstances.

6. "Because" = introduces the reason she was weeping.

7. Second and third "they" = refers to those she thought had taken Jesus' body away;

A. Could have been referring to the Roman soldiers.

B. Or could have been referring to the disciples or friends of Jesus who laid Him there‑‑Joseph and Nicodemus.  It may have been understood that the body was placed in this tomb (for it was nigh to Calvary and time was short due to the Jew's preparation day; John 19:42; we have already discussed the possibility that a more prominent site would have been chosen had they had time for its preparation) only to remain over the two Sabbaths (the high one on Thursday and the regular one on Saturday) with an intention of removing it to some other place of burial.  Therefore, it was for this reason the women came early with spices to anoint Jesus' body for burying.  Thus, Mary may have thought Joseph and Nicodemus had arrived before her and had taken Jesus' body away.

8. "Taken away" = to move from its place.

9. "Lord" = supreme in authority; Master; Jesus the Christ.

10. "Know" = to have absolute positive knowledge of the facts; negated by "not."

11. "Have laid" = placed; referring to Jesus body.

12. "Him" = Jesus, the virgin born Son of God.

 

V. 14

1. "And when she had thus said" = after she (Mary) answered the angel's question, "she turned herself back" = she turned around with her back toward the tomb; we do not know why she turned‑‑she may have heard a light sound behind her so she turned to see what or who it was.

2. "Saw" = to view attentively; it was before daylight and her vision was obscure; also grief had clouded her sense of reality and kept her from realizing the identity of Jesus and I think also of God's messengers‑‑angels.

3. "Jesus" = the virgin born, resurrected Son of God.

4. "Standing" = the tense in the Greek is perfect which means a past completed action with existing results; this means Jesus had been standing there for some time.

5. "Knew" = to have absolute positive knowledge; negated by "not;" the last sight Mary had of Jesus' mangled, bloody, matted body contrasted sharply with the form of the man she saw before her; her eyes were blurred by tears and her mind was filled with fear; therefore, it is not strange that in seeking the dead she did not see the living.

 

V. 15

1. "Jesus" = first, third, and fourth "him" = the virgin born, resurrected Son of God.

2. "Her" = first "thou" = "she" = "me" = "I" = Mary Magdalene.

3. "Woman" = a title of respect Jesus used to address Mary; He had used this same title to address His mother twice. (John 2:4; 19:26)

4. Jesus asked her two questions not for information because He already knew.

A. "Why weepest thou?" = why are you crying?

B. "Whom seekest thou?" = who do you wish (desire, crave after) to see?

5. "Supposing" = thinking; to be of opinion.

6. "The gardener" = second "him" = second "thou" = the keeper of the garden where Jesus' borrowed tomb was; gardeners started their work early in the morning so Mary assumed he would know the activities which took place at the garden tomb before she arrived.

7. "Sir" = a title of respect.

8. "If" = introduces a first class conditional sentence in the Greek which means the condition is determined as fulfilled‑‑in Mary's mind now she is convinced the gardener did carry away Jesus' body; a new idea struck her and she is as mistaken as she was before.

9. "Have borne hence" = to take up in order to carry or bear away.

10. "Tell" = speak up; let me know.

11. "Where" = refers to the place where the gardener placed Jesus' body‑‑according to Mary's thinking at the moment.

12. "Laid" = placed Jesus' body.

13. "Will take away" = to take upon one's self and carry what (Him; refers to Jesus body) has been raised up; in Mary's devotion to Jesus she overlooked her weakness and did not consider the impossibility of this task; somehow she would move His dear corpse to an honorable tomb.

 

V. 16

1.  "Jesus" = "him" = the virgin born, resurrected Son of God.

2. "Her" = "she" = "herself" = Mary Magdalene.

3. "Mary" = Jesus called her by name; divine love is demonstrated here when Jesus appears to Mary Magdalane, who had seven demons cast out of her, before He appeared to anyone else (Luke 8:2; Mark 16:9); this is an awakening word which caused her weeping, sorrow, and fears to flee; Luke 12:48 states much is required to whom much is given; therefore, because of what the Lord had done for her in salvation caused her to become one of Jesus' faithful followers which in turn caused Jesus to appear to her first after the resurrection; James 4:8 is true.

4. "Rabboni" = a Hebrew word meaning "my great master;" a title of honor Mary used to address Jesus the Christ; an expression of her joy, and an acknowledgment of Him as her Lord and Master.

5. "Master" = teacher.

 

V. 17

1 "Jesus" = "me" = "I" = "my" = the virgin born, resurrected Son of God.

2. "Her" = "your" = Mary Magdalene to whom Jesus first appeared.

3. "Touch" = to fasten one's self to; adhere to; cling to; negated by "not;" the Greek construction means to stop doing what you are doing‑‑stop clinging; Mary's desire was that she would never allow Him to leave her but Jesus had told the apostles it was necessary for them that He return to the Father or else the Holy Spirit would not come (John 16:7); the idea is not just touching, for when Jesus appeared to the other women (Mat. 28:9) they were allowed to take hold of His feet and worship Him; Mary no doubt was worshiping Him but she also wanted to keep Him in her presence; therefore, Jesus said, "Don't cling to me."

4. "For" = introduces the reason she was not to cling to Him‑‑"I am not yet ascended to my Father" = refers to Jesus going back up to heaven to be seated at the right hand of His Father (Heb. 1:3); whether Jesus had already ascended and sprinkled His blood on the mercy seat and led captivity captive we know not, (Eph. 4:8) but we know He did that soon after the resurrection.

5. "But" = shows contrast; instead of clinging to me go to "my brethren" = refers to those who have been saved; in context He is referring to the apostles; He is not ashamed to call them "brethren." (Heb. 2:11)

6. "Say unto them" = tell the brethren that "I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God" = this gave them consolation for it was assurance that His God was theirs, and that, though He had been slain, they were still united to the same Father and God; Jesus is referring to His relation to God in His humanity.

 

V. 18

1. "Mary Magdalene" = "she" = "her" = Mary from Magdala; the one Jesus told to go to His brethren and tell them what Jesus was about to do.

2. "Came" = to come from one place to another; speaks of her arrival at the place where the disciples had gathered.

3. "Told" = to declare plainly.

4. "Disciples" = followers of Jesus; refers to the apostles.

5. "That" = used twice (once in italics, thus supplied by the translators because implied) to introduce the two things she told them.

6. "Had seen" = to see with the eyes; the tense in the Greek is perfect which means a past completed action with existing results; Mary saw Him in the garden but continues to see Him with her mind's eye even as she speaks to the apostles.

7. "Lord" = "he" = a title of honor expressive of respect and reverence; supreme in authority; Master; Jesus the Christ.

8. "Had spoken these things" = refers to what Jesus had told her in the garden to tell His brethren. (verse 17)

 

            2) The disciples saw the Lord. V. 19‑25

V. 19

1. In this verse John records that Jesus appeared to the disciples in a closed room.  This is the fifth time Jesus appeared to someone after His resurrection.  John records the first‑‑Mary Magdalene and the fifth but does not record the three appearances between.

A. Second: Jesus appeared to the women who had left the tomb when the angel told them to go tell the disciples and as they went back toward Jerusalem, Jesus appeared to them. (Mat. 28:7‑10)  This must have been soon after He appeared to Mary at the tomb for the women had left as Mary came running back with Peter and John.  The women must have traveled a different route or they would have met Mary.

B. Third: It seems that Jesus must have appeared to Peter (Cephas) sometime in the morning or early afternoon. (I Cor. 15:5)  This is all we know about that appearance.

C. Fourth: Jesus appeared to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. (Luke 24:13‑32)

2. "Then" = these things being so; introduces the next sequence of events‑‑the fifth appearance of Jesus after His resurrection.

3. "The same day" = "the first day of the week" = the same day that Mary had seen Jesus.

4. "At evening" = the Greek indicates the time was between 3:00‑6:00PM probably nearer to 6:00PM when it was nearing night time.

5. "When the doors were shut" = the doors were closed; whether locked or not we know not, but the tense in the Greek is perfect which means a past completed action with existing results; this means that when the disciples came inside the place where they assembled, they closed the doors and they remained closed even when Jesus appeared to them.

6. "Disciples" = "them" = "you" = followers of Jesus; this number included 10 of the apostles and the two disciples Jesus had met on the road to Emmaus. Luke 24:33‑36 verifies this.

7. "Where" = the exact location in Jerusalem we do not know for certain; it is believed by some to be the upper room where Jesus had met with the apostles at the last supper.

8. "Were assembled" = gathered together; the tense in the Greek is perfect tense which means a past completed action with existing results; this means they gathered together and remained together at the time Jesus appeared in their midst.

9. "For" = introduces the reason they were assembled behind closed doors‑‑"fear of the Jews" = that which struck terror; they were afraid their lives might also be taken.

10. "Came" = to come from one place to another; refers to Jesus' arrival inside the room behind closed doors.

11. "Jesus" = the virgin born, resurrected Son of God.

12. "Stood in the midst" = appeared amongst or in the middle of them.

13. "Saith" = spoke; exhort (to console or encourage); they needed to be consoled because Luke 24:37 stated they were thrown into fear when Jesus appeared in their midst; the sudden manner of His appearance which was out of the ordinary, and the fact that most of them had not seen Him since His resurrection, tended to alarm them, thus His statement‑‑"Peace be unto you."

14. "Peace" = this is a usual form of greeting but this means more than just a hello; I believe this was stated in such a way that the disciples were reminded of what Jesus had said in John 14:27; refers to spiritual peace such as only Christ can give and which His Incarnation (God robed in flesh) and His death on the cross offers to men; means the absence of disorder and a harmonious relationship with God and men; probably refers to the "peace of God" = found in Phil. 4:6‑7 where it is described as a result of worrying about nothing, praying about everything, and thanking God for anything.

 

V. 20

1. "He" = "his" = Jesus the virgin born, resurrected Son of God.

2. "So said" = spoke the phrase, "Peace be unto you."

3. "Shewed" = showed; exposed to the eyes.

4. "Them" = "disciples" = the 10 apostles plus the two Jesus met on the road to Emmaus.

5. "His hands and his side" = Luke 24:39 adds "feet;" some say Jesus showed them scars where the wounds from the nails and spear had healed, but Zech. 13:6 speaks of wounds, not scars, He will show to Israel one day; in verse 27 Jesus told Thomas to thrust his hand into my side; this seems to indicate that wounds and not scars were present.

6. "Then" = these things being so; His body retaining the wounds of the nails and of the soldier's spear was ample proof of the bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus.

7. "Glad" = to rejoice exceedingly.

8. "Saw" = to understand; to inspect; more than just a mere glance with the eyes; Luke gives more details than John as to why they had understanding. (Luke 24:39‑45)

9. "Lord" = supreme in authority; Master; Jesus the Christ.

 

V. 21

1. "Then" = these things being so; John tells us some things in the next 11 verses not written in the synoptic gospels.

2. "Jesus" = "my" = "me" = "I" = Jesus the virgin born, resurrected Son of God.

3. "Them" = "you" = the 10 apostles plus the two Jesus met on the road to Emmaus.

4. "Again" = repetition; Jesus said the same thing when He appeared unto them in the closed room. (verse 19)

5. "Peace be unto you" = this is a usual form of greeting but this means more than just a hello; refers to spiritual peace such as only Christ can give and which His Incarnation (God robed in flesh) offers to men.

6. "My Father" = refers to God being the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, meaning He was made to share in the Father's own divine nature.

7. "Sent" = dispatched; to appoint to go to a place on a specific errand or official business with a purpose; Jesus never doubted that the Father sent Him; Jesus is referring to authority given Him which is translated "power" in Mat. 28:18; the tense in the Greek is perfect which means a past completed action with existing results; this means Jesus was sent from the Father at a point in past time with authority and He retains that authority as He speaks to these disciples "even so send I you" = He is sending these disciples out by the authority given Him by the Father; this is a form of what we call "the Great Commission" given to the church five different times. (Here and in Mat. 28:18‑20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46‑48; Acts 1:8)

8. "Even so" = likewise; also; in like manner; Jesus is saying that as the Father sent Him to preach, to be persecuted, to suffer, to make known His will, and to offer pardon to men, in like manner He is sending out His disciples.

 

V. 22

1. "When he had said this" = refers to what He said in verse 21.

2. "He" = Jesus the virgin born, resurrected Son of God.

3. "Breathed on" = this act was used to represent the nature of the influence that would come upon the disciples, and the source of that influence‑‑Holy Ghost; when man was created, God breathed into him the breath of life (Gen. 2:7; same Greek word used in the translation of the Septuagint‑‑Greek translation of the Hebrew OT); the word translated Spirit in the Scriptures denotes wind, air, breath as well as Spirit; thus, Jesus then said, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost."

4. "Them" = "ye" = those apostles and disciples gathered together in a room where Jesus had appeared to them.

5. "Receive ye the Holy Ghost" = in the Greek this has to be a futuristic verb because these disciples did not receive the Holy Ghost until the day of Pentecost 50 days later; it is evident from Acts 1:4‑5, which was 40 days after this verse was spoken, that they had not received the Holy Ghost at that time but were promised they would in a few days (10 to be exact) and then they would have the power they needed to be witnesses (Acts 1:8); Acts 2:1‑4 shows that all present in that upper room received the Holy Ghost and that included these disciples Jesus was speaking to in this verse; what Jesus is saying in this verse is for them to get ready or get prepared to receive the Holy Ghost and they did 50 days later on Pentecost.

6. "Holy Ghost" = Holy Spirit; Spirit of God; Spirit of Christ; a part of the Trinity‑‑three co‑equal, co‑existent, co-eternal persons in the Godhead.

 

V. 23

1. "Ye" = the disciples to whom Jesus was speaking to at this time; the apostles who were the nucleus and the first ones placed in the Lord's church. (I Cor. 12:28)

2. "Whose soever" = "them" = whosoever; anyone.

3. "Sins" = "they" = violation of God's law; to wander from the path of uprightness and honor.

4. "Remit" = "remitted" = speaks of forgiveness.

5. "Retain" = "retained" = speaks of not being forgiven.

6. Just what is Jesus saying in this verse?  What does this verse mean? It does not mean the Roman Catholic church can forgive sins, neither the Pope (so‑called) nor the priests. For only God can forgive sin!  Even the blinded Pharisees knew this. (Mark 2:5‑7)

7. So, what does this verse mean?  Remember Jesus is speaking to the nucleus of the church to whom He had already told He would give the keys (authority) to bind and loose some things. (Mat. 16:19; 18:18) Therefore this could imply two things:

A. Mat. 16:19 is spoken after Jesus said He would build His church upon Himself (Mat. 16:18) and the gates of hell would not stop the church.  This refers to the authority and power given to the church at Pentecost to preach and set forth the terms and conditions by which man might be pardoned or forgiven.  Thus, Jesus put into the hands of His church the keys of the Kingdom by which they could open the door for those who desire to enter.

B. Mat. 18:18 is spoken after Jesus instructed the church on how to discipline a member who had sinned. (Mat. 18:15‑17)  He gave the church authority to discipline a person who refuses to confess his sin.  If they confess then the church will forgive (remit) and the Lord forgives but if he refuses to confess, then the church is not to forgive (retain) but turn that one over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that he might be saved in the future. (I Cor. 5:5)  I Cor. 5:12‑13 makes it clear that the church should judge those who refuse to make things right with his fellow man and then God will judge after the church has judged.

8. This is a hard verse to interpret but again I repeat that this verse does not give the authority the Roman Catholics claims to have concerning remitting sin and pronouncing pardon.

 

V. 24

1. "But" = shows the contrast‑‑Thomas was not present when Jesus spoke to the disciples behind closed doors that first Sunday night after Jesus arose.

2. "Thomas" = "one of the twelve" = one of the apostles.

3. "The twelve" = "them" = this term is still applied to the apostles even though Judas, the traitor, is dead.

4. "Called" = named.

5. "Didymus" = a surname for the apostle Thomas; the Greek equivalent of Thomas.

7. "Was not with them when Jesus came" = was not present when Jesus appeared in the midst of the disciples behind closed doors.

8. "Jesus" = the virgin born, resurrected Son of God.

 

V. 25

1. "The other disciples" = the rest of the apostles who were in the room that first Sunday night.

2. "Therefore" = in view of the fact‑‑that Thomas was not with them.

3. "Said unto him" = spoke or told Thomas what had happened because he was not there; the Greek construction reveals that they kept on saying‑‑repeated action.

4. "Him" = "he" = "I" = "my" = Thomas.

5. "We" = "them" = the disciples who spoke to Thomas.

6. "Have seen" = to see with the eyes but more‑‑they had looked Jesus over carefully; the tense in the Greek is perfect which means a past completed action with existing results‑‑they not only had seen Him but they were still seeing Him with their mind's eye as they told Thomas; they were no doubt excited as they repeated this phrase again and again.

7. "The Lord" = supreme in authority; Master; Jesus the Christ.

8. "But" = shows contrast; the disciples were excited while Thomas was obstinate.

9. "Except" = unless.

10. "See" = to perceive with the eyes; indicates a thorough investigation.

11. "His" = Jesus the virgin born, resurrected Son of God.

12. "Print" = the mark or stroke; seems to indicate a wound because of the use of "into."

13. "Thrust" = to put into; insert; apparently the disciples had told Thomas that they had seen the print of the nails in His hands and the print of the spear in His side.

14. "Believe" = to be persuaded of; to think to be true; negated by "not"‑‑really the Greek has a double negative "not, not."

 

            3) Thomas saw the Lord. V. 26-31

V. 26

1. "After eight days" = the Jews counted the first and the last day of the period of time they dealt with; therefore, that would be the following Lord's day, meaning Sunday following the Resurrection Sunday; these two appearances of Jesus on these two Sundays sanction the first day of the week as the time of assembling together; this is verified in the NT. (Acts 20:7; I Cor. 16:2; Rev. 1:10)

2. "Again" = repetition of an action.

3. "His" = "Jesus" = the virgin born, resurrected Son of God.

4. "Disciples" = "them" = "you" = the apostles; this time Thomas was with them.

5. "Within" = apparently in the same room they were the previous Sunday night.

6. "Came" = speaks of Jesus arrival inside the room behind closed doors.

7. "The doors being shut" = the doors were closed; whether locked or not we know not but the tense in the Greek is perfect which means a past completed action with existing results; this means that when the disciples came inside the place where they were assembled, they closed the doors and they remained closed even when Jesus appeared to them.

8. "Stood in the midst" = appeared amongst or in the middle of them.

9. "Said" = spoke; exhort (to console or encourage); oh how we need continual encouragement just like the apostles did.

10. "Peace" = this is a usual form of greeting but still I think this means more than just a hello; I believe this was stated in such a way that the disciples (especially Thomas this time) were reminded of what Jesus had said in John 14:27; refers to spiritual peace such as only Christ can give and which His Incarnation (God robed in flesh) and His death on the cross offers to men; means the absence of disorder and a harmonious relationship with God and men; probably refers to the "peace of God" found in Phil. 4:6‑7 where it is described as a result of worrying about nothing, praying about everything, and thanking God for anything.

 

V. 27

1. "Then" = after that‑‑after Jesus appeared in the room where the disciples were.

2. "He" = "my" = Jesus the virgin born, resurrected Son of God.

3. "Saith" = Jesus turned and spoke to Thomas as if He had come expressly for his sake.

4. "Thomas" = one of the 12 apostles; he was not present the previous Sunday night when Jesus had appeared to the disciples.

5. "Reach hither thy finger" = put your finger here‑‑in the wounds in my hands where the nails were driven.

6. "Behold" = to inspect; examine.

7. "Reach hither thy hand" = put your hand here‑‑in the wound in my side where the spear pierced it.

8. "Thrust" = insert.

9. "Be not faithless" = the Greek construction means to "stop being faithless;" Jesus knew of Thomas' doubts or unbelief.

10. "But" = shows contrast between the way Thomas was‑‑faithless, and the way the Lord desired him to be‑‑believing.

11. "Believing" = refers to being convinced that Jesus has been raised from the dead.

 

V. 28

1. "Thomas" = "my" = one of the 12 apostles.

2. "Answered" = to begin to speak, but always where something has preceded (either said or done) to which the remarks refer.

3. "His" = Jesus the virgin born, resurrected Son of God.

4. "My Lord and my God" = Thomas was wholly convinced and did not hesitate to address the risen Christ as Lord and God.

5. We do not know if Thomas put his finger in the wound in Jesus' hand or if he put his hand in the wound in His side.  It seems as if he did not but was convinced by the evidence that he had seen with his own eyes.  The next verse seems to bear witness with this thought.

 

V. 29

1. "Jesus" = "me" = the virgin born, resurrected Son of God.

2. "Him" = "Thomas" = "thou" = one of the 12 apostles, to whom Jesus was speaking directly.

3. "Because" = introduces the reason Thomas believed‑‑"thou hast seen me" = to see with the eyes; thus it seems it was sight, not touch that convinced Thomas.

4. "Hast believed" = to be persuaded; to think to be true; the tense in the Greek is perfect which means a past completed action with existing results; this means that Thomas, even though he has just believed that Jesus arose bodily from the grave, that belief would continue‑‑have existing results.

5. "Blessed" = happy; spiritually prosperous.

6. "They" = refers to whosoever or anyone who believes without seeing with the physical eye.

7. "Believed" = to be persuaded of.

8. It seems Jesus is saying that a person who is persuaded by His Word instead of requiring visual contact would be more blessed than Thomas and that person would manifest a higher and stronger faith.

9. The Lord rebukes Thomas' unbelief.

 

V. 30

1. John uses a strong pair of Greek conjunctions in this verse and the next to convey his message‑‑"and" and "but."  These two words literally mean "on the one hand"‑‑many signs, "but on the other hand"‑‑these are written.

2. "Many" = a larger number than what is written.

3. "Other" = other of the same kind‑‑referring to the same kind of miracles John wrote about.

4. "Signs" = finger post of God; proof that Jesus was sent from God; miracles.

5. "Truly" = indeed; certainly; surely.

6. "Did" = produce; perform.

7. "Jesus" = "his" = the virgin born, resurrected Son of God.

8."Presence" = before; means they saw with their own eyes these miracles Jesus performed.

9. "Disciples" = followers of Jesus.

10. "Are not written in this book" = are not described in the book of John; many were recorded by the synoptic gospel writers and many which He performed were never recorded. (John 21:25.)

 

V. 31

1. In this verse John states his purpose (inspired by the Holy Ghost of course; II Tim. 3:16) for writing this book.

2. "These" = refers to the miracles (signs) John describes in this gospel.

3. "Are written" = to pen down upon parchments or some other kind of material; the tense is perfect in the Greek which means a past completed action with existing results; this means that these miracles were recorded at a point in past time and stand on record today. (Psa. 119:89)

4. "Ye" = refer to whosoever or anyone who reads this book of John.

5. "Might believe" = to be persuaded; to think to be true; the Greek construction means to keep on believing‑‑refers to continuous faith in Jesus Christ through the ages.

6. "Jesus" = "his" = "the Christ" = "the Son of God" = the divinely conceived Son of God in a virgin's womb who was the anointed One or Messiah of the OT‑‑Christ of the NT.

7. "That believing ye might have life" = this is another purpose of these miracles being written‑‑not only that a person would continue to believe but if one did believe he would have life, eternal life, because the Greek construction reveals that person would keep on having life; life is not a reward for good conduct to be given after death but a gift of God given to all who comes God's way‑‑by grace through faith wrought by the Holy Ghost.

8. "Through his name" = by His authority, in virtue of power derived from Him. (Acts 4:12)

 

CHAPTER 21: