CH Spurgeon on John 20 verses 18–31

Spurgeon on John 20, verses 18-31

Verse 18. Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.

She was a true woman—one whom they had known well enough to be quite able to trust her, and her witness ought to have been believed, but there were some that doubted.

Verse 19. Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

How He came there, we do not know, but doors cannot shut Him out. Is there any door between my soul and Christ tonight then? Have I shut myself up in the chamber of doubt, despondency, unbelief? He can come to me. While the doors are yet shut, He can appear within my spirit, and say, “Peace be to you.” Oh! that He would do so! Do we not cry to Him to come and breathe peace upon us?

Verse 20. And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side.

That they might be sure it was He—the same who had died by crucifixion—that they might see how intimate He was with them—familiar—that His scarcely healed wounds should be seen by them.

Verse 20. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.

Oh! for such a sight! There is a depth of gladness in a risen Christ. Those wounds preach peace and joy.

Verses 21–23. Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

Thus did Jesus Christ support and make forever true the preaching of His Word. Do we declare that the sins of penitents are remitted? They are remitted. Are we, in His name, bidden to declare that, “He that believeth not shall be condemned”? So shall it be. He will make the word which is uttered to be true. We shall not speak without our Master making the utterance of His Word to be a matter of fact.

Verse 24. But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.

Perhaps he lived a long way off, or else, being rather slow, he had stopped about, doubting, and fearing, and questioning, and he had not got there in time, anyhow, he was not there. “Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together as the manner of some is,” for it will be a loss to you, as it was to him.

Verse 25. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.

Dogged, obstinate unbelief. Some have said he was a large-hearted man, who investigated truth. I do not see it. He had not gone to the tomb, like Peter and John, to look at the grave clothes, and to discover that Christ was not there. He does not appear to have investigated the testimony of Mary Magdalene, and of the others. He was just as narrow minded as he very well could be, as I believe modern doubters are, with all their boast of their wonderful thoughtfulness and liberality. We have only their own opinion, I am sure, upon that matter, and when a man sounds his own trumpet, there is not much in it.

Verses 26–27. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas,

For our Lord has a way of making personal application of His word. He looks after the sheep that is sick, and severs it from the flock, that He may deal with it in His wisdom. “Then saith he to Thomas.”

Verses 27–28. Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

And whether Thomas did put his finger into the print of His nails or not, we cannot tell. Everyone may think as he likes about that. He may have done so, or he may not, but this one thing happened, that he “answered and said unto him, ‘My Lord and my God.’” He made a splendid leap from the depths of doubt to the firm rock of confidence. With two blessed “mys” he seems to grasp Christ with both hands, and in two grand words he pictures Him, “My Lord and my God.”

Verse 29. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

That is the faith—the true faith—that wants no buttressing and props, but believes the testimony of God.

Verses 30–31. And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

God grant that the object of writing the New Testament may be answered in each one of us.