*' When it was evening on that day, tlie first day of the week." The precise houi' is not specified ; but, considering all things, it seems probable that it was after sunset, and when it was dark, in order to avoid observation. — The cause of the disciples as- sembling, we may reasonably suppose, was the tidings received from no less than four distinct sets of witnesses, that Jesus had risen from the dead, and was alive. It would have been strange indeed if they did not assemble on hearing such news. — The place where the disciples assembled is not mentioned. But at a time like the passover feast it would not be difficult to find some " upper room," where ten men might meet together. 1 can see no improbability in the supposition that the very room where the Lord's Supper was instituted on the previous Thurs- day evening, might be the same room where the disciples gathered together on Sunday night. The words of St. Mark incline me to think that the person to whom the " upper room " belonged was one of those Jews who were friendly to Christ, though they had not courage to confess Him openly. (Mark xiv. 13—15.)
That the " doors " should be " shut, where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews," is a circumstance that need not surprise us. The Apostles might well regard their lives as being in imminent danger, when they remembered how their Master had just been treated. Moreover, the story of the guard placed round the sepulchre, that " the disciples had stolen the body of Jesus," might reasonably incline them to expect fur- ther ill-treatment themselves. They did their best therefore to avoid observation, and closed the doors of the room where they assembled after sunset.
Concerning the precise manner in which our Lord appeared to the disciples, there is no little difference of opinion, {a) Some think, as Calvin, and many of the divines of the seven- teenth century, that He suddenly caused the doors to open, passed through them when open, and suddenly stood in the midst of the company assembled. (&) Some think, as Chrysos- tom, Cyril, Augustine, the Romanists, and nearly all Lutherans, that the doors continued fastened, and that our Lord miracu- lously appeared standfing in the room where the disciples were, instantaneously, in a moment, and without notice. I do not know that it signifies much which view we take. Ta either case a miracle was wrought. Our Lord's risen body must evi- dently have had a power of moving from one place to another, and of being visible or invisible, as He thought fit, according to His good pleasure, after a manner that we cannot understand. In any case, we must carefully remember that it was a real, material body, — a body that could be touched, and felt, and seen, and handled, and yet a supernatural and peculiar body. With such a body it was as easy for our Lord to appear sud- denly standing in the middle of the room, while the doors re- mained fastened, as it was to open the doors (as He did the