The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 448

EXPOSITION. were called into being throughout Palestine, Phcenicia, Syria, Lybia, A.sia. Minor, Achaie., CHAPTER XX. Macedonia., Cyprus, Crete, and even in Italy Vera. 1-31.-2. The cmnplete glorifica- and the capital of the Roman empue, all of tion of Jesus in his resurrection. 'fhe record them held together by the life-giving con- po.uses for the awful day of that great sab- viction of the reality of a world of spiritual be.th, and resumes the marvellous recite.I body, into which the redeemed enter. Of when the greatest event in the history of this reality the resurrection-life of Christ the world is assumed and asserted to have was the type, the proof, the fi.rstfruit, and ta.ken place. Heathen and foes admit the the earnest. This most astounding fact was fact of the death of Jesus;· the evidence is preached in Galatia and Macedonia, in overwhelming, multiform, sufficient to es- Corinth and Rome, in Babylon and Ale:x- tablish itself to the ordinary reason of man- e.ndria, before one word of the Gospels had kind. It is a matter of indubitable history. been put on parchment. When the preach- The proof was given to all the world; but ing of the apostles was reduced to =itteu it is otherwise with the fact of the anastasi, form, it was not with the idea of recording a of Jesus. That stupendous event was re- fully detailed or easily harmoniza.ble account vealed to the eye and mind of faith by a of the Eo.ster Day, or of providing rational, series of communications, which afford to or juridica.l,or historic evidence of the method dtfferent classes, groups, kinds, and ~tates of or order of the great events, but rather to mind specimens of the mnnner and quality provide five independent series of evidences of the resurrection-life. "Many infallible to the revelations which the apostles and proofs" wrought (as St. Luke says, A.cts apostolio compR.Dy received of the nature i.) irresistible conviotion as to the reality of and quality of the new life for humanity the Resurrection. The Church of Christ which had now begun. Several details of was originated by a faith in this now and profound interest occur in the synoptio nar- transcendental mode of existence. A. gene- rative, concerning which John is silent- ration of men passed, scores of communities suoh e.g. as the rolling of a. stone to the  4(i2 'l'HE G-OSPEL AOOORDINO TO ST. JOHN, [on. u:. 1-31.