The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 449

,Joor of the 11Cpul~hrr, the scaling of the Vere. 1-10.-(_1). The proeea, of John'• stone by the Rom1m g1mrd, tho re&uITootion- mon rm·.•onal conmcitOfl, by Uie dilcovcry that appeArnnec~ of the eainm, tho epeoial pre- the 1epnlohNi wa, d~Bef"Uft. 1mmtion DlJlde by the women for further Ver. 1.-Now on tha llr■1: 4&7 of the 'INek ( -r&v <raflfJ&-ro,w; <raBfJ,fra, in the plural, i■ embalmmeut on the follov.;ng day, the great used for the whole of the week, 1abbaton in- earlhqualro, the two companies of women cluding in itself the various de.ye that inter. that roeorted to the sepulohre at successive voned between snbhath and sabba.th, the first, in1-ale of time, and the different signs sooond, third, etc. Mui hero and in Luke and eveu appea.r&'D<'l'II by which their timor- xxiv. l and Mntt. :n'viii. l corresponds with the "P"'"11 of Ma.rk xvi, !l). All the on■ hope wu quil'k<'r,C'd into an adoring evangelists agree o.bout the day of the weok, homage and world-compelling faith. Though which thenceforwnrd became the new be- John dOOB not recite th88e well-knoW'D ginning of weeks, "the Lord'sdoy." Cometh narratin•s, he presupposes some of them. Ma.ry I the Magdalene. Here all the ovnn- Thus (1) o.Jthough, unlike the synoptists, gelists are at one, although, judging from he says nnth ing or the stone that was rolled the synoptists, she must he.ve been accom- panied by otlier women. This is implied to the door of the sepulchre, yet ( ver. 1) iil the ofi5aµu• of ver. 2, though Meyer re- he refers to the faot that (.-1,., ;\.[80.,) the pudiates such a hint by the remark that, in stone WO£ ta.ken up or away. (2) Although addressing the o.ngels, slie uses the si.ngalar, be says nothing of the two groups of women, oroa; but this difference rather con.firms, vol he implies tha.t Mary Mag<lalene was plura.I. tba.n otherwise, the significance of the when she first breaks on the ear of ~ot alone at the sepnlehre (ou1< ol'liaµ,.,): tile nst.oDW1ed disciples the wondrous news. " We know not where they have laid him." But when she is confronted by the angels With for greater particularity than St. Luke she is manifestly alone, o.nd speaks for her- (xxiv. 12), he describes Pater's visit to the self. It is probable the.t Mo.ry Magdalene sepulchre, and gi vcs further dcta.il.s of facts hod preceded the other women, driven by the intensity of her ado1ing love and abounding which occurred at more tho.n one interview grief, and hence some slight divergenoy between our Lord =d his apostles, of which appears as to the time o.t which she started Luke and Mark had given a more shadowy ou her pilgrimage. While it we.a yet dark, outline (cf. here vera. 19-25 with Luke earl7, in the depth of the daW'D (Luke xxiv. uiv. 86, etc.; Mark xvi 14). But we e.re 1); before the breaking of full dn.y, o.nd J,.l..., "P""t. "exceeding ee.rly" of Mark, al- not intending 1,ere to produce a history or though, as he adds, o.fter sunrise (ava.-./J\...,. harmony of these rec.ords, but to follow .-o, .-oii ;,>Jou). This latter expression is throughout the impressions produced by the difficult to reconcile as a statement of iden- Lord's self-manifestation upon the mind of tical time. But many simple BUppositions the belorred diseiple; not pa.ssing over the would explain the discrepancy. The Mag- dalene's home may hilve been o.t a greater difficulties which his peculie.r experiences distance from the sepulchre, doW'D in the have occasioned, when brought side by side shadows of the eastern hills, while the home with tho synoptic o.nd Po.nline ne.rrativea. of the other Me.rye may have been readily John first of all (vers. 1-10) describes how o.ccessible to the sepulchre. After the great he co.me to believe personally iil the resur- earthquake described by Matthew (xxvili. 2), and the BUperna.tural darkness of the rection of Jesus; then (vers. ll-18)the way day but one before, there is no incom- in which the .first manifestation W&II made patibility in the twofold statement that it tD Mary of Mo.gdal.& (vere. 19-23); how ten was yet dark (not night), although the sun of the apostles, inclnding himself, received ho.d risen. A deep pall may yet be hang~ a full and satisfying a.esnranoe of the stn- ing over the world and pla.ce which he.d held in its bosom the body of the murdered Lord pendow fa.et (vere. 24-29); how once more, of glory. (She) oometh to the aepulohre, ob- &ft.er an interval of eight days, not only viously with the purpose stated by all the Thomas, the most Bnxious, doubting, and synoptics. She was bringing the spices increduloWI of the eleven, but the entire which she, witil others, had bought on the group, came into full persuasion, not only of Friday evening. Tiley would not be behind Nicodemus and Joseph in the expression Christ's resnrrootion, but of his Diviilenature and claims, his :Meaaie.hBhip and Sonship, 1 Tischendorf (8th edit.), BA.le Rovisen, end of their own personal possession of lije with M, A. L, l, 33, spell Mary's naine in him 11.ud through him. Mczp.._ OH. xx. 1-81.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST..mrrn. 4133