Second Sunday of Easter: Sunday of Divine Mercy (April 11, 2021) Joh 20:19-31

Jesus Appears to the Disciples

19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

10 Now when I went into the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was confined to his home, he said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple. Let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you. They are coming to kill you by night.”

Rashi

Who was confined for he found him at home.

He said, “Let us meet”—Shemaiah was a false prophet who had received a bribe from Sanballat and his colleagues to frighten Nehemiah in order to stop the work.

For they are coming to kill you—For Sanballat and his colleagues will come to kill you.

And they are coming . . . by night—Therefore, he warned him to enter the temple and to close the doors about himself, because the doors of the gates of the city had not been made, as it says at the beginning of the chapter (verse 1): “Although up to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates.”

11 But I said, “Should such a man as I run away? And what man such as I could go into the temple and live? I will not go in.” NEH 6:10-11

Rashi

Should such a man as I run away—This is a question: Should such a man as I run away to enter the temple?

I will not go in—I will not go in there because of fear of death, and I will not transgress the commandments of the Holy One, blessed be he, that a stranger (a non-priest) may not enter his temple.

20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.

21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”

22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

John Gill

And when he had said this—That is, declared he sent them forth in like manner as his Father sent him:

He breathed on them—In allusion to God’s breathing the breath of life into man, at his creation; or rather, to the Spirit himself, who is the breath of God, and proceeds from him, as from the Father; and who breathes both upon persons in regeneration, and in qualifying for ministerial service, at the instance and influence of Christ: and such an opinion the Jews have of the Spirit of the Messiah, who say that

“the Spirit went from between the wings of the cherubim, ‘and breathed upon him’ by the decree, or order of the word of the Lord.”

And said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit”—Meaning not the grace of the Holy Spirit in regeneration, which they had received already; but the gifts of the Spirit, to qualify them for the work he now sent them to do, and which were not now actually bestowed; but this breathing on them, and the words that attended it, were a symbol, pledge, and confirmation, of what they were to receive on the day of Pentecost: hence it appears, that it is the Spirit of God, who, by his gifts and grace, makes and qualifies men to be ministers of the gospel; and our Lord by this action, and these words, gives a very considerable proof of his deity.

23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

Jesus and Thomas

24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came.

John Gill

Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin—The person here spoken of, is described by his Hebrew name Thomas, and his Greek one the Twin, which both signify a twin; and perhaps he was one. It was common with the Jews to have two names, a Jewish and a Gentile one; by the one they went in the land of Israel, and by the other when without the land; no, they often went by one name in Judea, and by another in Galilee; where Thomas might go by the name of the Twin with the Greeks, that might live with the Jews in some of those parts: he is also said to be “one of the twelve” apostles, which was their number at first, though Judas now was gone off from them, and therefore are sometimes only called the “eleven”; but this having been their complement, it is still retained; but what is observed of him to his disadvantage and discredit is, that he

Was not with them when Jesus came—Beza’s ancient copy reads, “he was not there with them”; and so read the Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions; he either had not returned to the rest after their scattering one from another upon the apprehending of Christ; or did not choose to assemble with the rest, for fear of the Jews; or was taken up with some business and affair of life; however, he was not with the rest of the disciples, when they were assembled together, and Jesus appeared among them: as it is of good consequence to attend the assemblies of Christ’s disciples and followers, so it is of bad consequence to neglect or forsake them: it is frequently to good purpose that persons attend them; here God comes and blesses his people, Jesus grants his presence, the graces of the Spirit are increased, and drawn forth into exercise; souls that have lost sight of Christ find him, disconsolate ones are comforted, weak ones strengthened, and hungry ones fed: on the other hand, not to attend is of bad consequence; neglect of assembling together exposes to many snares and temptations; brings on a spiritual leanness; leads to an indifference and lukewarmness: issues in a low degree of grace, and a non-exercise of it, and in a loss of Christ’s presence.

25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

If I summoned him and he answered me,

I would not believe that he was listening to my voice. JOB 9:16

Rashi

I would not believe—I would be unable to believe out of my fear for him, for how do I not see him?

26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”

27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”

28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”

It will be said on that day,

“Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him,

that he might save us.

This is the Lord; we have waited for him;

let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” ISA 25:9

Rashi

It will be said—(Lit., and he shall say, i.e.,) his people (shall say) on that day, “Behold, etc.”

We have waited for him, that he might save us—We were hoping for him, that he might save us.

29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

The Purpose of This Book

30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;

John Gill

Now Jesus did many other signs—Besides these wonderful appearances to his disciples once and again, when the doors were shut about them: and which signs refer not to what was done before, but after his resurrection; and which he did,

In the presence of the disciples—For he appeared to, and conversed with no other but them after his resurrection:

Which are not written in this book—Of John’s gospel; though they may be elsewhere; such as his appearing to the two disciples going to Emmaus, and to the eleven on a mountain in Galilee, and to five hundred brethren at once, which other inspired writers speak of: and many there are which he did; which are not particularly written in this, nor in any other book; for he was seen of his disciples forty days, and showed himself alive, by many infallible proofs; all of which are not recorded.

31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

7 I will tell of the decree:

The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;

today I have begotten you.

Rashi

I will tell of the decree—Said David, “This is an established decree, and one that I have received to tell this and to make known.”

The Lord said to me through Nathan, Gad, and Samuel.

You are my Son—The head over Israel, who are called “My firstborn son.” And they will endure through you, as is stated concerning Abner (2Sa 3:18): “for the Lord has promised, etc., ‘By the hand of my servant David I will save . . . Israel.’ ” And for their sake, you are before me as a son because they are all dependent upon you.

Today I have for I have enthroned you over them.

Begotten you to be called my son and to be beloved to me as a son for their sake, as it is stated (2Sa 7:14) concerning Solomon: “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son.” We find further concerning David (Psa 89:27) “He shall call me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.’ ”

Sukkah 52a:6

The Sages taught: To Messiah the son of David, who is destined to be revealed swiftly in our time, the Holy One, blessed be he, says: Ask of me anything and I will give you whatever you wish, as it is stated: “I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, ‘You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession” (Psa 2:7-8). Once the Messiah the son of David saw Messiah the son of Joseph, who was killed, he says to the Holy One, blessed be he: Master of the universe, I ask of you only life; that I will not suffer the same fate. The Holy One, blessed be he, says to him: Life? Even before you stated this request, your father, David, already prophesied about you with regard to this matter precisely, as it is stated: “He asked life of you; you gave it to him, length of days forever and ever” (Psa 21:5).

12 Kiss the Son,

lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,

for his wrath is quickly kindled.

Blessed are all who take refuge in him. PSA 2:7, 12

Sanhedrin 92a:1

The people [leom] curse him [yikkevuhu], but a blessing is on the head of him who provides” (Pro 11:26). And the term leom is referring to nothing other than fetuses, as it is stated: “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one leom shall overcome the other leom” (Gen 25:23). And kabbo is referring to nothing other than curse, as it is stated in the statement of Balaam: “How can I curse one who is not cursed [kabbo] by God?” (Num 23:8). And bar is referring to nothing other than the law, as it is stated: “Pay homage to bar, lest he be angry” (Psa 2:12), i.e., observe the law to avoid God’s wrath.