28 And the scripture " was fulfilled, which saiih, And he was numbered with the transgressors.
29 And '' they that passed by railed on tiim, waguiiig their heads, and saying, Ah, thou " that destroy-
account of the matter is clear from the Evangelists themselves; and especially from Mark. The three hrst Evangelisis concur in staling that there was a remarkable darkness over the whole land from the sixth to the nijith hour. Matt, xxvii. 45. 3Iark xv. 33. Luko xxiii. 44. This fact would seem to indicate that the actual crucifixion contirmed only during that lime — that he was in fact suspended al about the sixth hour, though the preparations for crucifying him had been going on (Mark) for two hours before. The fact that Mark (xv. 33.) mentions this darkness as commencing at ihe sixthand not at the third hour, is one of the circumstances undesignedly occurring that seems to signify that the crucifixion then had actuallij taken place — though the various arrangements for it (v. 25.) had been go ing on from the third hour.
One thing is conclusively proved by this, that the Evangelists did not conspire together to impose on the world. I'liey are independent vv'itnesses; and they were honest men. And the cir cumstance adverted to here is one thai is allowed to be of great value in tes limony in courts of justice — circum stanlial variation with essential agree ment.
2G. The superscription. The writing over his head on the cross. IT The kiitg of the Jews. See Notes on Matt, xxvii. 37.
2S. And the scripture was fulfilled, &i,c. This passage of scripture is found iti Isaiah liii. 12. This does not mean that he teas a transgressor, but siinpl}- that in dying, he had a place ivith trans gressors. Nor does it mean that God regarded him as a sinner; but that, at his death, in popular estimation, or, by the sentence of the judge, he was rega-ded as a transgressor, and was treat cd in the same manner as the others put to death for their "ransgressions. Jesus died, the just for the zinjust, and in his death, as well as in his life, hf was hol.y, harmless, undefiled.
30 Save thyself, and come down from the cross.
31 Likewise also the chief priests, mockiiifr, said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save.
32 Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see, " and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.
33 And * when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land, until the ninth hour.
34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, ' Eloi, Eloi, lama sabacthani 1 which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me ] ^
35 And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said. Behold, he calleth Elias.
36 And one ran and filled a
spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and ' gave him to drink,
43. Tlie even. The time after three o'clock in the afternoon. ^ Ttie preparation, &,c. The following day was to be a day of peculiar solemnity, called the great day of the feast. More than ordinary preparation was, therefore, made for that sabbath on the day before. Hence the day was known as a day of preparation. This preparation consisted in food, &c., to be used on.he sabbath.
43. Joseph, an lionorahle counsellor. A distinguished man who probably held d high office among tlie Jews, as one of their great council or a Jewish senator. The word lionorahle here is not a mere title of office, but is given in reference to his personal character, as being R man of intcgrhy, and blameless life. Il Waited for tlie liingdom of God. Wait-;d for, or expected, the coming of the Messiah. But this e.xpression means nore than an indefinite expectation that saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down.
37 And / Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.
38 And the vail of the temple was rent in twain, from the top to the bottom.
39 And when the centurion^ which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he saia, Twiy this man was the Son of God.
40 There were also women looking on afar ^ off; among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less, and of Joses, and Salome;
41 (Who also, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered * unto him;) and many other women which came up with hiiti unto Jerusalem.
42 And now when the even was come, because it was the Preparation, that is, the day before the sab bath,
43 Joseph of Arimathea, an hon the Messiah would come, for all the Jews expected that. It imphes that he believed Jesus to be the Messiah, and that he had waited for him to build up the kingdom of God; and this agrees with what Johl^ says (xix. 38), that he was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews. He had retained \\\a sec -et belief in the hope that Jesus would be proclaimed and treated as the Messiah, and then he probably proposed openly to acknowledge his attachment to him. But God called him to a public profession of attachment in a different manner, and gave this distinguished man grace to evince it. So men often delay a profession of attachment to Christ. They cherish a secret love; fhey indulge a hope in the mercy of God; but they conceal it for fear ot man. Whereas God requires that th( attachment should be made known He that is ashamed of me, said ttw
ourable counselioi, which also waited • for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.
-14 And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead: and calling unto kim the centurion, he asked him vehether he had been any while ■lead.
45 And when he knew it of the
Saviour, and of my words before it en, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed when he shall come in the glory of his Father and of the holy angels. Those who love the Saviour have no right to hide their li^ht under a bushel. As soon as they have evidence, satisfactory to their own mind, that they are Christians, or have a prevalent belief, after faithful examination, that they truly love God, and depend on the Lord Jesus for salvation, so soon are they bound to profess Christ before men. This is the command of God, and this is the way of peace. None have the prospect of comfort in religion, who do not have respect to all of the commandments of God. ^r Went in holdly unto Pilate. God had raised up this distinguished counsellor and secret disciple for a special and most important vocation. The disciples of Jesus had fled, and if they had not, they had no influence with Pilate. Unless there had been a special application to Pilate in behalf of Jesus, hiE body would have been buried that night in the comraoh grave with the malefactors: for it was a law of the Jews that the body of an executed man should not remain on the cross on the sabbath. At this critical juncture, God called forward this secret disciple — this friend of Jesus, though imknown as such to the world, and gap/e him confidence; he dared to express sympathy 'or the Saviour; he went in boldly, and begged the body of Jesus. It needed no small measure of courage to do this. Jesus had just benncondeirined, mockad, spit on, crucified — the death of a slave, or the most guilty wretch. To «vow attachment for him tiow was proof 3,''-jiEcereairection; and the Holy Spirit ko5^ thought this worthy of special S5 centurion, he gave the body to Joseph.
46 And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a * stone unto llie door of the sepulchre.
47 And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid.
notice; and has set down tliis bold ai tachment of a senator for Jesus, for our imitation. '^ Craved the body. Begged, or asked.
44. A nd Pilate marvelled if. Wondered if he was dead; or wondered that he was so soon dead. It was not common for persons crucified to expire under two or three days, sometimes not until the sLsth or seventh. Joseph had asked for the body, implying that he was dead. That he was, had been ascertai-ned by the soldiers. See John -xix. 33.
4j. When he knew it of the centurion. Being informed by the centurion of the fact tliat he was dead. The centurion had charge of the soldiers who watched him, and could, therefore, give correct information.
47. Beheld where he was laid. The affection of these pious females never forsook them, in all the trials and sufferings of tiieir Lord. With true love they followed him to the cross; they came as near to him as they were permitted to come, in his last moments; they followed him when taken down and laid in the tomb. The slrong, the mighty, the youthful, had fled; but female love never forsook him, even in his deepest humiliation. This is the nature of true love. It is strongest ir such scenes. While professed attach ment will abound in prosperity, and live most in sunshine, it is only genuine love that will go into the dark shades of adversity, and flourish there. In scene? of poverty, want, aflliction, and death; it shows its genuineness. That which lives there, is genuine. That which turns away from such scene« <a spuri ous.
iSlJ •* when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Saome, had bought sweet spices,* that they might come and anoint him.
2 And very early in the morning-, the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.
3 And they said among them.- selves, Who shall r.)ll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre 1
4 (And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away,) for it was very great.
5 And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.
6 And he saith unto them, Be
1. Svifet spices. Aromatics. Substances used in embalming. The idea of sweetness is not, however, implied in the original. Many of the substances used for embalming were bitter; as, e. g. myrrh, and none of them perhaps could properly be called sweet. The word spices expresses all that there 13 in the original, if Anoint him. Embalm him. Or apply these spices to his body to keep it from putrefaction. This is proof that they did not suppose he would rise again. And the fact that they did not expect he would rise, gives more strength to the evidence for his resurrection.
4. It was very ^reat. These words belwng to the third verse: " Who shall ifoll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?" for, the evangelist adds, it was very great.
5. Sitting on the ri"ht side. As they ntered. The sepulchre was large enough to admit persons to go into it; not unlike, in that respect, our vaults.
7. And Peter. It is remarkable that Peter is singled out tor special notice. It was proofof the kindness and mercy
not aft'righted: Ye seek Jesus ol Nazareth, which was crucified: ht is risen; ' he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.
7 But go your way, tell his dis ciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.
8 And they went out quickly and fled from the sepulchre; foi they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man,• for they were afraid.
9 Now when Jesios was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalena out of whom he had cast seven devils.
10 Jlnd she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept.
11 And they, when they had
of the Lord Jesus. Peter, just before the death of Jesus, had denied him. He had brought dishonor on his profession of attachment to him. He hao been brought to see the crime, and to weep bitterly. It would have been right if the Lord Jesus had from that momen. cast him off, and noticed him no more. But he loved him still. Having loved him once, he loved unto the end. John xiii. 1. As a proof that he forgave him, and still loved him, he sent him this special message — the assurance that though he had denied him, and had done much to aggravate his sufferings, yet he had risen, and was still his Lord and Redeemer. We are not to infer, because the angel said, "tell his disciples and Peter," that Peter was not still a disciple. The meaning is, " tell his disciples, and especially Peter:' sending to him a particular message. Peter was still a disciple. Before \v.i fall, Jesus had prayed for him that hi» faith should not fail (Luke xxii. 32); and as the prayer of Je^us was always heani (John xi. 42), so it follows that Pete? still retained faith sufficient to be a disciple, though, like other disciples, bf was suffered to fall into sin.
12 After in-at he appeared in another form unto " two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.
13 And they went and told it unto the residue; neither believed they them.
the eleven as they sat' at meat, and
tliey did not expecl his resurrection; •jroof thai ihey were not easily deceived; and that nothing but the clearcat evidence could undeceive them.
12. He appeared m another form. In a form unlike his ordinary appearance, so much so that they did not at first know him. See Notes on Luke xxiv. 13 — 31. IT As Ihc'i walked and went i7ilo the country. To Emniaus. Luke.\xiv. 13.
14. See Notes on IVIatl. II As they sat at meal. The word meat here means food, or meals. As they were reclining at their meals. H And upbraided them. &c. Rebuked them, or reproached Ihem. This was done because, after all the evidence they had had of his re- Bunection, still they did not believe. This is a most important circumstance in the history of our Lord's resurrection. Never were men more difficult to be convinced of any thing, than they were of that fact. And this shows, conclusively, that they had not conspired to impose on the world; that they had given up all for lost when he died; that they did not expect his resurrection; and all this is the strongest proof that he truly rose. They were not convinced, until it was impossible for them longer to deny it. Had they e.xpected it, they would have caught easily at the shghtest evidence, and even turned every circumstance in favar of such an event. It may be added, that it was impossible that eleven men of good natural understanding eiiould have been deceived in so plain a case. They had been with Jesus tliree years; they perfectly knew his (eaturcs, voice, manner. And it was upbraided them with their unbelief ' and hardness of heart, because they beli(!ved not them whicii riad seen him after he %vas risen.
15 And he said unto them, Go'' ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. '
16 He i that believetli, and ia
impossible that they should have been deceived iiy any one who might have pretended to have been the Lord Jesus
1;'). Into all the world. To the Gentiles as well as the Jews. This was contrary to the opinions of the Jews, that the Gentiles should be admitted to the privileges of the.Messiah's kingdom, or that the partition wall between them should be broken down. See Acts x.xii. 21, 22. It was long before the disciples coidd be trained to the belief that the go.spel was to be preached to all men; and it was only by special revelation, even after this command, that Peter preached to the Gentile cen turion. Acts x. Jesus has graciously ordered that the preaching of the gospel shall be stopped by no barriers. Wherever there is man, there it is to be proclaimed. To every sinner he offers life; and all the world is mcluded in the message of mercy, and every child of Adam offered eternal salvation. ^ Preach. Proclaim; make known; offer. To do tlii.? to every creature, is to offer pardon and eternal life to him on the terms of the plan of mercy — througli repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus. It The gospel. The good news. The tidings of salvation. The assurance that the iWessiah is come, and that sin may be forgiven, and the soul saved. IT To every creature. To the whole creation. That is, to every human being. Man has no right to limit this offer to any class of men. God commands his servants to offer the salvation to all men U they reject it, it is at their peril. God is not to blame if they do not choose to be saved. His mercy is manifest; his grace is boundless in offering life to a creature so guilty as man.
lieveth the gospel. Credits it to be true, and acts as if it v:cre true. This is the whole of faith. Man is a sinner. He should act on the belief of this truth, and repent. There is a God. Man should believe it, and fear and love him, and seek his favor. The Lord Jesus died to save him. To have faith in him, is to believe tliat this is true, and to act accordingly; i. e., to trust him, to rely on him, to love him, to feel that we have no merit, and to cast our all upon him. There is a heaven and a hell. To believe this, is to credit the account, and act as if it were true: to seek the one, and avoid the other. We are to die. To believe this, is to act as if this were so: to be in readiness for it, and to expect it daily and hourlj'. In one word, faith is feeling and acting as if there were a God, a Saviour, a heaven, a hell; as if we were sinners, and must die; as if we de-erved eternal death, and were in danger of it; and in view of all casting our C'-nal interests on the mercy of God in Clirist Jesus. To do this, is to be' a Christian; not to do it, is to be an infidel. ^ Is baptized. Is initiated into the church by the application of water, as significant that he is a sinner, and needs the purifying influences of the Holy Ghost. It is worthy of remark that Jesus has made baptism of so mach importance. He did not say, indeed, that a man coxdd not be saved without baptism, but he has strongly implied that where this is neglected, knoiving it to be a command of the Saviour, it endangers the salvation of the soul. Faith ^wd baptism are the beginnings of a Christian life: the one the beginning of piety in the soul, the other of its manifestation before men, or of a profession of religion. And ever}' man endangers his eternal interest by being ashamed of Christ before men. See Mark viii.,38. ^ Shall be saved. Saved from sin (Matt. i. 21), and from eternal death (John v. 24; iii. 35), and raised to eternal life in heaven. John v. 28; xvii. 2, 24 ^f Shall he damned. That is, condemned by God. and cast off from nis presence 2 Thes i. 6 — 9 It implies that they wil! be adjudged to I be guilty by God in the day of judg i ment fRoai ii- ]2. 1(3 Matt, xxv 41)
shall they east out devils; they shall speak ' with new tongues;
that they will deserve to die for ever (Rom. ii. 6, 8); and that they will be east out into a place of woe to all eternity. Matt. XXV. 4G. It may be asked how it can he just in God to condemn men for ever for not believing the gospel. I answer: 1st. God has a right to appoint his own terms of mercy. 2d. Man has no claim on him for heaven. 3d. The sinner rejects the terms of salvation knowingly, deliberately, and perseveringly. 4th. He has a special disregard and contempt for the gospel. 5th. His unbelief is produced by the love of sin. 6th. He shows by this that he has no love for God, and his law, and for eternity. 7th. He slights the objects dearest to God, and most like him; and, 8th. He m.ust be miserable. A creature who has no confidence in God, who does not believe that he is tnte or worthy of his regard, and'who never seeks his favor, must be wretched. He rejects God, and he must go into eterziity without a Father and \vithout a God. And he has no source of comfort in himself, and must die for ever. There is no being in eternity but God that can make man happy; and without his fa vor, the sinner must be wretched.
17. And these signs. These mira cles. These evidences that they are sent from God. ^ Them that believe. The apostles and those in the primitive age who were endov^'ed with like power. The promise is fulfilled if it can be shown that these signs followed in the case of any who believed, and it is not necessary to suppose that they would follow in the case of all. The meaning is, that they should be the result of faith, or of the belief of the gospel. It is true that they were. Tliey were shown in the case of the apostles and early Christians. The infidel cannot say that the promise has not been fulfilled, unless he can show that, it never occurred; the Christian should be satisfied that the promise was fulfilled if these miracles were ever actually wrought, though they do not occar now; and the believer now should not expect a miracle in his case. Miracles were necessary for the establishmnn" of religion in the world, they are not necessai'y now 11 In my Tiame. By
18 They shal. take up "serpents; 4nd if they drink any deadly thingf, it shall not hurt iheni; they * shall Say hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
my authority, and using the power thot / would in such cases, if bodily present. This was done: and in this they difi'ered essentially from the manner in which Jesus himself wrought miracles. He did it in his ovm name. He did it as possess' ng original, underived authority. See the account of his stilling the sea (Matt. viii. 26, &c.); of his healing the sicii (Matt. L\. 5, 6); of his raising Lazarus. John xi. The prophets spoke in the name of the Lord. The apostles did ikewise. Acts iii. 6, &c. There was, therefore, an important difTerence between Jesus and all the other messengers that God has sent into the world. He acted in his own name; they in the name of another. He wielded his oxun power; they were the instruments by v.'hich God put forth the omnipotence of his arm to save. He was, therefore, God; they were men. of like passions as other men. Acis xiv. 15. "IT Shall they cast out devils. See Note on Matt, iv. 24. Compare Acts xvi. 16 — 18. ^ Shall speak with new tongues. Shall speak other languages than their native language. This was remarkably fulfilled on the day of Pentecost. Acts ii. 4 — 11. It existed also in other places. See 1 Cor. xii. 10.
18. TVteij shall take up serpents. When it is necessary for the sake of fistabhshing religion, they shall handle Joisonous reptiles without injury: — thus flowing that God was with them, to keep them from harm. This was literally fulfilled when Paul shook the viper from his hand. See Acts xxviii. 5, 6. T Any deadly thing. Any poison usually causing death. ^ Shall not hurt them. There is a similar promise in Isa. xliii. 2. H They shall lay hands on the sick, &c. See instances of this, in the Acts of the Apostles, ch. iii. 6, 7; v. 15, &c.
id. He was received up into heaven. In a cloud from the mount of Olives, see Acts i. 9 'il The rigid hand of God We are no' 'o suppose (hat God has hands, or that Jesus sits in any particu- «i direction from God. This phrase is 33*
19 So then ' after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat "* on the right hand of God.
20 And they went forth, and
taken from the manner of spealdng among men, and means that he wai e.xalted to honor and power in the heavens. It was esteemed the place of the highest honor to be seated at the right hand of.a prince. So, to be seated at the right hand of God, means only that Jesus is exalted to the highest honor of the universe. Compare Eph. i. 20 — 22.
20. They went forth. The apostles. ^ Every where. In all parts of the world. See the account in the Acts and the Epistles. If The Lord working with them By miracles; by removing obstacles; by supporting them, and by giving the gospel success, and making it effectual to saving men. f Confirming the icord. Showing it to be the word of God, or a revelation from heaven. H By signs following. By attending miracles. By raising the dead, healing the sick, &c., as signs that God was with them, and had sent them forth to preach. If Amen. Truly, verily. So be it. This word here is of no authority. There is no reason to think that it was added by Mark.
Mark is more concise than any other of the evangehsts. In most instances he coincides with Matthew, though he has added some circumstances which Matthew had omitted. There is no evidencefiiowever, that he copied from Matthew', The last chapter in Mark contains some things omitted in Matthew, and some things of fearful import. We learn from it that the gospel is to be preached to all mankind. Every man is to be offered eternal Kfe; and he rejects it at his peril. The condition of the man who will not believe, is fear lully awful. The Son of God has solemnly declared that he shall be damned. He will judge the world; and there is none that can deliver out of his hand. No excuse will be allowed for n«t believing. Unless a man has faith, he must be lost foi- ever. This is the solemn assurance oi the whole Bible, and' in view ot this awiul declaration of the merciful Rcdesmer, how sad is the co'n dition of him who has no confidence in that without delay he should make his Jesus, and who has never looked to him peace with God, and possess that faith for otenip.1 life I And how important | which is connected with eternal Ufn'