Albert Barnes

Then He said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” So from that hour, this disciple took her into his home.

“Behold thy mother! - One who is to be to thee as a mother. The fact that she was the mother of Jesus would secure the kindness of John, and the fact that she was now intrusted to him demanded of him affectionate regard and…”

It was the day of Preparation, and the next day was a High Sabbath.

“The preparation - Joh 19:14. That the bodies ... - The law required that the bodies of those who were hung should not remain suspended during the night. See Deu 21:22-23.”

But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.

“Saw that he was dead - Saw by the indications of death on his person, and perhaps by the testimony of the centurion, Mat 27:54.”

The one who saw it has testified to this, and his testimony is true. He knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe.

“He that saw it - John himself. He is accustomed to speak of himself in the third person. His record is true - His testimony is true.”

Now these things happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of His bones will be broken.”

“That the scripture should be fulfilled - See Exo 12:46. John here regards the paschal lamb as an emblem of Christ; and as in the law it was commanded that a bone of that lamb should not be broken, so, in the providence of God…”

And, as another Scripture says: “They will look on the One they have pierced.”

“Another’ scripture - Zec 12:10. We must here be struck with the wonderful providence of God, that so many scriptures were fulfilled in his death.”

“Woman, why are you weeping?” they asked. “Because they have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I do not know where they have put Him.”

“They have taken away - That is the disciples or friends of Jesus who had laid him there. Perhaps it was understood that the body was deposited there only to remain over the Sabbath, with an intention then of removing it to some other place…”

“Do not cling to Me,” Jesus said, “for I have not yet ascended to the Father.

“Touch me not ... - This passage has given rise to a variety of interpretations. Jesus required Thomas to touch him Joh 20:27, and it has been difficult to ascertain why he forbade this now to Mary.”

It was the first day of the week, and that very evening, while the disciples were together with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood…

“The same day at evening - On the first day of the week, the day of the resurrection of Christ.”

Again Jesus said to them, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, so also I am sending you.”

“As my Father hath sent me - As God sent me to preach, to be persecuted, and to suffer; to make known his will, and to offer pardon to men, so I send you.”

If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld.”

“Whose soever sins ... - See the notes at Mat 16:19; Mat 18:18. It is worthy of remark here that Jesus confers the same power on all the apostles. He gives to no one of them any special authority.”

So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “Unless I see the nail marks in His hands, and put my finger where the nails…

“Except I shall see ... - It is not known what was the ground of the incredulity of Thomas. It is probable, however, that it was, in part, at least, the effect of deep grief, and of that despondency which fills the mind when a…”

Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

“Because thou hast seen me - Because you have looked upon my body, and seen the proofs that I am the same Saviour that was crucified.”

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.

“These are written - Those recorded in this gospel. That ye might believe ... - This is a clue to the design which John had in view in writing this gospel. The whole scope or end of the book is to accomplish two objects: 1.”

Later, by the Sea of Tiberias, Jesus again revealed Himself to the disciples. He made Himself known in this way:

“The sea of Tiberias - Called also the Sea of Galilee, being situated in Galilee. See the notes at Mat 4:18. In this place Jesus had promised to meet them, Mar 14:28; Mar 16:7; Mat 26:32; Mat 28:10.”

Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together.

“There were together - Probably residing in the same place. While they were waiting for the promise of the Holy Spirit, they still found it proper to be usefully employed.”

So He called out to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” “No,” they answered.

“Children - A term of affection and friendship, 1Jn 2:18. Any meat - This word (Greek) means anything eaten with bread. It was used by the Greeks especially to denote fish (Schleusner).”

Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!”

“Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved - John, Joh 13:23. It is the Lord - He was convinced, perhaps, by the apparent miracle, and by looking more attentively on the person of one who had been the means of such unexpected and remarkable success.”

When they landed, they saw a charcoal fire there with fish on it, and some bread.

“They saw a fire ... - We have no knowledge whence this was produced - whether it was, as Grotius supposes, by a miracle, or whether it was a place occupied by other fishermen, where they also might cook the fish which they had caught.”

So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many, the net was not torn.

“An hundred and fifty and three - The number is mentioned because it seems to have been a very unusual draught, and it was particularly gratifying and striking to them after they had spent the whole night and had caught nothing.”

Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and He did the same with the fish.

“Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread ... - It is not said that Jesus himself ate with them, but he gave them food. The design of this interview seems to have been to convince them that he had truly risen from the dead.”

When they had finished eating, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love Me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he answered, “You know I love You.”

“Lovest thou me more than these? - There is a slight ambiguity here in the original, as there is in our translation.”

Jesus asked a second time, “Simon son of John, do you love Me?” “Yes, Lord,” he answered, “You know I love You.” Jesus told him, “Shepherd My sheep.”

“Feed my sheep - The word here rendered “feed,” as has been remarked, is different from the word in the previous verse.”

Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. And after He had said this, He told him, “Follow Me.”

“By what death ... - In these words two things are implied: 1. That Peter would die a violent death; and, 2. That his death would be such as to honor God.”

When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?”

“What shall this man do? - This question probably means, “What death shall he die?” But it is impossible to ascertain certainly why Peter asked this question.”