John 20:30

Of what signs does the evangelist speak here? Surely of those which the Lord performed before His suffering? No, but of those which He performed after His resurrection. For the evangelist adds: "He did in the presence of His disciples." But the miracles before the …

And many other signs truly did Jesus,....

This was the first Christian sabbath, and she begins it accordingly with enquiries after Christ. She had spent the day before in commemorating the work of creation, and therefore rested; but now she is upon search into the work of redemption, and therefore makes a visit to Christ and him crucified. (2.) She came early, while it was yet dark; so early did she set out.

Many other signs truly did Jesus, etc. - That is, besides the two mentioned here. Joh 20:19, Joh 20:26, viz. Christ’s entering into the house in a miraculous manner twice, notwithstanding the doors were fast shut: see on Joh 20:19 (note). The other miracles which our Lord did, and which are not related here, were such as were necessary to the disciples only, and therefore not revealed to mankind at large.

The story of the unbelief of Thomas, related in these verses, is a narrative peculiar to the Gospel of John. For wise and good reasons it is passed over in silence by Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and was probably not given to the world until Thomas was dead. It is precisely one of those passages of Scripture which supply strong internal evidence of the honesty of the inspired writers.

The story of the unbelief of Thomas, related in these verses, is a narrative peculiar to the Gospel of John. For wise and good reasons it is passed over in silence by Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and was probably not given to the world until Thomas was dead. It is precisely one of those passages of Scripture which supply strong internal evidence of the honesty of the inspired writers. If impostors and deceivers had compiled the Bible for their own private advantage, they would never have told mankind that one of the first founders of a new religion behaved as Thomas here did. We should mark, for one thing, in these verses, how much Christians may lose by not regularly attending the assemblies of God's people. Thomas was absent the first time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after His resurrection, and consequently Thomas missed a blessing. Of course we have no certain proof that the absence of the Apostle could not admit of explanation. Yet, at such a crisis in the lives of the eleven, it seems highly improbable that he had any good reason for not being with his brethren, and it is far more likely that in some way he was to blame. One thing, at any rate, is clear and plain. By being absent he was kept in suspense and unbelief a whole week, while all around him were rejoicing in the thought of a risen Lord. It is difficult to suppose that this would have been the case, if there had not been a fault somewhere. It is hard to avoid the suspicion that Thomas was absent when he might have been present. We shall all do well to remember the charge of the Apostle Paul—"Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together, as the manner of some is." (Heb. 10:25.)

THE public life of our most blessed Lord Jesus Christ was brief. Few suppose it to have exceeded three and a half years but yet, what a full life it was!

THE public life of our most blessed Lord Jesus Christ was brief. Few suppose it to have exceeded three and a half years but yet, what a full life it was! It had in it not only enough to compose the four Gospels, each one of which is sufficient to lead men to saving faith, but so much remained over and above that, the Apostle John makes this remarkable statement—"And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written, every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written." Our Lord's life was as ample as His own festivals—it feeds thousands—and with the fragments that remain many baskets might be filled! A man may complete a great and fruitful life in two or three years, while another may have existed as long as an antediluvian and yet his life may be poor and powerless. Not only did the Lord Jesus speak and do great things as to number, but there was a world ofpower in each word and work. He did not display a multitude of feeblenesses, but each individual outcome of His life was grand enough to have been a marvel if considered by itself! As was the Doer, in whom "dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily," such were the deeds—they, also, were full of Grace and the Truths of God! There was a fullness of Divine wisdom, Grace and power about each act of Jesus. Hence the Apostle, here, speaks of the Lord's acts as signs—"many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of His disciples." There was a mass of instruction in all our Lord's movements. Nothing about Him was trivial. He preached by His entire life, preached a marvelous array of Truths and preached them with living freshness! Never is He twice the same, though always the same.

Other signs - Other miracles. Many were recorded by the other evangelists, and many which he performed were never recorded, Joh 21:25.