The explanation of the readings
The readings of the first Sunday tell us about the certainty of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ
What is surprising is the existence of the call for the new praise”the praise of the new creation of resurrection” in the same words “Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!” in three psalms 33,96,98.They are the psalms of Vespers,Matins and liturgy.
The call for the new praise is related to the importance of the good jubilation”For the word of the Lord is right, And all His work is done in truth.” (Psalm 33:4).
In Matins psalm,the praise of salvation is related to inviting the whole earth to sing to the Lord every day. “Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.” (Psalm 96:2).
In the liturgy psalm,it mentions the reason for praising God’s great works(the holy resurrection) “Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! For He has done marvelous things;” (Psalm 98:1).
Vespers gospel
Vespers gospel talks about the church of the old covenant which didn’t get fish after the long night of the law until the Son of God shone and filled the church of the Jews and that
of the gentiles with the word of life to the point of abundance.In this way,the certainty of the resurrection resulted in its fruits in the gentiles as St.Athanasius the Apostolic demonstrated “When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.”
Matins gospel
Matins gospel demonstrates that it has become one ship(which includes the Jews and the gentiles). The Lord is the one Who has prepared the food by Himself for His disciples” Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread.”(John 21:9)
Although there were a lot of fish,the net wasn’t broken on the contrary to the boats of Peter , Jacob and John which was broken.here is a reference to the certainty of the resurrection in the unity of the church and her guard of the gifts of her members.
Pauline Epistle
Pauline Epistle talks about the certainty of the resurrection in the behavior of the new man “But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt … and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”
Catholic Epistle
This is what the Christian loveliness declare in the Catholic I write no new commandment to you, but Brethren, ” Epistlean old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the .”( 1 John 2:7)beginning
It also talks about the fruits of the resurrection, “I write to you, little children, Because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake. I write to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, Because you have overcome the wicked one.” ( 1 John 2:12-13)
Praxis
In Praxis,St.Paul insists on preaching resurrection although the Athenians mocked him “Now while Paul waited for them at
Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols. Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile worshipers, and in the marketplace daily..because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection.”( Acts17:16-18)
And also “because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” ( Acts17:31)
“And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, “We will hear you again on this matter.” ( Acts17:32)
The liturgy gospel
In the liurgy gospel,the Son appeared especially to Thomas to reveal the certainty of His resurrection and at the same time,to bless the faith of living with Him more than the faith in visions and signs “Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have
believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:27-29)
The summary of the explanation
· The humanity had obtained the new praise of Christ’s resurrection and lives it every day as well as all believers all over the world(the psalms of Vespers,Matins and liturgy).
· The churches of the Jews and gentiles have started to pick the fruits of salvation in the Incarnation of the Logos but after the resurrection,they have become one church filled with all the fruits of the resurrection.(the gospels of Vespers and Matins)
· The certainty of the resurrection is revealed in the behavior of the new man(Pauline Epistle)
and the new commandment;love(Cathoic Epistle)
and the new teaching ;preaching of resurrection(Praxis)
· The Lord has appeared to Thmas especially to assure him the fact of resurrection and blessed those who believed but didn’t see(the liturgy gospel)
JESUS APPEARS TO HIS DISICPLES, JOHN 20:19-20
Jesus is truly God.
GREGORY OF NYSSA: He did not remain in death’s power. The wounds that his body had received from the iron of the nails and the spear offered no impediment to his rising again. After his resurrection he showed himself whenever he wanted to his disciples. When he wished to be present with them, he was in their midst without being seen, needing no entrance through open doors…. All of these occurrences, and whatever other similar facts we know about his life, require no further argument to show that they are signs of deity and of a sublime and supreme power. THE GREAT CATECHISM 32.
Sermon from CYRL OF ALEXANDRIA Death’s power banished from the body.
CYRL OF ALEXANDRIA: By his unexpected entry through closed doors Christ proved once more that by nature he was God and also that he was none other than the one who had lived among them. By showing his wounded side and the mark of the nails, he convinced us beyond a doubt that he had raised the temple of his body, the very body that had hung on the cross. He restored that body that he had worn, destroying death’s power over all flesh, for as God, he was life itself. Why would he need to show them his hands and side if, as some perversely think, he did not rise again bodily? And if the goal was not to have the disciples think about him in this way, why not appear in another form and, disdaining any likeness of the flesh, conjure up other thoughts in their minds? But he obviously thought it was that important to convince them of the resurrection of his body that, even when events would gave seemed to call for him to change the mode of his body into some more ineffable and surpassing majesty, he nonetheless resolved in his providence to appear once more as he had been in the past [i.e., in the flesh] so that they might realize he was wearing no other form than the one in which he had suffered crucifixion. Our eyes could have not endured the glory of his holy body, if he had chosen to reveal it to his disciples before he ascended to the Father. Anyone who reflects on the transfiguration will easily infer this is the case…. since, it says, they could not endure the sight but fell on their faces (Matt. 17:6). COMMENTARY OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN.
Jesus’ prophecy of joy comes true.
CHRYSOSTOM: Do you see the words issuing in deeds? For what he said before the crucifixion, that “I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you” (John 15:22), this he now accomplished in deed. But all these things led them to a most exact faith. For since they had an endless war with the Jews, he continually repeated “Peace be to you” giving them consolation to counterbalance the strife. And so this was the first word that he spoke to them after the resurrection. (Similarly Paul keeps on saying, “Grace be to you and peace”). To the women, however, he gives good news of joy, because they were in sorrow and had received this as the first curse. There he gives good news to each in their own situation: to the men he gave peace because of their war; to the women he gave joy because of their sorrow. Then having put away all painful things, he tells of the victory of the cross, and this was the “peace” HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 86.2-3.
THE GIFT OF THE SPIRIT FOR FORGIVENESS, JOHN 20:21-23
The Father sends the Son, the Son sends you.
GREGORY THE GREAT. The Father sent his Son, appointing him to become a human person for the redemption of the human race. He willed him to come into the world to suffer – and yet he loved his Son whom he sent to suffer. The Lord is sending his chosen apostles into the world, not to the world’s joys but to suffer as he himself was sent. Therefore as the Son is loved by the Father and yet
is sent to suffer, so also the disciples are loved by the Lord, who nevertheless send them into the world to suffer. FORTY GOSPEL HOMILIES 26.
The Spirit is the Son’s to give.
ATHANASIUS: He gave the Spirit to the disciples, demonstrating his Godhead and his majesty and intimating that he was not inferior but equal to the Spirit. And so, he gave the Spirit, saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit,” and “I send him,” and “he shall glorify me,” and “Whatever he hears is what he shall speak.” (John 16:14)… Through whom then and from whom is it that the Spirit should be given but through the Son, to whom also the Spirit belongs? And when were we enabled to receive it, except when the Word became man? DISCOURSES AGAINST THE ARIANS 1.12.50.
The Master confirms the sentence of the servants.
CHRYSOSTOM: Anyone who considers how much it means to be able, in his humanity still entangled in flesh and blood, to approach that blessed and immaculate Being will clearly see how great the honor is that the grace of the Spirit has bestowed on priests. It is through them that this work is performed, and other work no less than this in its bearing on our dignity and our salvation.
For earth’s inhabitants, having their life in this world, have been entrusted with the stewardship of heavenly things, and they received the authority that God has not given to the angels or archangels. Not to them was it said, “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose, shall be loosed.” (Matt. 18:18) Those who are lords on earth have indeed the power to bind, but only people’s bodies. But this binding touches the very soul and reaches through heaven. What priests do on earth, God ratifies above. The Master confirms the decisions of his servants. Indeed he has given them nothing less than the whole authority of heaven. For he says, “Whoever’s sins you forgive are forgiven, and whoever’s sins you retain, they are retained.” What authority could be greater than that? “The Father has given all judgment to the Son.” (John 5:22) But I see that the Son has placed it all in their hands. For they have been raised to this prerogative, as though they were already translated to heaven and had transcended human nature and were freed from our passions.
Again, if a king confers on one of his subjects the right to imprison and release again at will, that person is the envy and admiration of all. But although the priest has received from God an authority as much greater than that, as heaven is more precious than earth and souls than bodies, some people think he has received so slight an honor that they can imagine someone entrusted with it actually despising the gift. God save us from such madness! For it is patently mad to despise the great office without which we cannot attain to salvation or God’s good promises. For if one “cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven unless he is born again of water and the Spirit” (John 3:5) and anyone who does not eat the flesh of the Lord and drink his blood is excluded from eternal life (John 6:53), and all these things can happen through no other agency except their sacred hands (the priests’, I mean), how can anyone, without their help, escape the fire of Gehenna or win his appointed crown? ON THE PRIESTHOOD 3.5
With great power comes great responsibility.
GREGORY THE GREAT: It is pleasant to observe the disciples, lifted up to a height of glory equal to the burden of humility to which they were called. You see how they not only acquire peace of mind concerning themselves but even receive the power of releasing other from their bonds. They share in the right of divine judgment so that as God’s vicars they may withhold forgiveness of sins from some and grant it to others. So it was fitting that only those who had consented to be humbled for the sake of God to be raised up by him. Those who feared God’s strict judgment were made judges of hearts. Those who were themselves fearful of being condemned condemn some and set others free. Their place in the church is now held by the bishops. Those who obtain the position of governing receive authority to loose and to bind. It is a great honor, but the burden is heavy. In truth
it is difficult for one who does not know how to exercise control over his own life to become judge of someone else’s life. FORTY GOSPEL HOMILIES 26.
JESUS APPEARS TO THOMAS, JOHN 20:24-29
Thomas absent for us.
GREGORY THE GREAT. It was not an accident that that particular disciple was not present. The divine mercy ordained that a doubting disciple should, by feeling in his Master the wounds of the flesh, heal in us the wounds of unbelief. The unbelief of Thomas is more profitable to our faith than the belief of the other disciples. For the touch by which he is bought to believe confirms our minds in belief, beyond all questions. FORTY GOSPEL HOMILIES 26.
Did absent Thomas receive the Spirit?
CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: How then, someone mat nit unreasonably inquire, if Thomas was absent, was he in fact made partaker in the Holy Spirit when the Savior appeared to the disciples and breath on them, saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit”? We reply that the power of the Spirit pervaded evert person who received grace and fulfilled the aim of the Lord who gave him to them. And Christ gave the Spirit not to some inly but to all the disciples. Therefore, if any were absent, they also received him, the munificence of the giver not being confined to those only who were present but extending to the entire company of the holy apostles. And that this interpretation is not strained, or our idea extravagant, we may convince you from the holy Scripture itself, bringing forward as a proof a passage in the books of Moses. The Lord God commanded the all-wise Moses to select seventy elders from the assembly of the Jews and plainly declared, “I will take of the Spirit that is on you and will put it in them.” (Num 11:17) Moses, as he was asked, brought them together and fulfilled the divine decree. Only it happened that two of the men who were included in the number of the seventy elders were left behind and remained in the assembly, that is, Eldad and Medad. Then when God put on them all the divine Spirit, as he had promised, those whom Moses had collected together immediately received grace and prophesied. But none the less also the two who where in the assembly prophesied, and, in fact, the grace from above come on them first. COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 12.1.
Jesus is the only crucified King.
JUSTIN MARTYR: David refers to Jesus’ suffering and to the cross in a parable of mystery in Psalm 22[:16-18], “They pierced my hands and my feet”… But you still maintain that this very psalm does not refer to Christ because, in your blindness, you fail to realize that no one in [the Jewish] nation who has been called king of Christ has ever has his hands or feet pierced while alive of had died in this mysterious fashion – that is, by the cross – except this Jesus alone. DIALOGUE WITH TRYPHO 97.
No one now can doubt the Resurrection’s power.
GREGORY OF NYSSA: Once he had accustomed people to seeing the miracle of resurrection in other bodies, he confirmed his word in his own humanity. You already received a glimpse of that word working in others-those who were about to die, the child who had just ceased to live, the young man at the edge of the grave, the putrefying corpse, all alike restored by one command to life …. Now look at him whose hands were pierced with nails, look at him whose side was transfixed with a spear. Pass your fingers through the print of the nails, thrust your hand into the spear wound. You could surely guess how far within your hand would reach by the breadth of the external scar since the wound that gives admission to the hand shows to what depth the iron entered. If he then has been raised, well may we utter the apostle’s exclamation, “How do some say that there is no resurrection of the dead?’’. Since, then, every prediction of the Lord is shown to be true by the testimony of events-in fact, we
not only learned this from his words but also received the proof in his deeds from the very same people who returned to life by resurrection what other occasion is left for those who do not believe? Let us rather bid farewell to those who pervert our simple faith by “philosophy and vain deceit.” Let us instead hold on to our confession [of the resurrection] in its purity, a confession that we have learned through the gracious words of the prophet, “You shall take away their breath, and they shall fail and turn to dust. You shall then send forth your Spirit, and they shall be created, and. you shall renew the face of the earth. ON THE MAKING OF MAN 25.12-13. Like Father, like Son.
AMBROSE: You have read that the Father is both Lord and God: “O Lord my God, I will call on you, hear me.” You find the Son to be both Lord and God, as you have read in the Gospel, that, when Thomas had touched the side of Christ, he said, “My Lord and my God.” So just as the Father is God and the Son Lord, so too the Son is God and the Father Lord. The holy designation changes from one to the other. The divine nature does not change, but the dignity remains unchangeable. For they are not [as it were] contributions gathered from bounty but free-will gifts of natural love. For unity has its special property, and the special properties are bound together in unity. ON THE HOLY SPIRIT 3.15.108.
Thomas touches God.
JOHN CASSIAN: Thomas, when he touched the flesh, believed that he had touched God, saying, “My Lord and my God” For they all confessed but one Christ, so as not to make him two. Do you therefore believe him? And do you believe in such a way that Jesus Christ the Lord of all, both Only Begotten and firstborn, is both creator of all things and preserver of humanity and that the same person is first the framer of the whole world and afterward redeemer of mankind? ON THE INCARNATION OF THE LORD AGAINST NESTORIUS 6.19
Blessing hidden in suffering.
AMBROSE: There are some… who think a blessed life is impossible in this body, weak and fragile as it is. For we have to suffer pain and grief, weeping, illness-all in this body …. It is not a blessing to be in the midst of suffering. But it is a blessing to be victorious over it and not to be bullied by the power of temporal pain. Suppose that things come that are considered terrible because of the grief they cause, such as blindness, exile, hunger, violation of a daughter, loss of children. Who will deny that Isaac was blessed, who did not see in his old age, and yet gave blessings with his benediction? Was not Jacob blessed who, leaving his father’s house, endured exile as a shepherd for pay, and mourned for the violated chastity of his daughter and suffered hunger? Were they not blessed on whose good faith God received witness, as it is written: “The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob”? A wretched thing is slavery, but Joseph was not wretched. In fact, clearly he was blessed when, while a slave, he checked the lusts of his mistress. What shall I say of holy David, who bewailed the death of three sons, and, what was even worse than this, his daughter’s incestuous connection? How could he be unblessed from whom the author of blessedness himself sprung who has made many blessed? For “blessed are they who have not seen yet have believed.” All these felt their own weakness, but they bravely prevailed over it. What can we think of as more wretched than holy Job, either in the burning of his house, or the instantaneous death of his ten sons or his bodily pains? Was he less blessed than if he had not endured those things whereby he really showed himself approved?
It is true that in these sufferings there is something bitter and that we cannot use mind over matter to hide this pain. I should not deny that the sea is deep because in shore it is shallow, or that the sky is clear because sometimes it is covered with clouds, or that the earth is fruitful because in some places there is only barren ground or that the crops are rich and full because they sometimes have wild oats mingled with them. So, too, count it as true that the harvest of a happy conscience may be mingled with some bitter feelings of grief. In the sheaves of the whole of a blessed life, if by
chance any misfortune or bitterness has crept in, is it not as though the wild oats were hidden or as though the bitterness of the tares was concealed by the sweet scent of the corn? DUTIES OF THE CLERGY 2.5.19-21
PURPOSE OF THE GOSPEL, JOHN 20:30-31
John foresaw heresies.
IRENAEUS: The Gospel know no other Son of man but him who was of Mary, who also suffered. There was no Christ who flew away from Jesus before the passion, The Gospel know about him who was born as Jesus Christ the Son of God and that this same person suffered and rose again, as John, the disciple of the Lord verifies, saying: “But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.” [He foresaw] blasphemous systems that divide the Lord, as far as lies in their power, saying that he was formed of two different substances. AGAINST HERESIES 3.16.5.
The reason for the Gospel account.
TERTULLIAN: Why does this Gospel, at its very termination, intimate that these things were ever written unless, to use its own words, it is so “that you might believe that Jesus is the Son of God”? Whenever, therefore, you take any of the statements of this Gospel and apply them to demonstrate the identity of the Father and the Son, supposing that they serve your views there, you are contending against the definite purpose of the Gospel. For these things certainly are not written that you may believe that Jesus Christ is the Father but the Son. AGAINST PRAXEAS 25.
An ending and a preface.
AUGUSTINE: This paragraph indicated, as it were, the end of the book. But afterward, there is still the account of how the Lord manifested himself at the sea of Tiberias and in draught of fishes where special reference is made to the mystery of the church and its future character in the final resurrection of the dead. I think, therefore, it is arranged in this way in order to give special prominence to the fact that the end of the book has, as it were, been interposed, and that this ending was meant to be a kind of preface to the narrative that was to follow, in order in some measure to give it a position of greater eminence. TRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 12.2.1.
Source
Oden, T.C. & Elowsky, J.C. (2007). John 11-21 (The Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, New Testament part IVb). Illinois (U.S.A): InterVarsity Press. Pages 355, 357, 359, 360, 362, 363-364, 367, 368, 372-373, 375-376.