Лекция одиннадцатая. Воскресение Господа нашего Иисуса Христа

I. The appearance of the risen Lord in Jerusalem and its environs When exactly and how the glorious Resurrection of our Lord followed is known only to the Risen One and the One Who raised Him with His Spirit. – We, like these elders of Israel, can only worship the traces of the glory of God, which appeared over the tomb of the leader and perfecter of our salvation. The sun of the spiritual world rose from His tomb before the sun of the material world, for the women who went to the tomb “deep in the morning” no longer found guards with it. The rising of this Sun, just like His previous setting on the Cross, was accompanied, according to the legend of St. Matthew, by a shaking of the earth. These were necessary illnesses of the great birth, for from the womb of the earth the firstborn from the dead rose, not according to the ordinary laws of birth into eternal life, as all those who rest in their tombs will once rise, but according to the accelerated action of omnipotence, which destroyed the bonds of hell and death. This earthquake, despite its importance, was felt in all its strength, however, apparently, only in Vertograd and its environs, for the women calmly went on their way, not thinking about the terrible phenomena of nature. In addition to the reverent work of the earthly elements, the forces on high were also honored to serve the great miracle of the Resurrection of the Lord. And, firstly, one of the Angels, “descending from heaven” (Matthew 28:2), an expression used in the description in the most important cases, rolled away the stone that was blocking the entrance to the cave. This action, completely unnecessary for the Risen One, whose most pure body, as we will see, passed through the closed doors, was necessary for His followers, so that when they came to the tomb, they could quickly learn that the Buried One was no longer in it. Moreover, the appearance of the Angel and the rolling away of the stone could have served for the guards instead of announcing the Resurrection of Jesus, for the Risen One did not seem to deign to show the guards (perhaps so as not to consume them from the land of the living) His own face. The appearance of the Angel rolling away the stone was, according to St. Matthew, like lightning, and his robe was like snow. The usual form of appearances in our world by the creatures of the heavenly world, which human bodies more or less take on themselves at the moment of their approach to the invisible world, as happened with the Savior on Tabor, with Moses on Sinai. At the sight of the lightning Angel, the guards “became as dead” (Matthew 28:4). All the fearlessness of the Roman warrior turned into nothing from the mere presence of a higher power, for it was not at all visible that the heavenly messenger said anything to the guards. His very appearance already sufficiently showed that what those who assigned them feared on the one hand, the same thing actually came true; it is completely different, contrary, that Jesus was not kidnapped by anyone, but, as He Himself predicted, rose with glory from the tomb. Therefore, the soldiers, as much as their returning consciousness and strength allowed, immediately departed from the tomb with news that was most terrible for the enemies of Jesus. The resurrected Savior spent the first minutes after His uprising, it seems, on earth, and, moreover, near the place of His burial, as shown by His first two appearances, of which one (the second) followed in the funeral heliport itself; and the other (first) is at least not far from it. A number of his appearances began in this way. Some of the pious women who were present at the burial of the body of Jesus had, as we have seen, a desire, after the Sabbath had passed, to come again to the tomb and anoint the body with ointments, observing all the funeral customs, which on the eve of the Sabbath (when the burial took place) could not be performed due to the shortness of time. As a result of this intention, having stocked up with perfumes and ointments, these wives, namely Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, the mother of Jacob, and Salome (Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:1, Luke 24:1, John 20:1), and some others, on the first day of the week “green in the morning” (Mark 16:2), when it was still dark, went to the tomb. The silence of the morning, in addition to the zeal to pay the last debt to the beloved Teacher as quickly as possible, was also chosen because in the midst of this holy work to be freer from witnesses and safer from the enemies of Jesus, who looked at all signs of respect for Him as contempt for themselves and their power. The wives were not at all aware of the seal placed on the coffin and the guards around it. One thought, as John remarked, confused them on the way: “who will roll away the stone for them,” which, according to the Evangelist Mark (Mark 16:3, 4), “is very great”? Before that, everything seemed possible to their fiery zeal; or, more precisely, before they did not think about obstacles at all, thinking only about Jesus. What was it like for the heart, already lost in the confusion of different feelings, when, approaching the cave in which the body of Jesus was laid, the women saw that the stone - the object of their confusion - had been rolled away from the tomb! According to our customs, this would be an unimportant circumstance, but among the Jews, as we had the opportunity to notice, the grave stone was considered inviolable and its removal occurred only in some extraordinary circumstances. Seeing it rolled away, it was therefore necessary to assume that something special had happened to the body of Jesus. What exactly? The joyful thought of the Resurrection of Jesus would most likely fill sorrowful hearts. But this thought, for various reasons, was far from the followers of Jesus. One had to involuntarily indulge in another, saddest thought: that the body of Jesus had been taken by someone and placed in another place. By whom? – Friend or enemy? For what? And where should it be? “Each of these questions came by itself and multiplied bewilderment. In these thoughts, the women (except for Magdalene, who turned back) approached the cave and, entering it, did not find the body of Jesus. Again, thought after thought awakened in the soul, feeling after feeling arose in the heart. The angel sitting on the stone was no longer there. Other enlighteners appeared... “Behold, there were two hundred men before them in shining robes” (Luke 24:4). The appearance of these second heralds of the Resurrection, apparently, was more suitable to an ordinary human (that is why they are called “men”, and in Mark (Mark 16:5) one of them is a youth; but the suddenness, time and place of their appearance, the very property of their unearthly being, naturally inspired awe and awe. With eyes lowered from fear, the pious Myrrh-Bearers waited to hear their own verdict. Oh, how joyful he was for hearts weighed down with sadness and bewilderment! “Don't be horrified! - said one of the Angels. – Are you looking for Jesus of Nazareth crucified? In vain. Why search for the living with the dead? He's not here. Remember how He spoke to you, while still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and rise on the third day” (Luke 24:5–7). So, He rose again, as He said, this is the place where He was laid. Look. Go, continued the Angel, and tell His disciples and Peter (although he denied the Teacher) that He, Jesus, will meet them in Galilee. There you will see Him, as He told you before” (Mark 16:6–7). Soon the wives went to pay their last debt of love to the Deceased; They flowed even faster to announce the news of the Risen One. On their way, however, due to extreme fullness and confusion of feelings, they could not say a word to anyone about this (Matthew 28:8). According to the evangelists, they were overcome by horror and great joy. They rejoiced with all their hearts at the resurrection of the Beloved, that His humiliation and their sorrow were so suddenly and so gloriously exchanged for glory and joy. They were terrified and trembled at the power of the suddenness and greatness of the miracle, having been honored to see heavenly beings, they felt that the Divine world had opened up before them, among the phenomena of the heavenly world, no matter how gentle and beneficial they were; out of necessity, what David once commanded happens: “Rejoice... with trembling” (Ps. 2:11). Even greater joy awaited the pious wives along the way. “When he went to tell his disciples, and behold, Jesus saw me, saying: Rejoice!” (Matthew 28:9). There could not be greater bliss on earth for the hearts of lovers. Forgetting everything earthly and themselves, the women fell at Jesus' feet and grabbed hold of them (verse 9). It seemed that their love wanted either to keep Him with them on earth, or to ascend with Him to heaven. But the feeling of awe was still too noticeable among the holy joy. “Do not be afraid,” said Jesus, “go, tell my brethren, that they may go to Galilee, and see Me there” (Matthew 28:10). Nothing more followed at the appearance of the Lord. It seemed that all the forces on high and He Himself were now occupied solely with the task of introducing all the disciples to the life-giving joy of the Resurrection as quickly as possible. And indeed, every extra hour in this regard was costly both for the disciples, who spent the entire time of death and burial of the Teacher in tears and sobbing (Mark 16:10), and for the risen Lord, Who, out of His love for the disciples, could not bear their tears when He Himself shone with the glory of new life and bliss. Some of the disciples, however, heard the already vague, and therefore unfruitful, news about the extraordinary event with the body of Jesus. The first messenger about this was Magdalene. At the sight of the rolled away stone, when the other wives continued to go to the tomb, she, on whom, due to the special state of her bodily composition, all impressions acted much more strongly, rushed back to Peter and the other disciple, “whom Jesus loved,” with the news of this unexpected event. “They have taken my Lord,” said the wife, torn by grief, “and I do not know where they have laid Him” (John 20:2). But Peter and John - for here, as in other places, he hides under the name of his beloved disciple - knew as little about the event with the body of the Teacher as did Magdalene. Their time, despite the brightness of the holidays, passed in nothing but tears and sobs. Instead of answering and guessing, both students immediately rushed to the coffin in order to see for themselves what unusual happened there. Both of them “fled” (John 20:4) from the same thought and love for the Teacher. But John, according to his own remark, which was very necessary for subsequent circumstances, “ran faster than Peter” (John 20:4) and therefore came to the tomb before him. But he did not dare to enter the coffin, out of fear or for some other reason. When he bent down to look into the cave, he saw only burial shrouds there, but there was no body. There were also no angels seen by the women, or they were not visible to John, as well as later to Peter. The latter is more likely, because Magdalene will see them in the same position in which the other wives saw them. The vision or non-vision of celestial beings depends on the properties of those who see, and this condition, as the present case shows by the way, may consist not only in the properties of the spirit, but also of the body. Soon Peter also came, and as if to compensate for his slowness, he entered the very tomb and found there much more than what John had seen. In addition to the burial shrouds, lying in their place, there was also a sir, who was at the head of the Buried One, but not with the shrouds, but separately, in a different place, and, moreover, suitably entwined. This feature in the present case was very important, because it showed decisively that the body of Jesus was not stolen by anyone, because the stealer would have neither the need nor the time to expose the dead body. This revelation, on the one hand, is unnecessary for anyone who only wanted to transfer the body to another place, and on the other hand, it is extremely difficult, because the funeral shrouds, smeared with rare incense, strongly stuck to the body, involuntarily leading to the idea that all this was accomplished not by human force, but through a miracle - closest of all is the miracle of the Resurrection. Peter probably was not slow to report the feature he had found to John, who continued to stand outside the cave. As a result of this, the latter entered the tomb, and, as he himself says about himself, “saw and believed” (John 20:8). Why? Not only the words of Magdalene, who said that the body of Jesus was not in the tomb - as some explained this belief, for He could not help but believe this before, without entering the cave - seeing that the body was not in it - but the very Resurrection of the Teacher, that is, the special position of the funeral clothes had such a strong effect on him that it awakened a strong thought about the Resurrection. We say “thought” because there was no firm faith yet: therefore, later the Evangelists will say more than once about all the disciples that they doubted the Resurrection until they were convinced by the appearances of the Risen One. In Peter, although he was the first to see the peculiarity of burial clothes and through this led John to faith (initiative), this reason apparently did not produce a similar effect. He, according to the testimony of the Evangelist Luke, “went away, marveling at what had happened” (Luke 24:12). Each walked his own path of conviction, slower, faster, firmer, more unsteady, depending on the qualities of his spirit and his destiny. Seeing nothing more either in the tomb or around it and hoping, perhaps, to hear something more from the wives who had been at the tomb before them, the disciples returned home. But the sensitive, deeply grateful Magdalene (who came after the disciples) remained at the tomb. Any other place was now not to her heart. Several rays of hope, which completely illuminated John, could have fallen on her soul, but the weak light, overcome by the darkness of doubt, led to even greater sadness. Among the tears - the usual consolation of tender souls in sorrow - Magdalene bent down to look into the cave again, - and there were two young men (the words of John), “in a white robe, sitting one at the heads, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus lay” (John 20:12). The unexpected appearance of two creatures should immediately arouse the thought of their angelic dignity; but to Mary, whose soul was entirely occupied with her precious loss, everything seemed natural, and the sight of two Angels did not even produce ordinary fear in her. To their question: “Why are you crying?” Who are you looking for? - She answered the same thing that she said to the apostles: “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him” (John 20:13–14). Having said this, Mary, excited by the reverent movement of the Angels, or Jesus Himself, turned back and saw Jesus standing: but she did not recognize that it was Jesus. A quick glance, cast through tears, in a state of emotional excitement, could not suddenly reveal the beloved Teacher, located among the canopy of trees. Thinking that it was the heli-grader, Maria continued to look into the cave, where the presence of two faces promised more satisfaction to her heart's need. Even when Jesus Himself asked her: why is she crying? – Mary, without addressing Him, said only: “Sir! if you have taken Him (being very busy with something, you think that you are still busy with the same thing, and they know it without a name), then tell me where you put Him, and I will take Him” (John 20:15). “Mary,” Jesus said in that voice from which the seven evil spirits who dwelt in poor Magdalene once came out. “Rabbi” (John 20:16), answered Magdalene, turning to a familiar voice, and wanted to throw herself on the ground and hug Jesus’ feet. But the Lord held her back. “Do not touch Me,” He said, and to explain this, he added: “For I have not sighed to My Father: but go to My brethren and say to them: I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God” (John 20:17). The delighted Magdalene hurried to the apostles to announce what she had seen and heard. But this message found just as little faith as the message of the other women who preceded it in the gospel. Evangelist Luke says without hesitation that “I appeared before them as if their words were lies, and I did not believe them” (Luke 24:11). From this unbelief (which could have different degrees and in general was unbelief of the mind, not the heart) must exclude, as we have seen, John, who already had faith, at least an incipient one. Before we follow other appearances of the risen Lord, let us turn in the gospel to His own face. From His words to Magdalene it is clear that He now had some kind of ascent to His Father, and ours. Which? This is usually understood as His ascension into heaven, which was to follow fourty days later. But the remoteness of this event makes this interpretation distant from the first. The first thought that comes to mind when reading them is that this ascent should have followed now, immediately after the appearance to Magdalene. “What kind of sunrise is this,” they will ask, “where and for what?” “To the Father... and God,” answers the Savior Himself. It was fitting for the conqueror of hell and death to appear with a resurrected body in heaven, among the angelic world, to give an account of the great deed He had accomplished, to show glory to the heavenly spirits. And the Apostle Paul notes in one place that Jesus “appeared to be an angel” (1 Tim. 3:16). This glorious testimony, since He mentions it before the Ascension, is most fittingly attributed to the present ascension into heaven. Why didn't it come straight from the grave? It is completely impossible to answer this without knowing the state that the body of the resurrected Jesus must have gone through. We can only say that His first appearances hastened the news of His rebellion. Towards the end of the first day, the Lord again appears on earth and, in accordance with His promise, appears to the disciples in Galilee - appears on the way to Galilee. This phenomenon, wonderful in many respects, is so simply and heartfelt described by the Evangelist Luke that in order to understand his spirit, and at the same time to keep in mind the sample of the Gospel stories about the life and deeds of the God-Man, it will be useful to listen to it from the lips of the Evangelist himself... When the Divine ascent to the Father of truth and bliss took place, the descent to the Father of lies and death continued. The joyful news of the Resurrection of Jesus for the whole world should have been a thunderclap for His enemies. But even this blow could not awaken hearts possessed by the spirit of insensibility. It is not known how they explained this miraculous event to themselves: whether by the natural theft of the body by the disciples of Jesus, or by the supernatural assistance of dark forces, as they explained the previous miracles of Jesus (some could even be inclined to believe in the risen Jesus). But the first thing they decided to do when they received the guard’s report was an unfortunate attempt to obscure the truth of the Resurrection with a lie. “Cry like His disciples, who came overnight and stole Him for us sleeping” (Matthew 28:13). This lie exposed itself from all sides. The Roman warrior knew too well the severity of his military laws to allow himself to sleep while on guard. Moreover, if they were asleep, how could they know that the body was stolen and not resurrected? What was strangest of all was for the warrior to cite sleep as an excuse for his malfunction. But it was impossible to weave a better lie; they grabbed onto what was at hand. Legibility and judgment regarding this matter of the people, “who know no law” (John 7:49), were not valued much. More terrible for the inventors of lies, especially for the soldiers, was Pilate, for whom the event with the body of Jesus could have given him the opportunity to cause a lot of trouble to the high priests in revenge for their previous persistence. However, the latter, in order to calm the soldiers, undertook to bend him to mercy: “if ... the hegemon is heard, we will satisfy him and make you carefree” (Matthew 28:14). Meanwhile, most of the sadness was taken away by the fact that each of the soldiers received a significant number of pieces of silver - a temptation that very few in Rome at that time could resist. The remainder, if there was any after this, of fear of punishment from the hegemon, could be diminished by the thought that in case of extremes, the discovery of the complete truth before Pilate could serve instead of an apology for one’s wrongdoing. Thus, the divine truth, at its first appearance, is already hidden in untruth by those who were its first spectators or hearers. A terrible example of moral cruelty, which, however, unfortunately, is not the only one in the history of the poor human race! At the end of the day, the risen Lord again appears on earth. The first of the apostles to be worthy of seeing Him was Simon. But nothing is known about this phenomenon, except for the time and place (in Jerusalem). Peter himself does not mention it at all. Mark, his companion, too. It hardly consisted of one brief vision of the Savior. At least, his conversation with Peter during one of His subsequent appearances does not suggest a long conversation at the present time. Quite the opposite in this regard is the appearance of Jesus to the two disciples on their way to Emmaus. Its description, made by the holy Evangelist Luke, is so complete and distinguished by such an inimitable combination of the natural and the supernatural that it would be best to listen to it as it came from the pen of the Inspired writer... In addition to this legend, we note that, firstly, the disciples who went to Emmaus, in all likelihood, belonged to the seventy disciples of Jesus, but those who treated Him less than others. Cleopas, here mentioned, must be distinguished from another Cleopas (John 19:25), or Alpheus, a relative of Jesus on the mother's side, the father of James and Josiah. Secondly, the lack of recognition of Jesus by His own disciples, explained in part by their extremely sad position, which did not allow them to be curious, and the position of the walking Companion (He could walk behind them), is made completely clear by the remark of the Evangelist Mark, who says that Jesus appeared in a different way - in a different form. An expression that forces one to assume not only a different, which already meant a lot in the present case, clothing on the Appearing One (the previous one was separated by crucifiers), but also in some way a different appearance. In this case, it was not Cleopas who could have been burning in heart and yet not recognize Jesus. This transformation was a transformation of love, which wanted to give the Emmaus disciples the precious experience of exercising their inner feelings and gradually leading them to self-knowledge. Thirdly, knowledge in the breaking of bread had to happen for many reasons. During the meal they could see each other much closer. The blessing, coupled with the refraction, which in Jesus was undoubtedly spirit and life, also convicted the stranger. But most of all, His own most pure hands betrayed the heavenly Guest, on which deep traces of ulcers remained. Filled with joy, the Emmaus disciples immediately hurried back to Jerusalem in order to share this joy with the other disciples, whom they assumed to be in a state of spirit no better than that in which they themselves were before the appearance of Jesus. But the cloud of sadness that hovered over the small flock had already dissipated. Joy was met with joy. “Truly the Lord has arisen and appeared to Simon” (Luke 24:34), were the first words with which the apostles greeted them, gathered together with the joyful news. The travelers, for their part, were not slow to increase the general joy with the story of the miraculous appearance of the Lord to them, with all its details. Among these interviews, when no one expected a new appearance, and the doors were closed, out of fear for the sake of the Jews, suddenly Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, with His usual greeting: “Peace be with you” (Luke 24:36). But this world, with all the love of the students for the Teacher, could not suddenly fit into their hearts. The imagination, unprepared for such phenomena, immediately rushed into the realm of the ghost, to explain what was before the eyes. “Being afraid and afraid, I saw the spirit” (Luke 24:37), that is, in accordance with the popular concept that the souls of the dead sometimes take on a bodily form, they thought that the spirit of Jesus had now appeared in the same way from another world. But such phenomena have always been (and will be) the subject of human fear. “Why are you embarrassed? And why do (such) thoughts enter your hearts? - said the Lord to reassure the disciples; “You see My hand and My nose, as if I Himself am: touch Me and see that a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see Me having” (Luke 24:38–39). Having said this, Jesus showed the disciples His hands and feet with their wounds. Such proof was beyond all doubt. But the human heart follows different laws than reason, often warns it, but often lags behind it, agitated like the sea even when there is no longer any wind of doubt. It was the same with the disciples. First out of sadness, and now out of joy - they “wondered and did not yet believe” (Luke 24:41). Their state of soul was similar to that of a person condemned to death, to whom forgiveness was granted at the moment of execution. “Do you have anything to eat here?” - the Lord asked, wanting to give a new sign that His body was not airy, but the same one that they had seen before and with which He was on the Cross and in the tomb. Some of the disciples gave Him some of the baked fish and honeycomb. The Lord tasted both. Meanwhile, the disciples managed to gather their scattered thoughts in order to take a closer look at their beloved Teacher, drive away the fear of ghosts, and thus completely surrender to joy. After the sensual meal, organized by doubt, a spiritual meal began - for faith and love. The Lord reminded the disciples that the present event (the Resurrection), which had so perplexed them, should not have been anything new and unexpected for them, for it happened no more than what had been predicted to them more than once before: “It is fitting that all that was written in the law of Moses and the prophets and psalms concerning Me should come to an end (come to fulfillment)” (Luke 24:44). But the disciples were still little able to understand Scripture: one reference to it could not produce clear concepts and precise convictions in the mind. It was necessary to open before them not only the Scripture, but their very mind for the understanding of the Scripture. The Lord knew this need, and repeated the experience of the prophets’ explanations, which He made on the way to Emmaus for two travelers. Everyone feels how clear and instructive the prophecies must have been now, after their recent fulfillment, coming out of the mouth of the One to whom they all directly related. Such a conversation alone introduced more into the spirit of the entire Old Testament than many years of studying the letter of it. With an open mind, the disciples themselves now saw that this is exactly how “Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem” (Luke 24:46, 47). “You must be,” the Lord said at the end of the conversation, “witnesses of all these events, for as the Father sent Me, so am I sending you” (John 20:21). Saying goodbye to the disciples, the Lord to His Divine: Peace be with you, added a new mysterious action: “I breathed and said to them: receive the Holy Spirit: whose sins you forgive, they will be forgiven them: and whose sins you hold, they hold on” (John 20, 22, 23). Through the Divine breath, the same spiritual power was imparted that was once promised to the apostles in the person of Peter for confessing Jesus as the Son of God. The Holy Spirit already abided in the apostles before, and after that it will solemnly descend on them on the day of Pentecost. Nevertheless, this Divine breath was also needed. This was a new, middle degree of ascent to the heights of the apostolate, the initial Baptism of the Holy Spirit. We find a similar image of the communication of the Holy Spirit (the most appropriate, apparently, to human nature) in the history of holy men. The words and actions that constituted the present appearance of the Lord were such that this can be considered the last meeting with the disciples. The position had been indicated, even the powers had been accepted: all that remained, apparently, was to act. Meanwhile, the appearances were still to come, the disciples were still awaiting a conversation about the Kingdom of God, and the endowment with power from above was still to follow. This uncertainty seems to have been allowed for with the special intention that the general life of the disciples in the spirit of the Master would develop as quickly as possible into a private way of life, according to the character of each, and in all would develop the spirit of personal firmness and independence necessary for universal teachers. With their Teacher - even at the mere thought of His presence, they would have remained for centuries like babies on their mother’s breasts. When the disciples, out of joy at the Resurrection of the Teacher, the very night seemed clear as day, for one of them, Thomas, the very next days turned into a dark night. The reason for this misfortune (for the uncertainty and doubts into which he fell constitute the greatest misfortune) was that he was not with the others at the time of the appearance of Jesus that we described. It is unknown on what this absence depended, at such a time and in such circumstances, when everything united the scattered disciples of Jesus again. A lack of zeal can least of all be assumed: but there could be an imprudence of love, missing a precious opportunity, and therefore suffering the ostensible punishment of deprivation. However, since the act or misdeed of Thomas in any case turned to the glory of the Risen One and to the triumph of the Christian faith, the Church has long and very rightly taught to see in this event the action of Providence, which deigned through the doubt of Saint Thomas to show to all future generations the indisputable authenticity of the Resurrection of Christ. For another person, with a calm and quiet heart, not being present with other accomplices at the appearance of the Lord would not have had a special effect, much less a feeling of doubt and perseverance. But Thomas was of the opposite nature. There are two cases (except for the present) in which he is active in the history of the Gospel - and in both we see a man with a swift feeling, with a demanding mind. When Jesus, having notified the disciples about the death of Lazarus, invited them to go to Judea, and the disciples expressed fear: then Thomas, in a fit of friendly self-sacrifice, decisively answered for everyone: “we also go, that we may die with Him” (John 11:16), a clear voice of a heart capable of all sacrifices of love! Another time, when the Teacher asked the disciples if they knew the path in which He was going and about which He told them: Thomas, despite the previous words of the Teacher about this very path, answers - again for everyone - “we do not know where you are going: and how we can lead the way” (John 14:5), - the clear voice of a demanding mind, which is not satisfied with an unclear knowledge of the matter, does not tolerate any incompleteness, considers itself to be nothing who had not seen until he had seen everything. Having added to these two very characteristic features the real way of acting of Thomas, one can easily see that his character consisted of a fiery swiftness of feeling, combined with a demanding mind. Such people are not satisfied with little, or even with much; they are ready to give everything, but they can also demand everything. Not having yet seen Jesus, they will boldly say (their tongue is bolder than their heart): “If I do not see the mark of the nails in His hand, I will put my finger into the marks of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I have no faith” (John 20:25), and when they see it, they will exclaim without touching: “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28) – We will see this very thing in Thomas. Judging by the swiftness of his feelings and the strength of his first impressions, the very fact that he did not have time to be with the apostles - to enjoy the joy of the Resurrection, to hear the Divine world, to receive the breath of heaven and the power to knit and decide - fell behind, so to speak, from the others - this very thing disposed him immediately to dissatisfaction with himself, to a secret desire that the former, if possible, would not exist. On such grounds, doubt could most likely arise, and the seed for it was contained in the very story of the disciples. They themselves thought at first that it was a ghost - Thomas thinks it’s definitely Him, at least it’s not known for certain that it’s not Him. The Teacher, they say, invited us to touch Himself, showing us ulcers on our arms, legs and sides. “This,” Thomas replies, “needed to be done, since you didn’t do it, then the truth will remain in doubt.” I have a different rule of action: until I see... The poor heart, suffering from the loss of a precious opportunity, thought with such independence to compensate for this loss, to place itself above its fellow practitioners, and meanwhile it imperceptibly fell even lower, depriving itself of part of the joy that it could have received from others. This is almost always the case with unbelief: it carries the punishment of deprivation within itself. They think to be above others, or rather to reason, to truth: and they voluntarily fall from the state of peace and blessed confidence in which the souls of believers are blissful. The following days were to be days of terrible emotional unrest and torment for Thomas. Doubt fought with love for the Teacher, pouring deeper and deeper into the soul from the very confrontation, the sight of rejoicing brethren further strengthened the already gloomy disposition. The eighth day had already passed, and Jesus was not there. It seemed that time itself began to justify the doubter, although this justification was heavier for him than the untruth itself. The Divine Teacher knew about the student’s condition and deliberately delayed the manifestation, giving time for doubt to reveal all its tormenting power. After eight days, when all the disciples were again together, Jesus appeared, “With the door closed,” and stood in the middle with His usual greeting: “Peace be with you!” (John 20:26) This very phenomenon should have brought Thomas beyond himself. Doubt is bold in words, but weakest in deeds. He who appeared immediately made it known that He, as a seer of the heart, was completely aware of the state of Thomas’s soul, and that, although He had not appeared until now to assure him, he nevertheless had it in mind. “Bring your finger to this,” He said to Thomas, not paying attention to the other disciples, “and see My hand, and bring your hand and place it in My side (the Lord intentionally uses the same words with which Thomas expressed his doubt), and do not be unfaithful, but faithful” (John 20:27). There could not have been a more loving invitation than this, although it resonated with the Divine dignity of the Inviter. But the invitee no longer needed any touch. The fire of faith, temporarily hidden in the ashes of reflection, instantly turned back into flame from the gaze of Jesus. It seemed to him that what stood before him was not the risen Jesus, but the eternal Word himself, made flesh. He could only say: “My Lord and my God!” This exclamation, by the fullness of the confession contained in it, compensated for the previous lack, and completely showed that the property of the soul of the doubter, as we noticed, was both to demand everything and to give everything. Until now, Thomas did not believe what others believed in - in the resurrection of the Teacher; now he confesses what others have not yet fully understood - the Divinity of the Risen One. But the Lord always judges persons not by words, but by deeds. Personal respect for Him and recognition of His high dignity had no more value in His eyes than it served to confirm faith and save human souls. Thomas’s act is evaluated without regard to his confession: “For when you saw Me, you believed,” the Lord said to Thomas, “you are blessed (more blessed) than you who have seen and believed” (John 20:29). It is not surprising, as the Lord would say, that you now indulge in such fullness of faith, you give a lot, for you received everything you desired: “having seen Me, you believed.” I do not take away the value of your confession, I do not condemn the exactingness of your reason; I always have more evidence than you and all those who doubt can present demands; I am not upset by the test, but accepting the lower image of certainty through feelings - vision, I cannot help but point (for those who wish) to the higher one, through the mind and heart alone: ​​“blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed.” Why more blessed? Because for the believer, after and as a result of the vision, faith is based on feelings - the basis, although tolerable, is not entirely worthy of faith, which comes from the spirit, lives in the invisible. On the contrary, whoever believes without the evidence of external feelings, his faith is based on the internal needs of the mind and heart - its natural basis. In the latter case, an expansion of the inner sense of faith is assumed, the full action of the mind and heart, requiring objects of faith, and such a state of the soul is itself a state of bliss, which such a person will not exchange for any earthly goods. Apart from the conversation we have outlined between Jesus and Thomas, Saint John does not report anything from the present appearance of the Lord, because, without a doubt, if anything was said or done on this occasion, then the entire conviction of Thomas constitutes, so to speak, the essence of this appearance. And indeed, the event with this apostle in its spirit was worth taking a special place among the events of the Gospel. Instructive in itself (in the fate of the unbelieving Thomas the fate of any non-malicious doubt about faith is foreshadowed), it has an important relationship to the Christian faith in general, serving as a solemn confirmation of its truth. As for the action of Saint Thomas, two extremes should be avoided in relation to him: belittling and exaggeration. It would be an understatement incongruous with history to think that the apostle, having in mind the strongest affirmation of the Christian faith, deliberately assumed the appearance of doubting the resurrection of the Savior. Everything shows that the holy twin doubted for himself and not for others. The opinion according to which Thomas’s doubt seems worthy not only of apology, but also of praise, even imitation, as a fair demand of reason, is also disparaged. The Savior Himself indicated what we should imitate in this regard: “they who have not seen blessings have believed.” Saint Thomas, due to his absence at the first appearance of the Lord to the disciples, was granted precisely this blessedness - the advantage of believing without seeing. He wished to follow a different path, arbitrarily exchanged this advantage for another (resulting in a lack of brotherly love and trust) advantage - to doubt when all others believe and invite to faith - therefore he fell lower than others, although he continued to remain in the same circle of holy love for the Teacher. On the other hand, he exaggerates the unbelief of Thomas who presents it as similar to the unbelief of any skeptic of modern times. Thomas was ready to give his soul (as he later gave his life) for the resurrection of his Teacher and Lord: while many of the unbelievers would regret losing some little thing in order to gain confidence. Their lack of faith comes mainly from a lack of love: with him, one might say, it came from an excess of love. What they strongly desire and what seems difficult, they do not suddenly believe, just as for a long time those who do not desire, internally, for what they believe to be true, remain in unbelief. Love and blasphemy in this case are expressed in the same way. Anyone who thought that he did not believe the Lord’s appearance to the other apostles would have exaggerated Saint Thomas’s doubts. Saint Thomas did not and could not have had so much prejudice towards himself as not to believe the testimony of ten brothers, whose truth was not subject to any doubt. No, Thomas continued to hold on to the same thought that first appeared in the minds of the apostles, that is, that who appeared was not the same Jesus who lived with them before, with a completely human body, but some kind of his ghost, or disembodied spirit. Saint Thomas, of course, believed in the resurrection of the Teacher, witnessed by so many witnesses, but he thought, in accordance with the general way of thinking, that He was now with a completely different spiritual body, which had neither flesh nor bones. Therefore, when everyone argued the opposite, in order to be convinced of sensory truth, he requires sensory proof: “unless I lay my finger on it.” Moreover, we must not forget that the lips in such cases are more demanding than the mind and heart: they demand (in words) more than what they actually want to have. 1) All the appearances of the risen Lord that we described took place in Jerusalem and its environs. Meanwhile, we saw that the Lord’s intention, both before suffering and after the resurrection, was to make Galilee the main place of His appearance to His disciples and the final instruction of the latter in the mysteries of the Kingdom of God. This intention has not changed even now: despite the Jerusalem apparitions, in the Gospel of John we find most of the apostles soon retiring to Galilee, to the places of their homeland, no doubt not arbitrarily, but at the command of the Teacher. Their current situation was most uncertain from the outside and inside. They had already been appointed apostles of the risen Messiah, His successors in the great work of universal teaching, they had already received the pledge of the Spirit and the power to bind and decide everything on earth, but they lacked one thing that constituted everything: they were not endowed with power from above, baptized with the Holy Spirit. These were eagles looking at the sky, ready to fly to the clouds, but whose wings had not yet blossomed. And their external state had its own indecision. In the company of Jesus they lived on common alms; Now it was necessary to turn to home remedies, whoever had them, or even to the work of one’s own hands. Physical labor was to forever remain a companion to their spiritual labors, and Providence wanted them from this side to imagine in themselves an image of how a teacher of faith can, and often must, combine the great work of saving himself and others with the small matters of everyday needs. Given this state of affairs, it is not surprising that some of the students, in anticipation of the further development of their destiny from above, from time to time turned to their previous occupations, especially to fishing, which, due to the location of their homeland, is the main industry. This activity, even after the Teacher pointed to sensory fishing as an example of the future spiritual enticement of people to faith, could provide food not only bodily, but also spiritual, recalling the rules of prudence, caution and art necessary for both fishing. Among one of these, simple in appearance, but rich in the spirit of fishing, the appearance of Jesus followed, followed as simply as the place of the appearance. In order not to damage this touching simplicity, let us listen to the evangelist himself. “Byakhu together Simon Peter, and Thomas, called the Twin, and Nathanael, like (be) from Cana of Galilee and the sons of Zebedee (John and James), and others from His disciples (twelve or 70, unknown) two. Simon Peter said to them: I am going to catch fish. I said to him: you and I are going. I went out and went out into the ship (large boat), and that night there was nothing. When the morning came, Jesus was a hundred with the breeze: but the disciple did not know (behind the distance and darkness) that Jesus was. The verb Jesus: children, what food do you have? She answered Him: neither. And he said to them, “Cast the stone on the right side of the ship, and you will find it” (John 21:2–6). The disciples probably thought that this was the advice of a person experienced in such matters and who knew all the places in the lake. Therefore: “Cast down (middle) and whoever can not draw it from the multitude of fish” (John 21:6). Such a sudden, extraordinary success was reminiscent of a similar catch by Jesus. These reminders immediately responded to the heart of sensitive John. “The verb of the disciple whom Jesus loved, Petrovi (sensitive - fiery): The Lord is! Simon Peter, hearing that the Lord was, girded himself with an ependy (outer garment), being naked, and was thrown into the sea" (John 21 - so little did he care about the success of the catch, and the catch itself, and so much - Jesus!). “And the friends of the student came by boat, not being far from the earth, but like two hundred cubits, I was slaughtering fish. When they climbed down to the ground, they saw a fire lying, and fish lying on it, and bread” (John 21:8-9 - the Teacher’s love prepared for them reinforcement after all-night labors; Jesus loved to combine the spiritual with the sensual). “Jesus said to them: Bring from the fish that you have eaten today (in addition to the fish that are lying there, and to see the extraordinary goodness of the miraculously caught fish). Simon Peter climbed in (first everywhere, both in the spiritual and in the sensual) and took out a pile onto the ground, full of great fish, a hundred (and) fifty (and) three: and only those that exist, without breaking through the gap (small details of a miracle sometimes affect the imagination more powerfully than the miracle itself). Jesus said to them: come, have lunch (breakfast). Not a single disciple (the evangelist notes) dared to torture Him, who You are; knowing that the Lord exists. When Jesus came, he accepted bread and gave them, and fish likewise” (John 21:10–13). With such suddenness, the meal arranged should have been for the disciples a true supper of love, a dinner in the Kingdom of God. The Evangelist does not say whether Jesus shared this meal with his disciples; but nothing prevents one from thinking that he divided. After sensual food, as usual, spiritual nutrition began, for the teaching of which the phenomenon itself followed. Its personal subject was two students, but in spirit it served everyone. “When you had dinner, Jesus said to Simon Peter: Simon Ionin (as Peter was called even when, as a sign of the firmness of his confession, he received from Him the name Cephas, or Peter), do you love Me more than these!” (John 21:15). The origin and purpose of this question presented itself to Peter’s conscience, which was still suffering from the consciousness of his renunciation. “Yes, Lord,” he answered, no longer daring to rely on the firmness of his heart, “You know that I love You (John 21:15). The verb to him: Feed My lambs (My followers). The second verb to him: Simone Ionin, do you love Me (though not more than these)? (John 21:16). The repetition of the question should have brought the questioned person even more deeply into himself, into the depths of humility. “Here, Lord,” he answered again with the same feeling of devotion, “You know that I love You (although due to the weakness of the flesh I could not prove this love in practice). The verb to him: Feed My sheep (My followers). The third verb to him: Simone Ionin, do you love Me? Repeating the same question three times already clearly showed His attitude towards the threefold renunciation. Simon's soul already suffered from the memory of this, like from an ulcer. The new touch of fire involuntarily made her shudder. Peter was offended because he said the third thing to him: do you love me? and the verb to Him: Lord, You weigh everything: You weigh, because I love You (you know what led to my fall, that I have not stopped loving You and will not stop). Jesus said to him: Feed my sheep” (John 21:17). “Amen, amen, I say to you,” the Lord continued, “when you were young, you girded yourself... and walked... and you even wanted to: but when you are old, you stretch out your hands, and you also girdle you, and lead you, even if you did not want to” (John 21:18). “This speech,” notes John, “signifying by which death he will glorify God” (John 21:19). Thus, after being restored to the dignity of an apostle, Peter was immediately predicted to be bound and die. The Lord wanted to prove to him and everyone at that very moment that He did not say in vain: “You weigh everything,” that the future is open to Him, as is the present. The image of the predictions is not entirely clear to us, due to the uncommonness of the expression that composes it, in the sense in which they were used in the east. The belt there served as a symbol of bonds and imprisonment. This symbol, in combination with the expressions “it will girdle you and lead you, even if you don’t want to,” clearly indicated suffering. Which? Peter died on the cross; being crucified headlong. And the expression: “lift up your hands” goes very well to the cross. But this hint was not enough for Peter to form a complete understanding of the manner of his death. The Savior intentionally showed only, so to speak, the shadow of execution. The love of the disciple itself should have completed the image for itself, which, among the works of the apostles, constantly appearing to the imagination, should have constituted the goal of the life of the first of the apostles. According to the prediction about the future fate of Peter, the evangelist follows with a story about the words of Jesus spoken regarding himself. But, in brevity, the meaning of these words can now be determined not without difficulty. Looking at the matter from the simple point of view of local circumstances, we see no more simple local action. But those same simple words seem to grow, to be filled with the spirit of prophecy, to turn into a picture, as soon as we look at them, so to speak, because of Jesus. Not being able to resolve the matter, we consider it best to offer both opinions; but first let us listen to the evangelist. “This river (about the fate of Peter), - continues John, - the verb ... walk according to Me" (John 21:19). “Peter turned to the sight of the disciple whom Jesus loved, following him, who also reclined at the supper, on His chest, and said: Lord, who is he who betrays Thee? When Peter saw this, the verb of Jesus: Lord, what is this? Jesus said to him: If I want him to remain until I come, so that you come to me” (John 21:20, 21-22). For this, the evangelist adds one circumstance, which was the reason to mention what Jesus said about John. This is a misunderstanding to which these words of Jesus were subjected, and some of the Christians of that time had the wrong idea that John was predicted to continue his life until the coming of Jesus. “The word went out to the brethren in a dream, for that disciple would not die. But (corrects John) Jesus did not say to him that he would not die: but (only) if I will, he may remain until I come, what to you?” (John 21:23) It is noteworthy that John, despite the need to eliminate the misunderstanding of Jesus’ words (and it would most likely and most surely be eliminated by explaining their meaning), does not explain what exactly was meant by them. Didn't he himself expect their resolution from Providence - through the events themselves? Meanwhile, this part of the Gospel stories, having been explained, would have shed light on the previous parts; it would have been clear what Peter’s question about John meant: “What is this?” Now, left to ourselves, given the brevity of the Gospel expressions, we must necessarily be content with opinions, of which, as we have noticed, there are two - one explaining a thing simply, from local circumstances. The Lord, leaving the disciples, invites Peter to follow Him in order to privately tell him something regarding the future fate of him and the Church. At the same time, John (unnoticed by Peter) receives a command to go to a certain place and wait there until the Teacher returns from an interview with Peter. Peter, following Jesus, turns around and sees John coming. Thinking that he is walking arbitrarily and can interfere with a solitary conversation, but not daring to stop him himself, he turns to the Teacher with bewilderment: “What is this?” You want to be alone, but here’s another person. Jesus, to reassure Peter, tells him to follow Him without worrying about anything, that John will not be an obstacle, that he will wait for Him in a certain place for such an interview. This explanation, in the eyes of those who have already taken a lower point of view, is guaranteed by its very simplicity and naturalness, one might say, the most physical. Moreover, it is said about Peter that he saw John “following”; therefore, at least half of the words of Jesus (“walk after Me until I come”) must be explained about the sensual procession. To those who begin to look at the matter from a higher point of view, the very simplicity of the previous explanation will seem unworthy of a place in the present Gospel story. Antiquity was mistaken in explaining the words of Jesus about John, about the latter’s imaginary immortality, but it rightly gave them a higher, prophetic meaning. Peter, after his future fate was predicted, it was natural to ask the Teacher about the fate of John, as close to him (in many cases we find them two together) and Jesus: “What is this?” What fate awaits him? This question and answer clearly followed between the procession, but nevertheless contain thoughts completely different from those that are introduced into them. And Peter’s question contains some kind of inner importance. Moreover, the Lord’s answer resonates in a sublime tone. Everyone feels this without proof. John himself would not have noted that it was only a matter of waiting for the Teacher in a certain place, if the thing itself, His words, contained no more. If he does not explain the words of Jesus, it is most likely because of their mystery. Of the Church Fathers and ancient teachers, who were so familiar with the spirit of biblical stories, not one came to the conclusion that Jesus’ words about John did not contain a prophetic indication of his fate. For all this and many other signs, the legend of John that we are explaining has been given the following meaning since ancient times: Peter, having received a prediction about the torment awaiting him, seeing John also following Jesus, and suggesting, perhaps, that he wants to know about his future fate, asks the Teacher: what will happen to him? Jesus responds to Peter by admonishing him to focus on himself and not others, but at the same time indirectly, in satisfaction not so much of his curiosity as of John’s holy need, in His own prophetic language also points to the fate of the latter. The beloved student must have that peculiarity, in comparison with others, that he had to remain unharmed until the Teacher came for him; that is, he had to die a natural death. For Jesus, bidding farewell to his disciples, said: “again I will come and understand you with Me,” what followed at the time of each person’s death. By the coming of Jesus, which is here considered the limit of John’s life, one can also understand his invisible coming for the judgment of Jerusalem, about which Jesus Christ once expressed himself as follows: “There are those who stand here who have not tasted death until they see the Son of Man coming in His Kingdom” (Matthew 16:28). John experienced this glorious coming for thirteen years. That the latter meaning is in every respect more spiritual and instructive than the first, this is immediately obvious by itself. Only the brevity and truncated expressions of the original do not allow us to accept it as the only true one. From the Lord’s command to Peter to follow Him, it is clear that a special conversation was held with the latter. About what and how? – Unknown! – The apostles, as teachers of the universe, God’s messengers to the human race, had to know many secrets that we cannot understand. In conclusion of the description of the present appearance of Jesus, we note that it was described by John alone, and described, as far as one can judge, after his Gospel had already been completed. The reason that prompted him to make this addition is clearly hidden in the very meaning of the events being narrated with Peter and himself. In relation to Peter, subsequent generations and, perhaps, modern ones needed to know that his three-fold renunciation was rewarded with a three-fold solemn elevation to the dignity of an apostle. In relation to himself, John found it necessary to stand against the widespread opinion that immortality was predicted for him. Such an opinion, without being stipulated, if carried out in reality, would necessarily entail temptation and would turn into a condemnation of the holy promises of the Gospel. 2). The phenomenon we described in Galilee, despite its importance, did not have a universal effect for the other apostles. In accordance with the repeated promises to reveal Himself to His disciples and brothers in Galilee, a new appearance had to be expected here, directly in the apostolic spirit. A similar phenomenon was not long in coming. According to Matthew, apparently only the eleven apostles were its witnesses (Matthew 28:16). But the appearance “to more than five hundred brethren,” mentioned by the Apostle Paul (1 Cor. 15:6), decisively falls at this very time. And only the presence of new faces explains the expression of Matthew himself; “Oviya began to doubt.” For the eleven disciples no longer had anything to doubt. So, this phenomenon, judging by the numerous witnesses to whom the Apostle Paul could forcefully refer in his Epistle to the Corinthians, was the most solemn. Its place was a mountain, previously indicated by the Savior Himself, but which one is unknown. The expected Savior first appeared in the distance. For the most part, His appearance was a manifestation of the Divinity Himself: they worshiped Him. But some doubted the same thing, without a doubt, that the apostles doubted before: whether this was exactly the same Jesus Whom they saw on the Cross, and with the same body. The approach of the Savior and His conversation should have dispersed this doubt. The first word of the Risen One for the council of His brethren was the joyful news that “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him” (Matthew 28:18). The consequence of this was that they should go and teach all nations, “baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,” and teaching them to observe everything that Jesus commanded (Matthew 28:19–20). A similar command had already been received by the apostles. Its repetition here was required for the rest of the brethren, who also had, without exception, to participate in the great work of turning the world to God. The field of action is indicated here with greater clarity - the whole world, and the persons to whom one must preach, are indicated by a line much more separate than before - “all languages”, all creation. But even this clarity and separateness of the command does not suddenly give way to the prejudice that the kingdom of the Messiah is intended only for Jews or Judaizing Christians. The visible sign of faith should be “baptism in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Baptism was still used by the disciples of Jesus, but more out of imitation of John the Baptist, of whom some of them were former disciples. Now it is assimilated by Jesus to Himself and His religion, elevated to the level of Universal Sacraments for acceptance into the Church of Jesus, and becomes Christian. It must be done “in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” For all their brevity, these words constitute an abbreviation of the new faith - its first Symbol. After such an order to make salvation known to the whole world, it naturally followed that one of two things remained for the world: salvation from baptism, or destruction from rejection. The Savior directly pointed out this fate of the world of believers and unbelievers: “he who has faith and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not have faith will be condemned” (Mark 16:16). Such an important matter - world salvation - was now becoming witnesses to everyone - the great and small disciples of Jesus. For such a task, more than human strength was required. The God-man decisively promised the continuation of the miraculous actions of the power of God to help their preaching. In addition to the fact that the Spirit will give them a mouth and wisdom in all necessary cases, signs will accompany the believers. “In My name (how majestic is this word in the mouth of Jesus!) the demons will be destroyed; New tongues will speak: they will take away the serpent (without harm): even if they drink of death, it will not harm them: they will lay them on their sick hands, and they will be healthy” (Mark 16:17-18). But the most important thing for all the signs for the heralds of faith was that the Lord Himself promised to always be with them invisibly: “and lo, I am with you... to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). To say clearly before the death of each disciple would mean to suddenly deprive them of the comforting thought that they could live to see the opening of the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, the general expression is used: “until the end of the age,” that is, until the end of the world, or, translating the word into thought, always. Thus, in this appearance everything was done for the disciples of Jesus, so that they themselves could become teachers. And indeed, for most of those gathered now, it was the last meeting with the Teacher. But not the least for the apostles, who in all respects rose above others as the pillars of the future great edifice of the Church. They still had to conduct their Teacher to heaven. Between the Galilean appearances and the ascension into heaven, the Apostle Paul mentions the appearance of Jesus Christ to Jacob. History cannot say anything about this appearance, as well as about the appearance to Peter on the first day. From considerations of the circumstances, it is only clear that Jacob, as the future primate of the mother of churches - the Church of Jerusalem, had a need for special instructions. Observing with one glance all the appearances of the Lord after the Resurrection, you necessarily agree with Saint Luke that he “according to His suffering made Himself alive in many true signs” (see: Acts 1:3). The main purpose of these appearances was precisely: to assure each and every one of His followers of His Resurrection - that He has been given all power in heaven and on earth. – And this goal, not without overcoming obstacles, was completely achieved. What a firm conviction regarding the truth of the Resurrection of Jesus prevails in all the Apostolic Scriptures! It is enough to point to the Apostle Paul. An even firmer conviction dominated their entire lives. Most of them testified by death that the preached “Christ has risen... and to no one dies” (Rom. 6:9). Saint Luke, in addition, notes that the Risen One, during His appearances, talked about the Kingdom of God. All the conversations, or, better, all the teaching of Jesus, always naturally inclined towards the Kingdom of God. After the Resurrection, which itself was already a revelation of many secrets for the disciples, some new secrets could also be revealed. However, he would act contrary to the history of the Gospel, who would consider this time to be the time of revelation of the secrets of the highest teaching. This teaching, as the Savior Himself clearly said before, was to be expected from the Holy Spirit. He had to instruct them in all truth, remember everything that had happened and introduce them - although not suddenly either - into the understanding of the mysteries of God. In His conversations and actions, the Risen One appears to be the same as before His suffering: “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). How meekly Thomas is invited to touch the ulcers! – How friendly Peter’s love is tortured! – How graciously the worship of wives who eat their noses is accepted! – The simplicity of the Tiberias apparition is especially touching. He to whom all authority in heaven and on earth has been given has prepared fire and bread for His beloved. But despite his previous love of love and closeness to Jesus’ disciples, something unearthly, Divine, constantly shines through. In humanity itself, a sharp, impassable line separates Him and them. He was “dead and alive again” (Luke 15:24). Each appearance of Him induces either fear or doubt. During the very meal of love, no one dares to ask: Who are you? The heart begins to burn more with Him, but the lips begin to remain silent. Only Peter does not completely forget the previous custom, and asks: “What is this?” As far as one can conclude, all the appearances of the Lord were short-lived. The invisible soon prevailed over the visible. The image of the appearances is clearly determined by the needs of persons, who is Jesus. Peter and James needed special phenomena: the first according to his circumstances, the second according to his purpose - and they were received. One can even notice a certain change in the plane of phenomena, adopted in accordance with the circumstances. First, the appearance in Galilee is promised - and in the evening Jesus is on the way to Galilee - and he brings about the end of the journey. But that same night He was again in Jerusalem, eight days later again in Jerusalem, and then in Galilee. Doesn’t such a change of intentions - if one can call it by that name - serve as a new experience of Jesus’ condescension to the weakness of the disciples? “It was necessary to accelerate the revival of their faith in Jerusalem, without which they could not go to Galilee. We find similar condescension and self-sacrifice in Jesus before His suffering: why not imagine it also after His suffering? – He loved, where possible, to act not according to His omniscience, but according to the rules of our knowledge, in order to give us in this way an image of loving actions. You might be interested in: