The Empty Tomb
Study note
Mary Magdalene comes to the tomb while it is still dark and finds the stone removed. She runs to tell Peter and the beloved disciple, who race to the tomb. The beloved disciple arrives first and sees the linen cloths but does not enter. Peter goes inside and observes the burial cloths arranged -- the head cloth folded separately. The beloved disciple then enters, sees, and believes. The orderly arrangement of the grave cloths suggests not theft but a deliberate departure, though they did not yet fully understand the Scripture about resurrection.
1 Very early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark outside, Mary Magdalene made her way to the tomb. When she got there, she saw that the heavy stone had been rolled away from the entrance. The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.
2 She ran back to Simon Peter and the other follower — the one Jesus loved most — and told them, "Someone has taken the Lord out of the tomb! We have no idea where they put him!" Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.
3 Peter and the other follower took off running toward the tomb right away. Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre.
4 They ran side by side, but the other follower was faster and got there first. So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.
5 He stooped down and peeked inside. He could see the linen burial cloths lying there, but he did not go in. And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.
6 Simon Peter arrived right behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying flat. Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,
7 The cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus's head was not lying with the other cloths. It had been neatly folded up and placed off to the side by itself. And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.
8 Then the other follower, the one who had arrived first, went inside too. He took one look and believed. Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed.
9 Up until that point, they had not yet grasped what the Scripture meant when it said Jesus had to rise from the dead. For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.
10 The two followers went back home. Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.
Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene
Study note
Mary Magdalene remains weeping outside the tomb and sees two angels. When she turns, she encounters Jesus but mistakes him for the gardener until he speaks her name -- 'Mary.' In that single word, the Good Shepherd calls his own sheep by name. Jesus tells her not to hold on to him because he has not yet ascended, and sends her to tell the disciples that he is ascending to 'my Father and your Father, my God and your God.' Mary becomes the first witness of the resurrection.
11 But Mary stayed there outside the tomb, crying her eyes out. Through her tears, she bent down and looked into the tomb. But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre,
12 She saw two angels dressed in white, sitting where Jesus's body had been -- one where his head had rested and one where his feet had been. And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
13 "Why are you crying?" the angels asked her. She answered, "Someone has taken away my Lord, and I do not know where he is." And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.
14 Then she turned around and saw someone standing behind her. It was Jesus, but she did not recognize him. And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.
15 "Why are you crying?" Jesus asked her. "Who are you looking for?" She assumed he was the gardener and said, "Sir, if you moved his body, please tell me where you put him so I can go get him." Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.
16 Jesus simply said her name: "Mary." She spun around and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher). Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.
17 Jesus told her, "Do not hold on to me right now, because I have not yet gone up to my Father. Instead, go find my brothers and give them this message: 'I am going up to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
18 Mary Magdalene rushed back to the followers and announced, "I have seen the Lord with my own eyes!" Then she told them everything he had said to her. Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.
Jesus Appears to the Disciples and Thomas
Study note
That evening, Jesus appears to the disciples behind locked doors, showing his hands and side, and commissioning them with the words 'As the Father has sent me, I am also sending you.' He breathes on them and says 'Receive the Holy Spirit,' granting authority regarding forgiveness of sins. Thomas, who was absent, refuses to believe without physical proof. A week later, Jesus appears again specifically for Thomas, inviting him to touch his wounds. Thomas responds with the gospel's highest christological confession: 'My Lord and my God!' Jesus pronounces a blessing on those who believe without seeing.
19 That evening on Sunday, the followers were behind locked doors. They were scared of the Jewish leaders. Then Jesus appeared there among them and said, "Peace be with you." Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
20 Then he held out his hands and showed them the wound in his side. The followers were overjoyed to see the Lord! And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.
21 Jesus said again, "Peace be with you. The Father sent me on a mission, and now I am sending you on the same kind of mission." Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
22 Then he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit." And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
23 "If you forgive someone's sins, those sins are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they remain." Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
24 Thomas, one of the twelve followers (his nickname was Didymus, meaning "Twin"), had not been there when Jesus appeared. But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
25 The other followers told him excitedly, "We have seen the Lord!" But Thomas said, "I will never believe it unless I see the nail holes in his hands with my own eyes, touch them with my own fingers, and put my hand into the wound in his side." The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
26 A week later, the followers were together indoors again, and this time Thomas was with them. Even though every door was locked tight, Jesus suddenly appeared among them and said, "Peace be with you." And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
27 Then he turned to Thomas and said, "Go ahead -- put your finger right here and look at my hands. Reach out and put your hand into my side. Stop refusing to believe. Believe!" Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
28 Thomas looked at him and whispered, "My Lord and my God!" And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
29 Jesus said, "You believe because you have seen me with your own eyes. But think of how blessed the people are who believe in me without ever having seen me!" Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
The Purpose of This Gospel
Study note
John acknowledges that Jesus performed many other signs not recorded in this book. He states the purpose of his gospel explicitly: these things are written so that readers may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing they may have life through his name. This purpose statement encapsulates the entire theological thrust of the Gospel of John.
30 Jesus did many other miracles in front of his followers that are not written down in this book. And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:
31 But the ones written here were included for a reason. They are here so you would believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. And by believing, you would receive life through him. But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.