The New Testament with Commentary John 20

Resurrection Day*

The empty tomb

1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene comes to the tomb early, while it is still dark, and sees that the stone has been removed from the tomb. 2 So she runs and comes to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and says to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we† don't know where they put Him!”‡ 3 So Peter and the other disciple took off, heading for the tomb. 4 Well the two started running together, and the other disciple outran Peter and got to the tomb first. 5 And stooping to look he sees the linen strips lying there; however he did not go in. 6 Then following him comes Simon Peter and went into the tomb; and he sees the linen strips lying there, 7 and the facecloth§ that had been on His head not lying with the linen strips, but folded up in a separate place.

John sees and believes

8 So then the other disciple went in too, the one who got to the tomb first; and he saw and believed.* 9 (For they did not yet know the Scripture, that He had to rise from among the dead.)† 10 Then the disciples went back home.

Jesus appears first to Magdalene

11 Well Mary stood outside at the tomb, crying.‡ Then, while she was crying, she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she sees two angels§ in white, sitting one at the head and one at the feet of where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 And they say to her, “Woman, why are you crying?” She says to them, “Because they removed my Lord, and I don't know where they put Him.” 14 And upon saying this she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, yet did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus says to her: “Woman, why are you crying? Whom are you seeking?” She, supposing that He was the gardener, says to Him, “Sir, if you carried Him away, tell me where you put Him, and I will remove Him.” 16 Jesus says to her, “Mary!” Turning she says to Him, “Raboni!” (which means ‘Teacher’). 17 Jesus says to her: “Stop clinging to me,* for I have not yet ascended to my Father;† but go to my brothers‡ and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father—my God and your God.’ ” 18 Mary Magdalene goes to the disciples, reporting that she had seen the Lord and He had said these things to her.

Disciples commissioned

19 Then at evening on that first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the middle, and He says to them, “Peace to you!” 20 And upon saying this He showed them His hands and His side. Well, the disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord! 21 So Jesus said to them again: “Peace to you!§ Just as the Father sent me, I also send you.”* 22 Upon saying this He breathed on them and said: “Receive Holy Spirit!† 23 To whomever you forgive the sins,‡ they are forgiven to them; to whomever you retain, they have been retained.”§

Thomas

24 Now one of the twelve, Thomas (called Twin), was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “If I do not see the nail prints in His hands and put my finger into the nail prints, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe!”*

26 Well after eight days† His disciples were inside again, and Thomas with them. The doors were locked [again]; Jesus came and stood in the middle, and said, “Peace to you!” 27 Then He says to Thomas: “Bring your finger here and perceive my hands; bring your hand and put it into my side;‡ do not be unbelieving but believing!” 28 Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus says to him: “Because you have observed me, you have believed. Blessed are those who believe without seeing!”§

Why this book

30 Now then, Jesus actually performed many other miraculous signs in the presence of His disciples, that are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have Life through His Name.

* 20: For a harmonization of all the details furnished by the four Gospel accounts, please see the Appendix: “Harmonizing the accounts of the Resurrection”. † 20:2 “We”—presumably Magdalene is referring to the other women who were with her, as in the parallel accounts. ‡ 20:2 Pure supposition—she had not looked in the tomb; she jumped to a false conclusion. It is clear that there was no longer a shining angel sitting on the stone outside (Matthew 28:2). § 20:7 That there was a facecloth indicates that there was not a sheet that covered the body from head to toe (as in the ‘shroud of Turin’). This was also true of Lazarus (John 11:44). * 20:8 What did John ‘see’ that made him ‘believe’? He saw the linen strips ‘lying’, that is, in the form of the body, only there was no body inside them! If someone had stolen the body, as Magdalene supposed, they would have taken the wrapped package (much easier to carry, not to mention 100 pounds of expensive spices) and there would have been no linen strips. If someone had unwrapped the body there would have been a mound of linen strips and spices piled up (how much cloth would it take to wrap up a hundred pounds of spices?). No, Jesus simply passed through the cloth, as He would later pass through the wall, leaving the package like a mummy or empty cocoon. When John saw that he understood that the only possible explanation was resurrection. † 20:9 But they should have; Jesus had told them repeatedly. But wait just a minute! Where in the OT is there such a Scripture? John wrote this Gospel over fifteen years after the other three had been ‘published’ and were in circulation, so his term ‘Scripture’ may be referring to them. ‡ 20:11 When the disciples took off running, of course Magdalene followed them back to the tomb. But she was winded, and could not keep up with them (actually, in that culture women probably seldom ran, so she would really be out of breath, but she was not about to be left out of the action, either). The Jerusalem at that time probably covered a relatively small area; it was probably no more than half a mile from the house to the tomb, if that, so she may have arrived as they were leaving; if not, they would pass her on the road. § 20:12 How did John know they were angels? He had just been there and knew there were no human beings around (the guards were presumably gone before the two got there). The angels were in white, but probably not shining, or Magdalene would have been shaken out of her despair. She was so locked in to her sorrow that not even seeing the wrappings collapsed without the body sank in. * 20:17 That is what the Text says. I take it that Magdalene was an emotive person, capable of sudden ‘ups’ and ‘downs’. From the way the Lord pronounced her name she knew who it was; from deep sorrow she swings to a transport of joy and impulsively throws her arms around Him. Hey, she is not thinking of how this is going to read 2,000 years later; in fact, she is not thinking at all, just feeling. † 20:17 The causal connection here seems difficult to us—what did His not having ascended have to do with it? Various suggestions have been offered. My guess is as follows: Magdalene had not heard the teaching in the Upper Room, more precisely, John16:7. “I am telling you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, because if I do not go away the Enabler will not come to you, but if I go I will send Him to you.” She had just gotten her Master back and was not about to turn Him loose—she was feeling, not thinking. But Jesus had to ascend so He could send the Enabler, which would be better for everybody. She wants to hang on to Him, but He tells her to stop; the old relationships are gone, everything is now new. (Within a very few minutes He will allow the other women to hold His feet, so mere physical contact is not the problem; in fact, He will later invite the disciples to touch Him.) ‡ 20:17 He does not just reprimand her, He gives her something to do. But just who are the “brothers”? Since the angel had told the other women to tell the disciples, I am inclined to imagine that the Lord sends her to His half brothers, although she started out with the disciples (next verse). § 20:21 This is what He said “again”, having already said it (verse 19). * 20:21 This is tremendous! In my own experience (as a missionary, son of missionaries), I have seldom heard a missionary challenge based on John 20:21. The champion is Matthew 28:19-20, ‘the great commission’, followed by Mark 16:15 and perhaps Acts 1:8; but John 20:21? “Just as… so also”—Jesus is sending us just like the Father sent Him. So how did They do it? The Father determined and the Son obeyed: “Behold, I have come to do your will, O God” (Hebrews 10:7). And what was that will? To destroy Satan (Hebrews 2:14) and undo his works (1 John 3:8). Since Jesus did indeed defeat Satan (Colossians 2:15, Ephesians 1:20-21, etc.) what is left for us is the undoing of his works. For more on this subject see my article, “Biblical Spiritual Warfare”, available from my site, www.prunch.org. † 20:22 There is no definite article with “Holy Spirit” and I hesitate to add it. Perhaps we should try thinking of ‘Holy Spirit’ as a proper name. ‡ 20:23 This is a literal rendering, but I hesitate to change it. The primary reference is presumably to the sins of that person, but it is sometimes necessary to pronounce forgiveness for sins of past generations (see 2 Samuel 21:1-14). § 20:23 That is what the Text says, “have been”. The idea seems to be that sins are already retained (as soon as a sin is committed it is on the account); Jesus gives them the prerogative to change that situation, undoing the retaining, as it were. Presumably the forgiving and retaining have to do with the consequences of the sin in this life (not for salvation). I take it that the undoing of Satan's works (1 John 3:8) must reverse consequences (to the extent that this may be possible). Since Satan is involved in all sin, indirectly at least (or so I imagine), I conclude that verse 23 here falls within the competence of anyone who has the Holy Spirit. * 20:25 Thomas is very emphatic. Jesus is dead and his hopes are too! (Presumably he had watched the crucifixion from a distance.) † 20:26 Their method of calculation included the day from which the count was made (as they do in Brazil as well), so this is the next Sunday. ‡ 20:27 Since Jesus had not been there to hear Thomas, how did He know what he had said? We know the answer, but it delivered a knockout punch to Thomas. Evidently he did not try to touch Jesus, but without further ado said, “My Lord and my God!” § 20:29 This blessing includes us.