The Gospels · New Testament
John 20
John 20: the empty tomb, the appearances, and why the book was written
General context
Early on the first day of the week, while it is still dark, Mary Magdalene comes to the sepulchre and sees the stone taken away. She runs to Simon Peter and the other disciple and says the Lord has been taken and they do not know where he is laid. The two run; the other disciple arrives first and looks in at the linen clothes without entering, Peter goes in and sees the clothes and the napkin wrapped by itself, and the other disciple then goes in, sees and believes. Mary stays weeping, sees two angels, and turns to a man she takes for the gardener until he says her name. She reports that she has seen the Lord. That evening, with the doors shut for fear of the Jews, Jesus stands among the disciples, shows his hands and side, gives them peace, breathes on them and sends them as he was sent. Thomas, absent, says he will not believe without touching the wounds. Eight days later he is present, and answers with a confession. The chapter closes by stating why these things are written.
Cited passages: John 20:1, John 20:2, John 20:4, John 20:5, John 20:7, John 20:8, John 20:11, John 20:12, John 20:15, John 20:16, John 20:17, John 20:18, John 20:19, John 20:20, John 20:21, John 20:22, John 20:24, John 20:25, John 20:28, John 20:31
John 20 (KJV)
1The 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.
2Then 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.
3Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre.
4So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.
5And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.
6Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,
7And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.
8Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed.
9For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.
10Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.
11But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre,
12And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
13And 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.
14And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.
15Jesus 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.
16Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.
17Jesus 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.
18Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.
19Then 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.
20And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.
21Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
22And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
23Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
24But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
25The 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.
26And 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.
27Then 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.
28And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
29Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
30And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:
31But 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.
This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.
Historical context
The other disciple is again described rather than named, as the one whom Jesus loved. The narrator explains that the two did not yet know the scripture about rising from the dead, which places their belief at the tomb before any understanding of it. Mary's first report says nothing about a rising; she says only that the body has been taken and that they do not know where it lies. The chapter marks time three times: early on the first day of the week while it was yet dark, the evening of that same day, and eight days after. Thomas is identified as one of the twelve, called Didymus. The closing statement says many other signs are not written in this book, which is the book's own account of its selection, and gives the purpose of what was included.
Cited passages: John 20:2, John 20:9, John 20:8, John 20:13, John 20:19, John 20:1, John 20:26, John 20:24, John 20:30, John 20:31
Literary context
Recognition is delayed in every scene and then arrives through something small. Mary does not know him until he says her name; the disciples are shown hands and side; Thomas is offered the exact test he named. The chapter keeps the physical details at the centre, the stone, the linen clothes, the napkin folded apart, the print of the nails. Running, stooping and looking in are described step by step before anything is concluded, and the one who believes at the tomb does so without understanding. Peace be unto you is said twice in one evening and once again eight days later. The last two verses step outside the story to say what was left out and why the rest was written down.
Cited passages: John 20:14, John 20:16, John 20:20, John 20:27, John 20:1, John 20:6, John 20:7, John 20:5, John 20:9, John 20:19, John 20:26, John 20:29, John 20:30
Key moments
- The stone taken away (John 20:1). Mary Magdalene comes while it is dark and finds the tomb open.
- A race to the tomb (John 20:4). The other disciple outruns Peter and reaches the sepulchre first.
- Saw and believed (John 20:8). The disciple who arrived first goes in, sees, and believes.
- Mary, and Rabboni (John 20:16). Jesus says her name and she answers with a title the narrator translates.
- Peace be unto you (John 20:19). He stands among the disciples behind shut doors and gives them peace.
- The test Thomas named (John 20:27). Jesus offers Thomas the exact proof he had demanded.
- Why this was written (John 20:31). The book states that these things were written so readers might believe.
For reflection
The book says outright that it left things out and that what remains was chosen so readers would believe. How does knowing that change the way you weigh what it does include?
