John 20

 

The Resurrection

20:1 Now very early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been moved away from the entrance. 

 

Mary Magdalene became a follower after Jesus removed seven demons from her. She was an observer at the cross. She was the first person to see the resurrected Jesus.

 

20:2 So she went running to Simon Peter and the other disciple whom Jesus loved and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” 

 

Mary Magdalene was afraid that grave robbers had taken away the body of Jesus.

 

20:3 Then Peter and the other disciple set out to go to the tomb. 

 

Peter and John raced to the tomb. On the way to the tomb, they must have remembered some of the Lord’s teachings about His resurrection.

 

20:4 The two were running together, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and reached the tomb first. 

 

John was faster than Peter.

 

20:5 He bent down and saw the strips of linen cloth lying there, but he did not go in. 

 

John saw the strips of clothing, but no body. How did the body of Jesus pass through the strips of clothing? John did not go into the tomb because he may not have wanted to defile his body during the Passover ceremonies.

 

20:6 Then Simon Peter, who had been following him, arrived and went right into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen cloth lying there, 20:7 and the face cloth, which had been around Jesus’ head, not lying with the strips of linen cloth but rolled up in a place by itself. 

 

A grave robber would not take the time to fold up the linen cloths.

 

20:8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, came in, and he saw and believed. 

 

John believed that Jesus had been raised from the dead.

 

20:9 (For they did not yet understand the scripture that Jesus must rise from the dead.)

 

Psalms. 16:10–11, Psalms 110:1-4, and Isa. 53:11–12 all predicted that the Messiah would rise from the dead.

 

Jesus’ Appearance to Mary Magdalene

20:10 So the disciples went back to their homes. 

 

Peter and John returned to their homes, rejoicing that Jesus had been raised from the dead.

 

20:11 But Mary stood outside the tomb weeping. As she wept, she bent down and looked into the tomb. 

 

Mary did not return to her home with Peter and John. She stayed at the tomb and cried.

 

20:12 And she saw two angels in white sitting where Jesus’ body had been lying, one at the head and one at the feet. 

 

Angels always appear to humans as men without wings.

 

20:13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” Mary replied, “They have taken my Lord away, and I do not know where they have put him!” 

 

Mary still believed that robbers had taken away the body of Jesus.

 

20:14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus.

 

The first resurrection appearance of Jesus was to a woman who was delivered from demon possession. This is strong evidence of the narrative’s historicity. No Jewish author in the ancient world would have invented a story with a woman as the first witness to this most important historical event in all of history. Jesus may have appeared to Mary first because she had so earnestly sought Him. She was at the cross while He was dying, She went to His tomb early on Sunday morning, and she was still crying at the tomb of Jesus after John and Peter left and went home.

 

20:15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?” Because she thought he was the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will take him.” 

 

Mary still had not recognized Jesus.

 

20:16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni” (which means Teacher). 

 

The sheep hear the master’s voice.

 

20:17 Jesus replied, “Do not touch me, for I have not yet ascended to my Father. Go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 

 

The Lord told Mary not to touch Him. The Greek word for touch is ἅπτομαι (haptomai), a present middle imperative verb, meaning “to keep holding on continuously.” Jesus was the Great High Priest and the Lamb of God simultaneously. He had not yet presented His blood at the throne of God.  It is possible that this blood will be upon the mercy seat throughout all of eternity as an eternal testimony of the price that Christ paid for us.

 

20:18 Mary Magdalene came and informed the disciples, “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them what Jesus had said to her.

 

Mary was given special grace by God. She saw angels, She was the first to see the risen Christ. She was chosen to be the first proclaimer of the good news. Christians today are also the recipients of special grace. They are responsible for witnessing to the world.

 

Jesus’ Appearance to the Disciples

20:19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the disciples had gathered together and locked the doors of the place because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 

 

The disciples were almost arrested with Jesus. Satan wanted to exterminate the disciples as well. They were hiding from the Jewish leaders who wanted to kill them. Jesus walked through the door and appeared to them. He greeted them with the Hebrew “shalom,” meaning peace with God.

 

20:20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 

 

Jesus appeared in His glorified body. His hands and feet still possessed the scars of the crucifixion. The disciples rejoiced when they saw that their teacher had been raised from the dead.

 

20:21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. Just as the Father has sent me, I also send you.” 

 

The disciples were no longer disciples. They were now apostles. Apostles were those who were sent by God to deliver a message. The message was that Jesus is the Son of God who became a man to die for the sins of the world. The apostles will battle against satanic forces. They will need spiritual power from above to accomplish this task.

 

20:22 And after he said this, he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 

 

God breathed on the dust of the earth and Adam became a living being. Jesus breathed on the disciples and they became spiritually alive. They were born with a dead spirit, but now their spirit was alive and active. The receiving of the Holy Spirit was an anticipation of the Day of Pentecost. The apostles will be given limited and partial gifts of knowledge, understanding, and empowerment in order to authenticate the gospel.

 

20:23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven; if you retain anyone’s sins, they are retained.”

 

The apostles were given the privilege of announcing heaven’s terms of salvation. If a person rejects the sacrifice of Jesus, then the apostles can announce that person as anathema. If a person believes in the sacrifice of Jesus, then the apostle can announce that person as saved.

 

The Response of Thomas

20:24 Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 

 

Thomas missed the resurrection appearance of Christ.

 

20:25 The other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “Unless I see the wounds from the nails in his hands, and put my finger into the wounds from the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe it!”

 

The Greek word for told is ἔλεγον (elegon), an imperfect active indicative verb, meaning that the disciples continually told Thomas over and over about the resurrection. Thomas refused to believe. He wanted evidence.

 

20:26 Eight days later the disciples were again together in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”

 

Jesus walked through the locked door and appeared to all of the apostles, including Thomas.

 

 20:27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and examine my hands. Extend your hand and put it into my side. Do not continue in your unbelief, but believe.” 

 

Jesus gave Thomas the evidence that he requested.

 

20:28 Thomas replied to him, “My Lord and my God!” 

 

Thomas announced that Jesus was the God of the universe in human flesh.

 

20:29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are the people who have not seen and yet have believed.”

 

Jesus pronounced a blessing on all of those in the future who would never see Christ, but they would still believe.

 

20:30 Now Jesus performed many other miraculous signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 

 

The other gospels recorded 35 different miracles. John concentrated on only seven of them. There were many other miracles which Jesus performed that were not written in any gospels.

 

20:31 But these are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

 

 The reason that John wrote this book was so that people would read it and believe that Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God. Those who read this book and believe this message will live with God for eternity.