CHAPTER 20
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. John 20:1
The Synoptic Gospels affirm that several women went to the tomb early on that Sunday morning. John speaks of it as still being dark while Matthew speaks of the dawn beginning. They were obviously brave women, going to a cemetery in the dark and to a tomb that was guarded by rough Roman soldiers. The biggest problem they faced was how they would remove the very heavy stone covering the tomb’s entrance, a stone that was in fact officially sealed by the Romans. They did not know that God had gone before them to take care of all their problems.
While John focuses solely on Mary Magdalene the other gospels make clear that there were several women in this company. Mark mentions that Mary the mother of James and Salome were present (Mk. 16:1). There may have been others and they may have come and gone at different times. At one point Mary Magdalene was totally alone at the tomb.
Matthew tells us that there was an earthquake that morning and that the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, rolled back the stone and sat upon it. This event terrified the guards. They initially became like dead men and no doubt when they revived they fled the scene in sheer panic (Matt. 28:1-4).
So the women got a great surprise. When they arrived they found the door of the tomb already opened for them. They were bewildered and probably even confused by what they found. Mark speaks of them seeing a young man clothed in white while Luke speaks of two men who were obviously angels (Mk. 16:5; Lk. 24:4). Again, we do not know that all these women came at the same time. The angel(s) informed the women that Jesus had risen from the dead and would eventually go before the disciples to Galilee. They were instructed to tell the disciples this wonderful news. Mark notes that at least some of the women fled from the tomb so terrified that they told no one (Mk. 16:8). We realize that this scene was so wonderful and bewildering that there was some confusion involved. Some of these women evidently even met the Risen Christ that morning and worshipped him (Mt. 28:9).
It is amazing how the Lord instructed women to go and give the resurrection news to the disciples. In the ancient Jewish culture, like most other cultures, women had a lowly role. The rabbis even said, “It is better that the words of the law be burned than be delivered to a woman.” 1 All through the gospels Jesus made a special point to honor and lift up women. Today the women’s movements seemingly do not know this fact and they actually blame Jesus and Christianity for their supposed plight.
“So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!’” (20:2). Stedman says, “…the very first news of Easter was not good news at all. It was terrible news that Mary Magdalene brought to the apostles Peter and John when she came running with the announcement that the body of Jesus had disappeared.” 2 While Jesus had taught on several occasions that he would rise from the dead, it seems that neither Mary nor the disciples had any inkling of this all important fact. One thing that surely brightened Peter’s face that morning was the fact that the Risen Lord had specifically instructed the women to tell Peter (Mk. 16:7).
THE RACE TO THE TOMB
So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. John 20:3-4
We notice a lot of running on this Easter morn. Mary was running and the two disciples were running. There were probably some others running around too. John was probably much younger than Peter, since he lived almost to the end of the century. Therefore, John arrived at the tomb first.
“He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in” (20:5). John arrived at the tomb first but did not go in. No doubt, he breathlessly surveyed the situation and took note of the peculiar arrangement of the grave clothes. It could be that John’s religious upbringing caused him to pause at the tomb’s entrance. Orthodox Jewish people were very careful not to be defiled with the dead. To enter a tomb would have rendered the men unclean and would have prevented their celebrating the Festival of Unleavened Bread, which was going on at the time.
Although John did not enter the tomb, he saw something in it that was very strange and that made a believer out of him. It was the unusual manner in which the strips of linen were arranged. We might say here that this verse does much to debunk the famous Shroud of Turin story.3 Jesus was obviously not buried in a shroud but with strips of linen and a head covering. The Greek word othonia (linen cloth) appears in the plural. The Thayer Greek Lexicon describes these as “…plural strips of linen cloth for swathing the dead.” Other translations use “cloths” or “wrappings” while the NIV here uses strips. This reminds us of John 19:40, where we see something very similar.
The thing that struck John was the arrangement of the strips of linen. Had a tomb robber entered there and stolen the body, in his haste he probably would have left the strips in place on the body. Had he taken time to remove them they would have been strung all about the floor. 4 Several commentators have noted that the strips of linen may have still maintained the shape of the body of Jesus, as if he had arisen through the wrappings.5 The cloth that covered Jesus’ head was neatly rolled up by itself.
“Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen” (20:6-7). It was just like impetuous Peter to go directly into the tomb. He likely saw the same thing that John had observed from the outside – the unusual arrangement and appearance of the linen strips.
Mary’s grave robber theory could certainly be ruled out. Something else was going on. Had they listened to Jesus and read their scriptures they would have known immediately that Jesus had arisen form the dead (cf. Psa.16:9-11; 110:1-4; 118:22-24; Isa. 53:11-12).
The word for “saw” in the Greek is theōreō, and it is more than a casual look. It is a vivid term meaning to give careful notice.6 Obviously, both men were quite amazed at what they saw in the tomb.
“Finally the other disciple, [John] who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) (20:8-9). Barker and Kohlenberger comment: “He saw the meaning of the empty grave clothes and ‘believed…’” 7 In the coming days both men would likely put together the things that Jesus had previously said (cf. 2:22; 11:25; 16:22). What they were seeing was evidence of the resurrection and that would become the central doctrine of Christianity as we see later in Acts. Guthrie says, “…a specific portion of scripture is referred to here (presumably Ps. 16:10)…understanding did not come even to the disciples until after the resurrection, and even then only gradually.” 8 It should be noted that many other Old Testament passages spoke of the resurrection (cf. Job 19:23-27; Psa. 49:15; Isa. 25:8; 26:19; & Dan. 12:2).
“Then the disciples went back to where they were staying” (20:10). Peter and John could not make immediate sense of all this and no doubt their heads were swirling with ideas. Jesus would not leave them in limbo. They would soon hear the exciting reports of the women, who were also at the tomb, including the unbelievable story of Mary Magdalene. That very night they would see the Risen Christ.
MARY MAGDALENE SEEKS THE LORD
Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. John 20:11-12
The other women had gone their various ways, some in panic saying nothing (Mk. 16:8) and others apparently reporting what they had seen to the disciples (Lk. 24:10). Mary stood alone in her tears. We think here of the scriptures. Psalm 30:5 says, “…weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” Then Proverbs 8:17 says, “I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.” There is one certain thing that we can say about Mary Magdalene. She really loved Jesus and she is such an example today for all of us who would love and follow him.
When the New Testament speaks of weeping for the dead it likely describes a very loud weeping or wailing for this was the custom of those times.9 As she bent over to look into the tomb she saw two angels in white, one at the head and one at the foot of the place where Jesus had lain. Guzik comments, “This is one of the few places in the Bible where someone encounters angels and they are not stricken with fear.” 10 It is entirely possible that Mary through her tears did not realize at the time that they were angels. We remember that it was still very early in the morning and possibly there was still not much light. The positioning of the angels is certainly interesting. They remind us of the cherubim of gold on top of the mercy seat (Exod. 25:18-20). Wiersbe says, “There is now a new mercy seat!” 11
“They asked her, ‘Woman, why are you crying?’ ‘They have taken my Lord away,’ she said, ‘and I don’t know where they have put him’” (20:13). Pett also feels that Mary did not recognize that these were angels. Obviously, she was not expecting the miraculous and was certainly not expecting the resurrection of Jesus. She was consumed with grief because his body was gone.12 Her reaction, and that of the disciples, helps us to see how preposterous is the idea that the disciples took the body of Jesus and faked the resurrection, as many have thought.13 The last people on earth to believe in a resurrection seemed to be the disciples themselves. We see that same attitude reflected in Mary.
“At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus” (20:14). Here we need to discuss a common problem that we see with the resurrection. Jesus was now in a new immortal spiritual body and he was not always recognized immediately. We see this with the Emmaus disciples in Luke 24:13 ff., and with the miraculous catch of fish (Jn. 21:4ff.). Some even doubted when they were later in the Galilee and saw the Risen Christ (Matt. 28:17).14 Can we even believe that Jesus today is the only member of the Trinity who has a resurrected physical/spiritual body? He remains very closely identified with all of us, even as he is now at the Father’s side.
“He asked her, ‘Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?’ Thinking he was the gardener, she said, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him’” (20:15). It probably would not be surprising at this early hour to have workers showing up in the garden. Sunday in Israel was like our Monday in the US and people went to work early. These were very brave words for a woman. How could she carry the body of a grown man plus the many pounds of spices added to his corpse? Clarke says, “Love feels no load!” 15
Jesus had come to carry her and her burdens. Meyer says, “Jesus is the Keeper of the church, which may fitly be compared to a garden. At that moment he had come into it to lift up one drooping flower…” 16
MARY MEETS THE MASTER
Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). John 20:16
There might have been some special inflection Jesus always used in pronouncing her Hebrew name of “Miriam,” that immediately caught her attention. She quickly turned and then cried “Rabboni,” meaning “Rabbi” or “teacher.” Like the maiden in the Song of Solomon, Mary had been asking, “…Have you seen the one my heart loves?” Of all the followers of Jesus, “…Mary Magdalene sought Jesus more fervently, and continued more affectionately attached to him than any of the rest.” 17 “Mary must have prostrated herself before Jesus and clasped his feet, as the other women had done (see. Mt. 28:9).” 18
We are reminded of the popular Christian song “The More I Seek You” by Kari Job:
The more I seek you
The more I find you
The more I find you
The more I love you
I want to sit at your feet
Drink from the cup in your hand
Lay back against you and breathe, feel your heart beat
This love is so deep, its more than I can stand
I melt in your peace, its overwhelming.19
Indeed, Jesus had promised “For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened” (Matt. 7:8). “Someone has called this story the greatest recognition scene in all literature. To Mary belongs the glory of being the first person to see the Risen Christ…” 20 Jesus had said in this gospel that he knows his sheep by name. They follow him because they know his voice. (10:3-4).
“Jesus said, ‘Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God’” (20:17). Most commentators find this a very troubling passage. We have noted that other women in this story were able to hold to Jesus (Matt. 28:9). Later he would tell Thomas to come and touch him (20:27). It seems that Mary was clinging to him and was not willing to let him go. Jesus was saying in the Greek language, “Stop clinging to me.” 21 She had at last found him and was not willing to lose him again. Jesus was assuring her that the day of his ascension was some time away and that he would be around for her.
Also, as we have mentioned, Jesus now has a resurrected human body that was in many ways much different than his former body. The same relationships could not be maintained. Jesus was able to vanish in the twinkling of the eye.22 He could walk through a locked door. Indeed he was now a mysterious spiritual body that would eventually ascend to the Father in heaven. Her relationship would now need to be on the spiritual plain. Wiersbe says, “When John was with Jesus at the table, he leaned against his bosom (Jn. 13:25), but when John saw Jesus on the Isle of Patmos, he fell at his feet as dead (Rev. 1:17).” 23 For such reasons Mary would not be able to hold him. Instead, there was work for her to do. First of all she needed to go and tell this wonderful news to the disciples, who are now called “brothers.”
The message was to include the fact that Jesus was ascending soon. He would ascend to his Father and to their Father. He had a different relationship with the Father than they did. He was the Father’s firstborn (Rom. 8:29) and only-begotten Son (Jn. 1:14) and they would be his sons by adoption (Eph. 1:5). Earlier he had called them servants (13:16) and friends (15:15) but now he would call them brothers.24
“Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: ‘I have seen the Lord!’ And she told them that he had said these things to her” (20:18). Unfortunately, the testimony of Mary, and even that of some of the other women, seemed like idle tales to the disciples (Lk. 24:11). Stedman relates this story: “Martin Luther once spent three days in a black depression over something that had gone wrong. On the third day his wife came downstairs dressed in mourning clothes. ‘Who’s dead?’ he asked her. ‘God,’ she replied. Luther rebuked her, saying, ‘What do you mean, God is dead? God cannot die.’ ‘Well,’ she replied, ‘the way you’ve been acting I was sure he had!’” 25
JESUS APPEARS TO HIS DISCIPLES
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” John 20:19
Here we note that the disciples met on the first day of the week. The Sabbath was the seventh day, and on that day most activities came to an end and Israel spent the day in worship. The same is true today. In Israel, Sunday is like Monday in the rest of the world. People go to work and do their normal things. Today in Israel some churches meet on the Sabbath for this reason. Others meet on Sunday evening much like they did in the first century. We have no command to keep the Sabbath in the New Testament and it appears that these early meetings on the first day of the week set the pattern for the church.
Someone has said that all these men were “equal opportunity unbelievers” because they equally disbelieved everyone. They all sat in unbelief and fear of the Jews with all doors closed and locked. While their enemies remembered the words that Jesus would rise from the dead (Matt. 27:62-66) they did not. Suddenly, their dismal disbelief evaporated as Jesus appeared in their midst. He spoke to them and said “Peace be with you!” Of all the people in the world, the disciples probably needed peace more than everyone else. They had been through three days of hell on earth as Jesus had been taken from them and crucified. In a flash that was all behind them as the Risen Christ stood before them.
Now they knew what the riddle of “the little while” was all about (16:17-22).26 It had been only a little while and now they were seeing Jesus again. How their hearts must have exploded with joy and exhilaration.
“After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord” (20:20). It is amazing how Jesus was in a perfectly resurrected body but the marks of his crucifixion still somehow remained. Later, when John would see him in Revelation he would be described as “…a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne…” (Rev. 5:6). We cannot even imagine the joy these disciples had as they saw their Lord. This verse has been called the climax of the whole book.27 At this point we may need to stop and ask ourselves if we have met the Risen Christ? 28
Just imagine! Everything in this miraculous morning happened right under the religious noses of Israel’s leaders. All the proud Sadducees and Pharisees missed out on it completely. It has been said that bad theology is a cruel taskmaster, and their theology was certainly bad. We think today of the millions and billions of people on this earth who know nothing of this astounding miracle.
“Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’ And with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’” (20:21-22). Jesus was always concerned about those of the world who did not have an inkling concerning the good news. For this urgent reason Jesus here commissions his disciples to take the gospel to the world. Wescott calls this “the Charter of the church.” 29 This is not the only such commission Jesus would give. He will do it again just before he ascends into heaven.
The matter of Jesus’ breathing on the disciples and giving them the Holy Spirit has drawn much commentary. Were there two Pentecost days? Jesus’ breathing on the disciples cannot be separated from the account in Genesis 2:7, of God breathing life into the nostrils of Adam. What is pictured here is a new creation. When God breathed on Adam he became a living physical being. When Jesus breathed on the disciples they became living spiritual beings. Their spiritual resources were opened up. In a real sense they were born of the Spirit at that moment. Jesus had promised that they would receive it and now the promise had come true (7:39). The spiritual birth is something almost forgotten in much of the church today, but something of utmost importance (cf. 3:3, 7).
“If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven” (20:23). Utley says, “This verse does not give arbitrary authority to clergy, but wonderful life-giving power to believing witnesses!” 30 Pett says, “The idea here was that the disciples would be able to ‘see through’ men in a unique way.” 31 We see examples of this in the account of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1ff.). Peter could read their lives like a book and point out to them their awful deception. He could do the same in the account of Simon Magus (Acts 8:9ff.). Simon pretended to be a follower of the Lord but when Peter arrived he quickly told this deceiver, “You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God” (Acts 8:21).
Peter had the keys to the kingdom in that he could offer the gospel to Gentiles in many places. He had the power to offer or not offer and in a sense each Christian has a very similar power. By our words and actions we can open heaven to people or close it to them.
DOUBTING THOMAS HAS HIS DAY
Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. John 20:24
This section has some very serious lessons for us today. Thomas, who was called Didymus because he was a twin, failed to make it to the church meeting. Many Christians are doing the same thing today. Even by the mid-90s, 54 percent of evangelical Christians in the US felt it was better to be alone and meditate than to worship with others. The researcher blamed this trend on what he termed as the rise of the new sovereign self.32
It is amazing how this western attitude contrasts to the African church. There, preachers often ask their members to limit attendance to every second or third Sunday so that others can have a chance to hear the gospel message.33
Christians are not meant to be alone. Just as fish swim in a school and birds fly in a formation, Christians need to be together. Even when two or three are together something wonderful happens and the Lord’s presence is there (Matt. 18:20). We can learn from one another and be edified by one another. Christianity is a “one another” religion. There is an amazing way that Jesus through his Holy Spirit comes upon a group of Christians meeting in his name. Thomas by his failure to attend their Christian meeting missed the first appearance of the Risen Christ to his disciples. What a loss!
“So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe’” (20:25). In a way we can almost pity Thomas. Never before in the history of the world had a person come back from the dead with a resurrected body. It was unthinkable – unbelievable! Thomas demanded to see proof. He was not like some doubters today. He was willing to be convinced. The English poet, Lord Alford Tennyson once wrote: “There lives more faith in honest doubt, Believe me, than in half the creeds.” 34
“A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’” (20:26). Several translations read that it was eight days later. We should note that this was a Hebrew idiom for a week.35 Once again Jesus appeared and once again he offered his peace. No doubt this brought to mind Jesus’ words earlier to them: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (14:27). How they must have needed that peace! Wiersbe says, “It is an encouragement to us to know that the Lord had a personal interest in the concern for “Doubting Thomas.” 36 That should encourage many doubters today.
“Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe’” (20:27). Thomas must have been shocked that Jesus was almost repeating his very words.37 In this day of the Internet when so many of our words and actions are stored permanently in cyberspace, it should not surprise us to learn that the Lord knows and sees all we say and do. Thomas was shocked into faith. Meyer says “It is unlikely that Thomas availed himself of Jesus’ invitation to reach forth his hand, that he might touch as well as see.” 38
“Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’” (20:28). Coffman comments, “Thomas’ confession ranks among the greatest ever made.” 39 It is especially significant that Thomas was a Jew making this confession. According to the Jewish law such a confession was to be considered blasphemy (cf. 10:33).40 Jewish people believed in a strict monotheism and there was no room for other persons in the Godhead. This very thing had been a stumbling block throughout the whole ministry of Jesus.
According to church tradition Thomas continued on with his great confession. Tradition tells us that Thomas went on to establish the Thomist Church of South India.41
“Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed’” (20:29). There is a great hidden blessing here for all those who have believed in Jesus and have not seen him. Guthrey says, “Ultimately true faith must always be independent of sight.” 42 We remember the words of Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
“Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book” (20:30). In a very real sense this verse begins the conclusion of John’s gospel. He is making clear that Jesus did many signs and wonders that are not included here. John was intent upon selecting those few signs that would enable a reasonable person to believe the gospel and be converted. He no doubt left out many signs covered in the other gospels for this reason. Bruce says, “John’s record has the power to awaken new faith and to revive faith already awakened…nineteen centuries bear witness to the abundant degree in which his noble purpose has been achieved.” 43 Just think how many have been converted by the famous verse in John 3:16!
“But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (20:31). Coffman says, “This is the statement of the purpose of John, every line in the gospel having been related to the purpose in view here.” 44 John is the only evangelist who gives the readers his clear statement of purpose. That clear purpose is that the reader will believe in Jesus as God’s Son.45
With this clear purpose in mind it challenges each of to ask, “Do I really believe that Jesus is the divine Son of God?” Those who do believe will be saved.