JohnChapter 20

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¹Early on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb. It was still dark. She saw that the stone had been moved away from the opening. ²So she ran to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved. She said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb! We don't know where they have put him!" ³So Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb. ⁴The two of them were running together. But the other disciple ran faster than Peter. He got to the tomb first. ⁵He bent down and looked in. He saw the strips of linen lying there. But he did not go in. ⁶Simon Peter came right after him. He went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there. ⁷He also saw the cloth that had been around Jesus' head. It was rolled up and lying by itself, away from the linen. ⁸Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. ⁹They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead. ¹⁰Then the disciples went back to their homes. ¹¹But Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she cried, she bent down to look into the tomb. ¹²She saw two angels dressed in white. They were sitting where Jesus' body had been. One was at the head, and the other was at the feet. ¹³They 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." ¹⁴When she said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there. But she didn't know that it was Jesus. ¹⁵"Woman, why are you crying?" Jesus asked. "Who are you looking for?" She thought he was the gardener. So she said, "Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you put him. Then I will go and get him." ¹⁶Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him and said in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" (This means "Teacher.") ¹⁷Jesus said, "Don't hold on to me. I have not yet gone up to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, 'I am going up to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" ¹⁸Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news. "I have seen the Lord!" she said. And she told them what he had said to her. ¹⁹It was the evening of that first day of the week. The disciples were together. They had locked the doors because they were afraid of the Jews. Then Jesus came and stood among them. He said, "Peace be with you!" ²⁰After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy when they saw the Lord. ²¹Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! The Father has sent me. In the same way, I am sending you." ²²After he said this, he breathed on them. He said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³If you forgive anyone's sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." ²⁴Thomas was one of the Twelve. He was also called the Twin. He was not with the disciples when Jesus came.a ²⁵So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But Thomas said, "First I must see the nail marks in his hands. I must put my finger where the nails were. I must put my hand into his side. If I don't, I will never believe." ²⁶Eight days later, his disciples were inside again with the doors locked. This time Thomas was with them. Jesus came and stood among them. He said, "Peace be with you!" ²⁷Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here. Look at my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." ²⁸Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!" ²⁹Jesus told him, "You have believed because you have seen me. Blessed are those who have not seen me and still believe." ³⁰Jesus did many other miraculous signs while his disciples were with him. They are not written down in this book. ³¹But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. And by believing, you may have life in his name.