John 20:10-29
English Standard Version
10 Then the disciples went back to their homes.
Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene
11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And (A)she saw (B)two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, (C)“Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, (D)“They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and (E)saw Jesus standing, (F)but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, (G)“Woman, why are you weeping? (H)Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be (I)the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic,[a] (J)“Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to (K)my brothers and say to them, (L)‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to (M)my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene (N)went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.
Jesus Appears to the Disciples
19 (O)On the evening (P)of that day, the first day of the week, (Q)the doors being locked where the disciples were (R)for fear of the Jews,[b] Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, (S)“Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, (T)he showed them his hands and his side. Then (U)the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As (V)the Father has sent me, (W)even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, he (X)breathed on them and said to them, (Y)“Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 (Z)If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”
Jesus and Thomas
24 Now (AA)Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin,[c] was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, (AB)“Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. (AC)Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, (AD)“Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, (AE)“Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, (AF)“My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? (AG)Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- John 20:16 Or Hebrew
- John 20:19 Greek Ioudaioi probably refers here to Jewish religious leaders, and others under their influence, in that time
- John 20:24 Greek Didymus
John 20:10-29
The Message
3-10 Peter and the other disciple left immediately for the tomb. They ran, neck and neck. The other disciple got to the tomb first, outrunning Peter. Stooping to look in, he saw the pieces of linen cloth lying there, but he didn’t go in. Simon Peter arrived after him, entered the tomb, observed the linen cloths lying there, and the kerchief used to cover his head not lying with the linen cloths but separate, neatly folded by itself. Then the other disciple, the one who had gotten there first, went into the tomb, took one look at the evidence, and believed. No one yet knew from the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead. The disciples then went back home.
11-13 But Mary stood outside the tomb weeping. As she wept, she knelt to look into the tomb and saw two angels sitting there, dressed in white, one at the head, the other at the foot of where Jesus’ body had been laid. They said to her, “Woman, why do you weep?”
13-14 “They took my Master,” she said, “and I don’t know where they put him.” After she said this, she turned away and saw Jesus standing there. But she didn’t recognize him.
15 Jesus spoke to her, “Woman, why do you weep? Who are you looking for?”
She, thinking that he was the gardener, said, “Sir, if you took him, tell me where you put him so I can care for him.”
16 Jesus said, “Mary.”
Turning to face him, she said in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” meaning “Teacher!”
17 Jesus said, “Don’t cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I ascend to my Father and your Father, my God and your God.’”
18 Mary Magdalene went, telling the news to the disciples: “I saw the Master!” And she told them everything he said to her.
To Believe
19-20 Later on that day, the disciples had gathered together, but, fearful of the Jews, had locked all the doors in the house. Jesus entered, stood among them, and said, “Peace to you.” Then he showed them his hands and side.
20-21 The disciples, seeing the Master with their own eyes, were awestruck. Jesus repeated his greeting: “Peace to you. Just as the Father sent me, I send you.”
22-23 Then he took a deep breath and breathed into them. “Receive the Holy Spirit,” he said. “If you forgive someone’s sins, they’re gone for good. If you don’t forgive sins, what are you going to do with them?”
24-25 But Thomas, sometimes called the Twin, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples told him, “We saw the Master.”
But he said, “Unless I see the nail holes in his hands, put my finger in the nail holes, and stick my hand in his side, I won’t believe it.”
26 Eight days later, his disciples were again in the room. This time Thomas was with them. Jesus came through the locked doors, stood among them, and said, “Peace to you.”
27 Then he focused his attention on Thomas. “Take your finger and examine my hands. Take your hand and stick it in my side. Don’t be unbelieving. Believe.”
28 Thomas said, “My Master! My God!”
29 Jesus said, “So, you believe because you’ve seen with your own eyes. Even better blessings are in store for those who believe without seeing.”
Read full chapterThe Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson