John 20
New Catholic Bible
The Appearances of the Risen One[a]
Chapter 20
The Mystery of the Empty Tomb.[b] 1 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 tomb. 2 Therefore, she ran to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him.”
3 Then Peter and the other disciple set out and made their way toward the tomb. 4 They both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent down and saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in.
6 When Simon Peter caught up with him, he entered the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and also the cloth that had covered his head not lying with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. 8 Then the other disciple who had reached the tomb first also went inside, and he saw and believed. 9 They still did not understand the Scripture indicating that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples returned to their homes.
11 Mary Magdalene Recognizes Jesus.[c] Mary Magdalene remained weeping outside the tomb. And as she wept, she bent down to look into the tomb, 12 and she saw two angels in white sitting there where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head and the other at the feet. 13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She answered, “They have taken my Lord away, and I do not know where they have put him.”
14 As she said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have removed him, tell me where you have put him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!”[d] (which means “Teacher”).
17 Jesus then said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to my Father. But go to my brethren and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ”[e] 18 Mary Magdalene then went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and repeated what he had said to her.
19 Jesus Appears to the Disciples.[f] On the evening of that same day, the first day of the week, the doors of the house where the disciples had gathered were locked because of their fear of the Jews. Jesus then came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 After saying this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples were filled with joy when they saw the Lord. 21 “Peace be with you,” Jesus said to them again.
“As the Father has sent me,
so I send you.”
22 After saying this, he breathed on them and said,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.
23 If you forgive anyone’s sins,
they are forgiven.
If you retain anyone’s sins,
they are retained.”
24 Jesus Appears to Thomas.[g] Now Thomas, called the Twin, who was one of the Twelve, was not with the rest when Jesus came. 25 When the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord,” he replied, “Unless I see the mark of the nails on his hands and put my finger into the place where the nails pierced and insert my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
26 Eight days later, the disciples were again in the house, and on this occasion Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood in their midst, and he said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Do not doubt any longer, but believe.” 28 Thomas exclaimed, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Then Jesus said to him,
“You have come to believe
because you have seen me.
Blessed are those who have not seen
and yet have come to believe.”
30 Believe in Order To Live.[h] Now Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not recorded in this work. 31 But those written here have been recorded so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through your belief you may have life in his name.
Footnotes
- John 20:1 Here, as in the rest of his work, John is pleased to dwell on some incidents not set down, or at least barely noticed, by the Synoptics; more than once, these are episodes involving the very person who is passing them on to his brethren in the faith. We owe to John the most extensive part of the Easter Gospel. By speaking of the empty tomb, he emphasizes the victory of life over death. When he describes one or other of the appearances, he wants to show how Jesus was recognized by his followers, what his new presence in their midst is like, how we are to believe in Christ, the mission to be carried out in the world in order to bear witness to him, and the gift of the Spirit to all believers. The last chapter, which has every appearance of having been added by disciples to the first edition of John’s Gospel, emphasizes and expands the ecclesial perspective: The Resurrection, which ends the earthly career of Jesus, begins the earthly career of the Church.
- John 20:1 Why is the body no longer there and why are the linen cloths still there? The beloved disciple, who had come with Peter, becomes the witness of the event and its meaning. Because he looks at the linen cloths with faith, he understands them as belonging to God’s plan: the linen cloths mean that Jesus is alive.
The tomb is the symbol of death, but in the presence of this tomb the sign of death is changed. We are here at the beginning of a new life. Death is overcome. - John 20:11 To Mary Magdalene everything has been taken away, even the mortal remains of the One who has just died. But the appearance of the living Christ stands out in bold relief before her. And nothing is as it was before. The time of privileged encounters and sensible presence is past. The joy of Mary will be to announce to the disciples this new Covenant: Jesus lives with the Father, who is our Father, too. Believers are brothers and sisters of Jesus. Here lies the mystery of the Church—that is, in the communion with Jesus.
- John 20:16 Rabbouni is more solemn than “Rabbi”; it means “My Teacher.”
- John 20:17 Jesus tells Mary Magdalene not to delay. She must immediately go and announce his Resurrection to the disciples, while he will ascend to the Father before returning to manifest himself to them in full possession of all his prerogatives as the firstborn among many brothers. He had foretold that his glorification was necessary in order for the Holy Spirit to be sent. Hence, for John, the Ascension takes place on the same day as the Resurrection. The external and more demonstrative Ascension described in the Acts of the Apostles (1:6-11), forty days after the Resurrection, was only Jesus’ sensible and definitive departure from the disciples after the various appearances to sustain and confirm their faith.
- John 20:19 This is the first “Sunday” of the Church, the day on which the risen Lord meets his disciples. The season of joy has come (see Jn 15:11; 16:20-24; 17:13). He who comes, alive, into the midst of his followers is the same one who took on himself the suffering of the cross. He will now make them preachers of his mystery and ministers of his forgiveness. He sends the Spirit upon them as the Spirit had been sent on him by the Father at his Baptism, when he was beginning his mission (see also Ezek 37:9; Jn 15:26-27); this marks the beginning of the apostolic mission, which is a continuation of the work of Jesus Christ.
- John 20:24 The true happiness of the disciples was not to have seen the Lord but to have understood the meaning of his Passion. The Passion makes known God’s love. Blessed are they who believe in this love. Christian generations who have not known the visible Christ will meet him in faith.
- John 20:30 The purpose of John’s Gospel was to bring people to belief in Jesus: there is life only in communion with him.
These verses undoubtedly constituted the first conclusion of the fourth Gospel.
John 20
King James Version
20 The 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.
2 Then 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.
3 Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre.
4 So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.
5 And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.
6 Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,
7 And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.
8 Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed.
9 For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.
10 Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.
11 But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre,
12 And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
13 And 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.
14 And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.
15 Jesus 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.
16 Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.
17 Jesus 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.
18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.
19 Then 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.
20 And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.
21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
25 The 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.
26 And 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.
27 Then 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.
28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:
31 But 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.
John 20
International Standard Version
Jesus is Raised from the Dead(A)
20 On the first day of the week,[a] early in the morning and while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene[b] went to the tomb and noticed that the stone had been removed from the tomb. 2 So she ran off and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, whom Jesus kept loving. She told them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” 3 So Peter and the other disciple took off for the tomb. 4 The two of them were running together, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and came to the tomb first. 5 Bending over to look inside, he noticed the linen cloths lying there, but didn’t go in. 6 At this point Simon Peter arrived, following him, and went straight into the tomb. He observed that the linen cloths were lying there, 7 and that the handkerchief that had been on Jesus’ head was not lying with the linen cloths but was rolled up in a separate place. 8 Then the other disciple, who arrived at the tomb first, went inside, looked, and believed. 9 For they did not yet understand the Scripture that said[c] that Jesus[d] had to rise from the dead. 10 So the disciples went back to their homes.
Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene(B)
11 Meanwhile, Mary[e] stood crying outside the tomb. As she cried, she bent over and looked[f] into the tomb. 12 She saw two angels in white clothes who were sitting down, one at the head and the other at the foot of the place where Jesus’ body had been lying. 13 They asked her, “Lady,[g] why are you crying?”
She told them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they have put him.”
14 After she had said this, she turned around and noticed Jesus standing there, without realizing that it was Jesus.
15 Jesus asked her, “Dear lady,[h] why are you crying? Who are you looking for?”
Thinking he was the gardener, she told him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will take him away.”
16 Jesus told her, “Mary!”
She turned around and told him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means “Teacher”).
17 Jesus told her, “Don’t hold on to me, because I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I’m ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
18 So Mary Magdalene[i] went and announced to the disciples, “I’ve seen the Lord!” She also told them what he had told her.
Jesus Appears to the Disciples(C)
19 It was the evening of the first day of the week,[j] and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders.[k] Jesus came and stood among them. He told them, “Peace be with you.” 20 After saying this, he showed them his hands and his side, and when they saw the Lord, the disciples were overjoyed. 21 Jesus told them again, “Peace be with you. Just as the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them and told them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive people’s sins, they are forgiven. If you retain people’s sins, they are retained.”
Jesus Appears to Thomas
24 Thomas, one of the Twelve (called the Twin),[l] wasn’t with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples kept telling him, “We’ve seen the Lord!” But he told them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands, put my finger into them,[m] and put my hand into his side, I’ll never believe!”
26 A week later, his disciples were again inside, and Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were shut, Jesus came, stood among them, and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he told Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Take your hand, and put it into my side. Stop doubting, but believe.”
28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Jesus told him, “Is it because you’ve seen me that you have believed? How blessed are those who have never seen me and yet have believed!”
The Purpose of the Book
30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his[n] disciples that are not recorded in this book. 31 But these have been recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah,[o] the Son of God, and so that through believing you may have life in his name.
Footnotes
- John 20:1 Lit. first of the Sabbaths
- John 20:1 Or Mary of Magdala
- John 20:9 The Gk. lacks that said
- John 20:9 Lit. he
- John 20:11 I.e. Mary of Magdala
- John 20:11 The Gk. lacks and looked
- John 20:13 Or Woman
- John 20:15 Or Woman
- John 20:18 Or Mary of Magdala
- John 20:19 Or evening of that day, the first of the Sabbaths
- John 20:19 I.e. Judean leaders
- John 20:24 Lit. called Didymus
- John 20:25 Lit. into the nail marks
- John 20:30 Other mss. read the
- John 20:31 Or Christ
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