Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks
Jesus’ Tomb Is Empty
20 Early on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb. It was still dark. Mary saw that the large stone had been moved away from the tomb. 2 So Mary ran to Simon Peter and the other follower (the one Jesus loved). Mary said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb. We don’t know where they have put him.”
3 So Peter and the other follower started for the tomb. 4 They were both running, but the other follower ran faster than Peter. So the other follower reached the tomb first. 5 He bent down and looked in. He saw the strips of linen cloth lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then following him came Simon Peter. He went into the tomb and saw the strips of linen lying there. 7 He also saw the cloth that had been around Jesus’ head. The cloth was folded up and laid in a different place from the strips of linen. 8 Then the other follower, who had reached the tomb first, also went in. He saw and believed. 9 (These followers did not yet understand from the Scriptures that Jesus must rise from death.)
Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene
10 Then the followers went back home. 11 But Mary stood outside the tomb, crying. While she was still crying, she bent down and looked inside the tomb. 12 She saw two angels dressed in white. They were sitting where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and one at the feet.
13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”
She answered, “They have taken away my Lord. I don’t know where they have put him.” 14 When Mary said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there. But she did not know that it was Jesus.
15 Jesus asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Whom are you looking for?”
Mary thought he was the gardener. So she said to him, “Did you take him away, sir? Tell me where you put him, and I will get him.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
Mary turned toward Jesus and said in the Jewish language,[a] “Rabboni.” (This means Teacher.)
17 Jesus said to her, “Don’t hold me. I have not yet gone up to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them this: ‘I am going back to my Father and your Father. I am going back to my God and your God.’”
18 Mary Magdalene went and said to the followers, “I saw the Lord!” And she told them what Jesus had said to her.
Jesus Appears to His Followers
19 It was the first day of the week. That evening Jesus’ followers were together. The doors were locked, because they were afraid of the Jews. Then Jesus came and stood among them. He said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. His followers were very happy when they saw the Lord.
21 Then Jesus said again, “Peace be with you! As the Father sent me, I now send you.” 22 After he said this, he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven. If you don’t forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
Jesus Appears to Thomas
24 Thomas (called Didymus) was not with the followers when Jesus came. Thomas was 1 of the 12. 25 The other followers told Thomas, “We saw the Lord.”
But Thomas said, “I will not believe it until I see the nail marks in his hands. And I will not believe until I put my finger where the nails were and put my hand into his side.”
26 A week later the followers were in the house again. Thomas was with them. The doors were locked, but Jesus came in and stood among them. He said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here. Look at my hands. Put your hand here in my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you see me. Those who believe without seeing me will be truly happy.”
Why John Wrote This Book
30 Jesus did many other miracles before his followers that are not written in this book. 31 But these are written so that you can believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Then, by believing, you can have life through his name.
Jesus Appears to Seven Followers
21 Later, Jesus showed himself to his followers by Lake Galilee.[b] This is how it happened: 2 Some of the followers were together. They were Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the two sons of Zebedee, and two other followers. 3 Simon Peter said, “I am going out to fish.”
The other followers said, “We will go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat. They fished that night but caught nothing.
4 Early the next morning Jesus stood on the shore. But the followers did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Then he said to them, “Friends, have you caught any fish?”
They answered, “No.”
6 He said, “Throw your net into the water on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they did this. They caught so many fish that they could not pull the net back into the boat.
7 The follower whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Peter heard him say this, he wrapped his coat around himself. (Peter had taken his clothes off.) Then he jumped into the water. 8 The other followers went to shore in the boat, dragging the net full of fish. They were not very far from shore, only about 100 yards. 9 When the followers stepped out of the boat and onto the shore, they saw a fire of hot coals. There were fish on the fire, and there was bread.
10 Then Jesus said, “Bring some of the fish that you caught.”
11 Simon Peter went into the boat and pulled the net to the shore. It was full of big fish. There were 153. Even though there were so many, the net did not tear. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and eat.” None of the followers dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them. He also gave them the fish.
14 This was now the third time Jesus showed himself to his followers after he was raised from death.
Jesus Talks to Peter
15 When they finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John do you love me more than these?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my lambs.”
16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John do you love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
17 A third time he said, “Simon son of John do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” Peter said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you!”
He said to him, “Take care of my sheep. 18 I tell you the truth. When you were younger, you tied your own belt and went where you wanted. But when you are old, you will put out your hands and someone else will tie them. They will take you where you don’t want to go.” 19 (Jesus said this to show how Peter would die to give glory to God.) Then Jesus said to Peter, “Follow me!”
20 Peter turned and saw that the follower Jesus loved was walking behind them. (This was the follower who had leaned against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who will turn against you?”) 21 When Peter saw him behind them he asked Jesus, “Lord, what about him?”
22 Jesus answered, “Perhaps I want him to live until I come back. That should not be important to you. You follow me!”
23 So a story spread among the brothers that this follower would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die. He only said, “Perhaps I want him to live until I come back. That should not be important to you.”
24 That follower is the one who is telling these things. He is the one who has now written them down. We know that what he says is true.
25 There are many other things that Jesus did. If every one of them were written down, I think the whole world would not be big enough for all the books that would be written.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.