John 20

Listen to John 20

The Resurrection

1 1Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that 2the stone had been taken away from the tomb.
2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, 3the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and 4we do not know where they have laid him."
3 5So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb.
4 Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.
5 And stooping to look in, he saw 6the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in.
6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there,
7 and 7the face cloth, which had been on Jesus'[a] head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself.
8 Then the other disciple, 8who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed;
9 for as yet 9they did not understand the Scripture, 10that he must rise from the dead.
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 11she saw 12two 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, 13"Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, 14"They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him."
14 Having said this, she turned around and 15saw Jesus standing, 16but she did not know that it was Jesus.
15 Jesus said to her, 17"Woman, why are you weeping? 18Whom are you seeking?" Supposing him to be 19the 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,[b]20"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 21my brothers and say to them, 22'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to 23my God and your God.'"
18 Mary Magdalene 24went 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 25On the evening 26of that day, the first day of the week, 27the doors being locked where the disciples were 28for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, 29"Peace be with you."
20 When he had said this, 30he showed them his hands and his side. Then 31the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
21 Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As 32the Father has sent me, 33even so I am sending you."
22 And when he had said this, he 34breathed on them and said to them, 35"Receive the Holy Spirit.
23 36If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld."

Jesus and Thomas

24 Now 37Thomas, 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, 38"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. 39Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 40"Peace be with you."
27 Then he said to Thomas, 41"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, 42"My Lord and my God!"
29 Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? 43Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

The Purpose of This Book

30 44Now Jesus did many other signs 45in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;
31 46but these are written so that you may 47believe that Jesus is the Christ, 48the Son of God, and that by believing 49you may have life 50in his name.

Cross References 50

  • 1. Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:1, 2; Luke 24:1
  • 2. Matthew 27:60, 66; Matthew 28:2; Mark 15:46; Mark 16:3, 4; Luke 24:2
  • 3. See John 13:23
  • 4. ver. 13
  • 5. Luke 24:12
  • 6. John 19:40
  • 7. John 11:44
  • 8. ver. 4
  • 9. Matthew 22:29
  • 10. Psalms 16:10; Luke 24:46; Acts 2:25-31; Acts 13:34, 35; Acts 17:3; 1 Corinthians 15:4
  • 11. [Mark 16:5]
  • 12. Luke 24:4
  • 13. ver. 15; [John 2:4]
  • 14. ver. 2
  • 15. Mark 16:9; [Matthew 28:9]
  • 16. John 21:4; Luke 24:16, 31
  • 17. ver. 13
  • 18. John 1:38; John 18:4, 7
  • 19. [John 19:41]
  • 20. See John 1:38
  • 21. See Matthew 28:10
  • 22. [Mark 16:19]; See John 14:12
  • 23. Matthew 27:46; Ephesians 1:17; Revelation 3:2, 12; [1 Corinthians 3:23]
  • 24. Mark 16:10; [Matthew 28:10; Luke 24:10, 22, 23]
  • 25. 1 Corinthians 15:5; [ver. 26]
  • 26. Luke 24:33, 36
  • 27. ver. 26
  • 28. See John 7:13
  • 29. See John 14:27
  • 30. Luke 24:40
  • 31. John 16:22
  • 32. John 17:18; See John 3:17
  • 33. John 13:20; See Acts 1:2
  • 34. Genesis 2:7
  • 35. [Acts 2:4]; See John 7:39
  • 36. [Matthew 16:19; Matthew 18:18; 1 Corinthians 5:4, 5]
  • 37. See John 11:16
  • 38. ver. 20; [Psalms 22:16]
  • 39. ver. 19
  • 40. ver. 19
  • 41. ver. 20; 1 John 1:1; [Luke 24:39]
  • 42. [John 1:1, 49]
  • 43. 1 Peter 1:8; [2 Corinthians 5:7]
  • 44. John 21:25
  • 45. Acts 10:41
  • 46. 1 John 5:13
  • 47. See John 11:27
  • 48. See Matthew 14:33
  • 49. John 3:15, 16; John 5:40; John 6:53; John 10:10
  • 50. [Acts 10:43; 1 Corinthians 6:11]; See Acts 3:6

Footnotes 3

John 20 Commentaries

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.