EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

John 20:1-31

John tells the Good News about Jesus

Gospel of John

Marion Adams

Chapter 20

The grave is empty! 20:1-10

v1 On Sunday morning, Mary (who was from Magdala) went to the grave. It was very early and it was still dark. She saw that the rock was not still across the entrance of the grave. v2 So she ran to Simon Peter and the other *disciple. (He was the *disciple whom Jesus loved.) She said to them, ‘Somebody has taken the *Lord’s body out of the grave! We do not know where to find the body!’

v3 So Peter and the other *disciple went to the grave. v4 They both ran. But the other *disciple ran faster than Peter. So the other *disciple arrived at the grave first. v5 He bent down and he looked inside. He saw the linen cloths that were lying there. (Linen is a type of cloth.) But he did not go in. v6 Then Simon Peter arrived. Immediately, he went inside the grave. He saw the linen cloths. v7 Also he saw the cloth that they had wrapped round Jesus’ head. It was separate from the other cloths. It seemed as if somebody had folded it. v8 Then the *disciple who had arrived first went inside also. He saw it, and he *believed. v9 (The *scriptures said that it was necessary for Jesus to become alive again. But, until then, they did not realise this.)

v10 Then the *disciples returned to their homes.

Verse 1 This is the second reference to Mary from Magdala in John’s *Gospel. The other *Gospels tell more about her. Jesus made 7 evil *spirits leave her. She became his loyal *follower. She was probably the leader of the group of women who travelled with Jesus and his *disciples. These women paid for the things that they all needed. They looked after Jesus and his *disciples in a practical way. Mary from Magdala was present when Jesus died on the *cross. The other *Gospels tell us that some other women went with Mary to Jesus’ grave.

Verses 2-10 Mary was not expecting Jesus to become alive again. When she saw the open entrance, it upset her. She thought that somebody had moved the stone in order to remove Jesus’ body. So she ran to Peter and the other *disciple to tell them. They ran to the grave themselves to see what had happened.

The other *disciple, ‘whom Jesus loved’, is probably John himself. See John 13:23.

When he arrived, the other *disciple did not rush inside. He just looked in. He saw the position of the cloths. It seemed as if Jesus’ body had just passed through them. If somebody had stolen the body, they would not have left the cloths like this. But Peter rushed inside first. And he did not seem to realise the importance of these details.

When the other *disciple saw the position of the cloths, he ‘*believed’ (verse 8). He did not believe that Jesus’ spirit had gone to heaven. This *disciple believed that Jesus’ body had actually become alive again. But it was a new kind of *life, because his body was able to pass through material. It was not the same as when Lazarus became alive again. Lazarus’s body was the same as before. And his body would become old and he would die in the end. But Jesus’ body was not the same as it was before. He would never die again.

Both Jesus and the *scriptures said that after his death, Jesus would become alive again. But the *disciples had not realised what this meant before. They had not expected the grave to be empty. But the evidence for Jesus’ *resurrection was in the *scriptures and in the empty grave. The other *disciple examined the evidence and he *believed!

Jesus’ *resurrection proved that he was really God’s Son. He had defeated even death. For *Christians, death is not the end, but the beginning of a new *life with God.

Mary from Magdala sees Jesus in the garden 20:11-18

v11 But Mary stood outside the grave. She was crying. As she wept, she bent down to look into the grave. v12 She saw two *angels there. They were wearing white clothes. They were sitting where Jesus’ body had been. One *angel was where Jesus’ head had been. The other *angel was where Jesus’ feet had been.

v13 ‘Why are you crying?’ they asked Mary.

She answered, ‘Somebody has taken away my *Lord’s body. That is why I am crying. And I do not know where to find the body.’

v14 As she spoke, she turned round. She saw a man who was standing there. This man was Jesus. But she did not recognise him.

v15 Jesus said to her, ‘Why are you crying? Whom are you looking for?’

Mary thought that he was the gardener. She said to him, ‘Sir! If you have taken the body away, please tell me. I need to know where you have put the body. Then I can go and get it.’

v16 Then Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’

She turned to him. She said, ‘Rabboni!’ (an *Aramaic word that means ‘Teacher’).

v17 ‘Do not hold on to me’, said Jesus. ‘I have not returned to the *Father yet. But go and find my brothers (my *disciples). Tell them that I am returning to him. I am returning to my *Father and your *Father; that is, to my God and your God.’

v18 Mary (who was from Magdala) found the *disciples. She told them, ‘I have seen the *Lord!’ And she told them what he had said to her.

Some people say that Jesus’ *resurrection did not happen. They say that the story is not true. But this passage is strong proof that the story is a true record of real events. John recorded that a woman first saw Jesus alive again. If he had made up the story, he would not have written this. This was because, legally, there had to be two male witnesses to an event. Then people would believe that it had really happened. They did not allow female witnesses in a court of law. However, John recorded what actually happened.

Verses 11-16 Mary was crying. And she could not stop. Even when she saw the *angels, she did not stop. She did not understand what had happened. She had expected to see Jesus’ body in the grave. But it had gone.

She certainly did not expect to see Jesus alive. Perhaps her tears made it difficult to see. Perhaps it was still dark. Whatever the reason, she did not recognise Jesus until he said her name. Then she recognised him. He used the *Aramaic form of her name. And she answered him in *Aramaic. It was the familiar language that Jesus and his *disciples spoke. The author John wrote his *Gospel in *Greek. But he recorded the actual *Aramaic words that Jesus and Mary used. This emphasised how personal this meeting was. John was very careful to include these details. He was repeating the report of somebody who was actually present there.

Jesus knows us all personally. He knows each one of us by our name. When we pray, he speaks to us in our mind and our spirit. Like Mary, we will recognise his voice (John 10:1-6). And we must answer him. He is our Teacher, our *Lord, and our King.

Verses 17-18 Jesus had not become alive again so that he could remain on the earth. He had not returned to life so that he could stay with his *disciples. He knew that, soon, he had to return to heaven. Then the *Holy Spirit could come, as Jesus had promised (John 14:15-31). So he could not stay with Mary in the garden. Mary had to leave too. She had an important message to give to the *disciples. Jesus was alive! She had seen him.

Jesus had called his *disciples ‘friends’ rather than ‘servants’ (John 15:14-15). But in verse 17, he called them ‘brothers’. Because of his death and *resurrection, they had become God’s children. God was their *Father, too. But he was their *Father in a different way from the way that he was Jesus’ *Father. This is because Jesus, the Son, has always existed with his *Father and the *Holy Spirit. Jesus is also God. But everybody who *believes in him receives the right to be called God’s child. God adopts such people into his family.

Jesus appears to his *disciples 20:19-23

v19 That evening, the first day of the week, the *disciples were together in one place. They were afraid of the *Jewish leaders. So they locked the doors. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them!

He said to them, ‘I give *peace to you!’

v20 As he spoke, he showed to them his hands and the side of his body. The *disciples were very happy when they saw the *Lord!

v21 He spoke to them again. ‘I give *peace to you’, he said. ‘I am sending you, as the *Father has sent me.’

v22 Then he breathed on them. He said, ‘Receive the *Holy Spirit! v23 I give to you the authority to forgive *sins. And the *Holy Spirit will show you when God does not forgive a person’s *sins.’

Verses 19-22 Although they had locked the doors, Jesus appeared among the *disciples. In some ways, his body was the same as before. He still had the injuries in his hands that the nails had caused. He still had the injury in the side of his body. But he was able somehow to pass through the walls and the doors. However, he was not just a spirit. Jesus had a real body. People could even touch him (Luke 24:37-39; John 20:27). But his body was different.

When God makes our bodies become alive again, in some ways we will be the same. But in other ways, we will be different too. This is a great mystery. (See 1 Corinthians 15:35-56.)

Two times, Jesus said, ‘I give *peace to you.’ This was the *peace that he had promised in John 14:27 and John 16:33. Jesus’ death had made it possible to receive this *peace, because he had taken the punishment for everybody’s *sins. He had made it possible for God to forgive everybody who *believes in Jesus. Everybody who *believes in Jesus can receive this *peace.

Jesus wanted his *disciples to spread the good news of *salvation. His *Father, God, had sent him to the world in order to save people from the results of their *sins. In the same way, Jesus sent his *disciples to tell everybody about this. But they could not do this work alone. They needed what Jesus had. They needed God’s help. They needed him to guide them. They needed his power and authority. So Jesus gave to them the *Holy Spirit. He breathed on them. In *Hebrew and *Greek, the word for ‘spirit’ can also mean ‘breath’.

Later, immediately before he returned to heaven, Jesus told the *disciples to wait in *Jerusalem. He told them to wait for God to give the *Holy Spirit to them again (Acts 1:4-5). Jesus told them that God would *baptise them in the *Holy Spirit. John the *Baptist had already *baptised them in water. But the *baptism in the *Holy Spirit was something different. It would give them the power to serve God. Then, on the day called *Pentecost, the *Holy Spirit filled them in a public place. And they had power to do all that God wanted them to do (Acts chapter 2).

Verse 23 Jesus wanted his *disciples to tell people about *salvation. It was their responsibility to tell people about God’s *forgiveness. This is our responsibility, too.

God forgives everybody who *believes in Jesus. People can pray to receive Jesus as their *Lord and *Saviour. We can encourage them to do this. If they do this sincerely, God forgives them. We have the authority to declare this to them. So we bring God’s *forgiveness to them, on behalf of God himself (2 Corinthians 5:20).

But sometimes people may not be sincere when they ask for God’s *forgiveness. They may not really want to *repent from their *sins. They may want to use the power of Jesus’ name (see note on John 14:13-14) in a wrong way. Or there may be other reasons why they want to join the church. Jesus gave the *Holy Spirit to his *disciples. The *Holy Spirit would show them what to do in such situations. The *Holy Spirit would show them when God was forgiving a person’s *sins (see Acts 10:44-48). But the *Holy Spirit would also show them when God did not forgive a person. See Acts 5:1-10; Acts 8:18-24; and Acts 13:6-11.

If we had perfect knowledge about God, then our decisions about people would always be correct. And we would always know whether a person is sincere. We would know when God forgives a person. And we would know when God does not forgive a person. We would know these things by the power of God’s *Holy Spirit. But our knowledge is not yet perfect (1 Corinthians 13:9). So our opinions about people are not always correct. However, God does not often want us to accuse people. Instead, he wants us to teach people about *salvation. He wants us to encourage people to be sincere when they *repent. Then God will forgive them. We should only act otherwise if God’s *Holy Spirit directs us.

Jesus and Thomas 20:24-29

v24 Thomas, who was called the Twin, was one of Jesus’ 12 *disciples. (A twin has a brother or sister who was born at the same time.) But Thomas was not with the *disciples when Jesus appeared. v25 The other *disciples told him, ‘We have seen the *Lord!’

But Thomas said to them, ‘I must see the injuries in his hands. I must put my finger into them. And I must put my hand into the injury in his side. Unless I do this, I will not believe.’

v26 Eight (8) days later, the *disciples were together again. Thomas was with them. They had locked the doors. But suddenly, Jesus came and he stood among them. He said, ‘I give *peace to you!’

v27 Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here. Look at my hands. Put your hand into the injury in my side. Do not doubt. *Believe!’

v28 Thomas answered, ‘You are my *Lord and my God!’

v29 Jesus told him, ‘Now you *believe. But you *believe only because you have seen me. But some people *believe in me although they have not seen me. God really *blesses those people.’

Verses 24-25 Thomas wanted physical proof that Jesus was alive. He refused to believe it unless he saw Jesus himself. Many people think of Thomas as the *disciple who doubted. This is not really fair. He was brave and loyal (John 11:16). But he needed to see before he could really *believe (see also John 14:5). And he was honest about this. If we have doubts about our *faith, we need to be honest, like Thomas. Then we can look for answers to our questions. When we find answers, our *faith will be much stronger. Even the *disciple whom Jesus loved had to see inside the empty grave. After he had seen, then he *believed.

Verses 26-27 Again, Jesus came to the *disciples in a room where they had locked the doors. His body was able to do things that had not been possible before. But his body was also real and physical. That was why he asked Thomas to touch his hands and his side. He still had injuries from the nails and the spear (a pole with a sharp metal point on it). But these injuries did not still hurt him. They showed to Thomas who Jesus was. And they reminded everybody of how he had died to *save people.

Verse 28 Thomas did not continue to doubt. Immediately, he had complete *faith in Jesus. In fact, Thomas was the first person to call Jesus ‘God’.

At the beginning of his *Gospel, John wrote that Jesus was God (John 1:1). After the events of Jesus’ life, death and *resurrection, Thomas was able also to declare this.

Verse 29 We cannot see Jesus with our physical sight. But we know that he lives. We can talk to him and we can listen to him in our minds, our hearts and our spirits. We know that he answers our prayers. The *Holy Spirit changes us inside our *hearts, so that we become more like Jesus. Jesus’ words in this verse are for us. He promises that God will *bless us. Although we have not seen Jesus physically, we *believe in him.

The author says why he wrote his *Gospel 20:30-31

v30 Jesus did many other *miracles in front of his *disciples. This book records only a few of them. v31 But this book records them for a reason. It is so that you will believe in Jesus as the *Messiah and God’s Son. If you *believe in him, you will have *life.

Verses 30-31 We know about some of the other *miracles that Jesus did. We know about these because they are in the other *Gospels. But, to John, the *miracles were always like *signs that pointed to the truth about Jesus. That was why John wrote his *Gospel. He was not recording just events in history.

Of course, these events had actually happened. But John wanted his readers to understand the meaning of these events. He did not want people just to read about Jesus and then do nothing. John wanted to convince his readers that Jesus was a man but also God’s Son. Jesus was the *Messiah that people were waiting for. Jesus had come to bring God’s *salvation into the world. He had come to give us new *life. John wanted his readers to *believe in Jesus when they had read all about him.

disciple ~ a person who wants to do the same things as another person and to learn from them. Jesus had disciples. John the Baptist had disciples, too.
Baptist ~ a person who baptises people.

baptise/baptism ~ to put a person into water, or to put water on a person; it is to show that the person wants to obey God. Christians receive baptism as a sign that they want to follow Jesus.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
cross ~ two pieces of wood that someone has fixed together. Roman soldiers fixed people to crosses in order to kill those people as a punishment. Jesus died on a cross. The cross is now the sign of the Christian church.
Roman ~ a person from Rome. Rome was an important city. The Emperor and the government lived in Rome. Roman describes everything that belonged to Rome.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
church ~ (1) All Christians everywhere. (2) The members of a local group of Christians.
Emperor ~ the chief Roman ruler.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
life ~ the quality that a person has, because that person is alive. In John’s Gospel, it means to be completely alive in our spirits. When we *believe in Jesus, we receive this life as a special gift. When we have this life, we can live to please God. It is the best way to live.
Gospel ~ one of the 4 books at the beginning of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. They record Jesus’ life.

New Testament ~ the last part of the Bible, which the writers wrote after the life of Jesus on the earth. It is about the things that Jesus did. And it is about the things that he taught. It is also about the church and what Christians should believe.
church ~ (1) All Christians everywhere. (2) The members of a local group of Christians.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
resurrection ~ to come back to life after death.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
angel ~ God’s servant who takes messages from God to people on the earth. Angels live with God in heaven.
Aramaic ~ the language that Jesus and many Jews spoke. When they wrote, usually they used Hebrew.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
Hebrew ~ the language of the Jews. The Jews wrote in Hebrew.
Father ~ God. Jesus taught us to call God ‘Father’. All Christians are God’s children.
father ~ someone whom a person respects and follows; an ancestor. The Jewish leaders said that Abraham was their father. But Jesus said that the devil was their father, instead!
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
ancestor ~ person in the past from whom one’s parents came.
Jewish ~ the word that describes a Jew or anything that belongs to the Jews. The ‘Jewish leaders’ were a group of important Jews who lived in Judah.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
Greek ~ a person from Greece; the language in which the authors wrote the New Testament.

New Testament ~ the last part of the Bible, which the writers wrote after the life of Jesus on the earth. It is about the things that Jesus did. And it is about the things that he taught. It is also about the church and what Christians should believe.
church ~ (1) All Christians everywhere. (2) The members of a local group of Christians.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
holy ~ what God is like. God’s character: perfect, completely good with nothing bad in it. Separate from sin.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
Jewish ~ the word that describes a Jew or anything that belongs to the Jews. The ‘Jewish leaders’ were a group of important Jews who lived in Judah.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
peace ~ when a person is calm in their mind and in their spirit, even if they have problems.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
salvation ~ when God rescues us from the power and the results of our sins.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
Hebrew ~ the language of the Jews. The Jews wrote in Hebrew.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
Jerusalem ~ the capital city of Israel. It was the place where Israel’s early kings ruled. Later, the kings of the southern kingdom called Judah ruled in Jerusalem.
Israel ~ name of the land that God gave to Jacob (who is also called Israel) and his sons (Genesis chapter 35). Also refers to the Jews, the group of people whom God chose to belong to him in a special way.
kingdom ~ a place or country that a king rules. God’s kingdom is where God rules. God is the king of all Christians and all Christians are in his kingdom.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.

'baptise/baptism ~ to put a person into water, or to put water on a person; it is to show that the person wants to obey God. Christians receive baptism as a sign that they want to follow Jesus.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
Pentecost ~ a festival when the Jews thank God for their food.
festival ~ when people meet together in public for a happy party to remember a special day or event.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
forgiveness ~ what a person receives when God forgives that person’s sins.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
repent ~ to decide not to do bad things that you did before. To decide to do what God wants.
bless ~ to say or to do good things for someone. To guard and to protect from evil things.
faith ~ to *believe in someone or something; to be really sure about the things of God and Jesus.
save ~ to rescue from the results of sin.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
heart ~ the heart is a physical part of our body. But we also use this word to describe our emotions, for example, ‘she had a kind heart’.
miracle ~ wonderful works that only God can do by his power. A wonderful event that shows that a person’s message is from God.
Messiah ~ the Jews’ name for the special servant of God. It means the person whom God sent to save people from the results of their sins. Jesus is the Messiah.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
sign ~ the word that John often uses in his Gospel to mean a miracle. A sign gives evidence and it points to something beyond itself.
Gospel ~ one of the 4 books at the beginning of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. They record Jesus’ life.
miracle ~ wonderful works that only God can do by his power. A wonderful event that shows that a person’s message is from God.

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