JOHN
CHAPTER 20

The Empty Tomb

¹Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. ²So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!"
³So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. ⁴Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. ⁵He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. ⁶Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, ⁷as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. ⁸Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. ⁹(They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

¹⁰Then the disciples went back to their homes, ¹¹but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb ¹²and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
¹³They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?"
¹⁴"They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
¹⁵"Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?"
Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."
¹⁶Jesus said to her, "Mary."
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).
¹⁷Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' "
¹⁸Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her.

Jesus Appears to His Disciples

¹⁹On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" ²⁰After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
²¹Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." ²²And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."

Jesus Appears to Thomas

²⁴Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. ²⁵So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!"
But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."
²⁶A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" ²⁷Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."
²⁸Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"
²⁹Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
³⁰Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. ³¹But these are written that you may^[1] believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

The resurrection of Jesus was, from eternity, the culmination and pinnacle of Jesus’ work in the covenant of redemption. In Psalm 2, we read of God the Father promising to the Son an eternal people and universal dominion in exchange for His obedient work; and in that context, He says to Him, “You are My Son; today I have begotten You.” Although theologians have long recognized the truth that Jesus, God’s Son, is eternally begotten of the Father (and not made), this is speaking of something different than that eternal relationship. It is speaking of a specific event, in which the economical outworking of the Trinity finds the perfect expression of Its eternally unchanging, essential relationship. So what is that event? Paul tells us in Acts 13:33 that Psalm 2 was fulfilled when God raised Jesus from the dead. The resurrection, then, was the culminating moment of the divine plan of redemption. It was the moment of history when the eternal relationship between the Father and the Son came to its fullest expression in Their working out of Their eternal purpose. When God raised Jesus from the dead, He was then “declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness” (Romans 1:4). Now, He sits in everlasting victory upon the throne of David, never again to see corruption – for in His resurrection He has entered into the fruits of His hard-won victory on the cross (Acts 2:29-36).

The effects of Jesus’ mighty victory do not stop with His own incorruptible life and eternal dominion; no, the blessed results of His resurrection flow down from Himself to all of His children. He was not just begotten of God by His resurrection from the dead, but He was “the firstborn from the dead” (Revelation 1:5); and moreover, He was the firstborn, so that He might be “the firstborn among many brothers” (Romans 8:29). Just as surely as Jesus is victorious over death for all eternity, so all who belong to Him will share in His eternal life and victory. Rejoice! If we have died with Christ, then we have been raised together with Him; and if we have been raised together with Him, then our true life is hidden with Him in the heavens, and we will appear with Him in glory, with the unstoppable power of His own resurrection life (Colossians 3:1-4). How precious is the crowning truth of all of history: Christ is risen! If He were not risen, we would be “of all men most miserable” (1 Corinthians 15:19). But Christ has indeed risen! For in truth, “Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of them who have fallen asleep; for since death came through a man, so also has the resurrection from the dead come through a Man. For even as in Adam all die, so also in Christ, all shall be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:20-22).

1. V1-9 - John records Mary’s visit to the tomb, but notice that she speaks in the plural in v2. As the other gospels report, there were at least two other women along with Mary Magdalene; Salome was one, and Mary the mother of James was another. Luke’s gospel tells us that the women came and told all the disciples, but John mentions only himself and Peter. Perhaps the two disciples most close to Jesus were the only ones willing to investigate her claim that “they” have taken Jesus’ body. Who is the “they” that Mary refers to? Perhaps she thinks the Jews or the Romans have stolen His body. Why would she think that? Upon hearing this disturbing news, John outruns Peter to the tomb and saw the strips of linen. Peter got there and went in. John joined him, and they saw and believed. They believed not Mary’s speculation but that Jesus had risen. Mary Magdalene made her way to that tomb “while it was still dark” (consider John’s double-meanings), and in her mind it looked as though the darkness had won, and her dear Lord and Savior was buried, lying dead in the tomb. But it would become obvious to her, and to the rest of the disciples, that in actual fact, the light has conquered the darkness. As the sun rose on that Sunday morning, the magnitude of the redemptive event that Jesus had accomplished would boggle their minds. John understands that darkness cannot master the One who is light. Remember his prologue and chapter 3. Jesus has risen. This is not resuscitation. Lazarus came forth with the grave clothes still bound around him. Lazarus came forth to die again. John tells us in v9 that they still didn’t understand the Old Testament. Perhaps in John’s mind, however, some of the words of Jesus are coming back to him. He would be handed over to be crucified and on the third day rise again. I have power to lay down My life and I have power to take it up again.

   Throughout his gospel, John has been emphasizing two things, which come to the forefront again at the account of the resurrection: the first is the effect that Jesus’ great miracles were designed to have on those who observed, namely, true faith. And the second is the abundance of reliable testimony to Jesus’ mighty works on earth. Jesus was not just raised from the dead; He was also seen, after having been raised, by over five hundred eyewitnesses (1 Corinthians 15:3-6). Certainly, this well-testified event should bring us to faith in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God who has power over death and the grave! Calvin says, “The doctrine of Scripture is so full and complete in every respect that whatever is defective in our faith ought justly to be attributed to ignorance of the Scriptures.”

   Of course, all of Jesus’ previous sign-miracles should have taught that much, and the fact that He would be raised from the dead should have been understood from the Scriptures (see, for example, Psalm 16:8-11); but the truth is, even Jesus’ disciples and followers were still blind to these things. Mary Magdalene thought that someone had stolen Jesus’ body; and even John, the beloved disciple, confessed that he did not yet know the Scriptures that proclaimed that Christ must rise from the dead. But He did rise indeed – and this resurrection was the last and greatest of all of His sign-miracles. It was a sign and more than a sign, for it did not just point to Jesus’ ability to give eternal life, but it was the winning of that life itself; and so, it was greater than all the signs before it and the fullest display of His divine power. And finally, this last and greatest act was sufficient to bring Jesus’ disciples to the full knowledge and faith that they had not had until this time. When John saw the empty tomb, “he believed.” This is still the case today: people will resist and doubt and misunderstand no matter how they are confronted with scriptures; but when the Spirit of God takes them by the hand and leads them to the empty tomb of Jesus, when they see the Savior risen from the dead and highly exalted, then the veil falls from their heart, and they see Christ in all His glory, and believe in God who raised Him from the dead.

2. V10-18 – The empty tomb wrought faith in Jesus’ disciples, and they went home; but in order that we might have strong assurance, and the same faith in the risen Messiah, Jesus then showed Himself to many witnesses, of whom the first was Mary Magdalene. She’s there at the tomb alone this time. And when she looks in, she sees two beings, identified as angels, who ask her, “Why are you crying?” She answers with the same words she used in explaining to Peter and John. The other accounts reveal additional conversation: “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here. He has risen, just as He said He would.” Then she hears another voice, behind her, ask again, “Why are you crying?” And she thinks He’s the gardener. She wants to know where He put Jesus’ body. And I’m sure it’s true that she thought He was the gardener, but in reality, He is the gardener.

   If we go back to the Garden of Eden, we recall that the first gardener failed. Adam failed. But the second gardener, the second Adam, this very Jesus, did not. He picks up right here with the restoration of creation. He’s the gardener, and John’s gospel has shown us repeatedly how He tills the soil of our hearts with His carefully chosen words in one-on-one and group conversations. When we are still in our sins, we may often have Christ presented before our mind’s eye but to no avail; however, when the voice that thundered into existence the very worlds speaks into our hearts “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6), then we see Him indeed, and our hearts are filled with a joy which all eternity cannot take away. Look at what He says to Mary: “Mary.” That’s all it takes. Jesus says our name and we come to life. Mary and Lazarus have experienced it. And we have too. Remember when Jesus said, “I call My sheep by name and they follow Me” (John 10:3). Calvin says, “The only way in which we are admitted to the true knowledge of Christ is, when He first knows us, and then familiarly invites us to Himself, not by that ordinary voice which sounds indiscriminately in the ears of all, but by that voice with which He especially calls the sheep which the Father hath given to Him.” Galatians 4:9 Jesus also tells her that He is going to His Father, who is our Father, and to His God, who is our God. That’s the unity we share with Christ. As close as He is to the Father, that’s how close we are. He is that way by begotten sonship; we are that way by adoption. But the love of God, amazingly, is the same for both Jesus and us.

   Having thus been filled with joy at this recognition of Jesus, Mary wanted to cling to Him, for she still did not recognize that Jesus’ going to be with the Father was better for her than if He had remained on the earth in His physical body. It is great indeed to have Jesus at our side; but soon, we would have Jesus in our very hearts, through His Spirit, whom He was about to send. When Mary had seen the Lord, she immediately renders her obedience to Him in the fullest sense by calling Him Rabboni. She then hastened to tell the good news to those around her, namely His brothers – the apostles, and perhaps eventually His siblings – who also came to faith; and now, nearly 2000 years later, the Church is following in Mary’s footsteps, running to all the nations of the world, proclaiming the joyful news, “We have seen the Lord!”

3. V19-23 – The disciples reveal some faith, though mingled with fear, by their togetherness. Jesus came to them that night and blessed them with peace. He takes this moment to link His death and resurrection with the outpouring of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, some six weeks from now. He shows them His wounds to confirm that He had truly risen from the dead, and He breathes on them, just as God, back in the Garden of Eden, had breathed into man and formed him into a living being. In a sense, Jesus is saying, “The Spirit will come and will breathe into you.” Jesus signified His constant presence to His disciples as well, when He breathed on them, saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Jesus, now risen, had fulfilled His promise to give the Spirit to His disciples; and how grateful we should be, for by the power of the Spirit who was now dwelling within them, and who would soon be poured out in even greater measure at Pentecost – by Him, the apostles’ witness would also be powerful, bringing men to true faith in Jesus. They had a message by which they could proclaim the forgiveness of sins (2 Corinthians 5:20), and they had the Spirit to enable them to join the power of God to the word of God, so that those whom they forgave would be forgiven indeed (Jesus alone forgives sins). Let us rejoice, for if Jesus had not given the disciples His Spirit, we would not belong to Jesus today. But now we belong to Him, indwelled by His Spirit, who reveals Him to us more clearly every day, as we seek Him in His word.

4. V24-29 – The results of the resurrection, encountered in the first part of this chapter, come to their greatest expression in the case of “doubting” Thomas, the last of the disciples to see the resurrected Lord. Thomas, meaning “twin,” was not so much a doubter as he was a pessimist. It has been said of Thomas, “a man of gloomy spirit, prone to look on the dark side of everything, and live in the shade. His frigid temperament made him skeptical, hasty in coming to unfavorable conclusions. Thomas was a somewhat a negative person; he was a brooder, tended to be anxious and angst ridden. He was like Eeyore in Winnie the Pooh. He anticipated the worst all the time, pessimism, rather than doubt, seems to have been his besetting sin.” Thomas was also a realist. The problem with some Christians is that they’re just too gullible. Oftentimes, we just don’t ask the hard questions, and Thomas was prepared to stand on his two feet and ask the really hard questions. He wanted empirical evidence before he would believe.

   The account of Thomas’ first sight of the resurrected Christ is in a sense the most perfect illustration of John’s very purpose in writing his gospel, which he will remind us of immediately after he tells us of this event (v30-31). Remember, Thomas was absent from Jesus’ previous appearance to the other apostles. The application in that is this: If you aren’t there, you miss the blessing. Don’t miss the means of grace. Don’t miss the assembling of God’s people together. Jesus had already showed the apostles His hands and side (v20), but Thomas missed it.

   Thomas, one week later, is present with the apostles, and Jesus visits again. Nobody told Jesus that Thomas doubted, but Jesus knew. He knows your doubts and questions. And so after the greeting of peace, Jesus immediately confronted Thomas with the evidence of His resurrection. In response, Thomas is filled with a faith in the person of Jesus as the eternal Lord and God of all; and He is not just Lord and God, but to Thomas, “my Lord and my God!” (See also v17 of this chapter.) Calvin says, “Shame compelled him to break out into this expression, in order to condemn his own stupidity.” Thomas begins with the simple, “My Lord,” and he concludes with, “My God.” He moves from making Jesus his master, which is good, to declaring Jesus’ divinity. We must do the same, for Jesus cannot be our master unless He is divine. And certainly, if He is divine, then we must follow Him as our Lord, or master. The very essence of God’s promise of salvation is that God would be our God (Genesis 17:7).

   So Thomas finally believes on Jesus. Calvin says, “It was not by mere touching or seeing that Thomas was brought to believe that Christ is God, but, being awakened from sleep, he recalled to remembrance the doctrine which formerly he had almost forgotten. Faith cannot flow from a merely experimental knowledge of events, but must draw its origin from the word of God.” Thus, as the author of Hebrews declares, “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” And as Paul says, “We walk by faith and not by sight.” See 1 Peter 1:8 as well. This is what John’s gospel was written for. And this effect can only occur when one is confronted with the exalted person of Jesus, the Messiah and the Son of God, eternally victorious over death. And for us, no matter what we are thinking, Jesus is saying, “Come to Me with your questions. Come to Me with your doubt. Come to Me with your demands, and I will answer all of them. Just come and rest with Me.” Calvin comments, “We behold Christ in the gospel no less than if He stood with us. Therefore, if we decide to see Christ, what will make us happy and blessed, let us learn to believe where we do not see.” He is no less near now than He was then. John wrote, “We want to see Jesus,” in chapter 12; and he shows us Jesus here.

5. V30-31 – Jesus did many other signs and miracles that John did not choose to record. It is an important note, because we are re-affirmed that Jesus confirmed who He was by many signs and wonders – not just seven. John chose those events that most clearly display the nature of Jesus as the Christ and the Son of God – events that would designate Him the Water of everlasting life, the Bread which comes down from heaven, the Light of the world, the Good Shepherd and the Door, the Resurrection, the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

   John has come to recognize that knowing God is eternal life, and he has been filled with the love of Christ, a love which seeks to bring to others the great and lasting good of knowing God, even as Jesus died to bring to men that knowledge; therefore, he is writing these things, so that people might believe in Jesus, and so pass into the eternal life which is in God’s presence and fellowship. In fact, this purpose governs what John has recorded.

Footnotes

1. 20:31 Some manuscripts may continue to

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Bible text from Gospelcom.net.  Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.

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