The Bible — World English Bible

John 20

In brief

John 20 tells of Easter morning. Mary Magdalene finds the tomb open, Peter and another disciple run to it, and one of them sees and believes. Mary recognizes Jesus when he calls her by name. In the evening, Jesus stands among his disciples, shut in by fear, gives them his peace and sends them out. Thomas refuses to believe without seeing, then confesses, “My Lord and my God!” John gives the purpose of his book: that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ and have life in his name.

The chapter in 5 parts

  1. v. 1-10The empty tomb: Peter and the other disciple
  2. v. 11-18Mary Magdalene recognizes Jesus
  3. v. 19-23Jesus among the disciples: peace and being sent
  4. v. 24-29Thomas: from unbelief to confession
  5. v. 30-31Why John wrote his gospel

1Now on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went early, while it was still dark, to the tomb, and saw the stone taken away from the tomb.

2Therefore she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have laid him!”

3Therefore Peter and the other disciple went out, and they went toward the tomb.

4They both ran together. The other disciple outran Peter, and came to the tomb first.

5Stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths lying, yet he didn’t enter in.

6Then Simon Peter came, following him, and entered into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying,

7and the cloth that had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths, but rolled up in a place by itself.

8So then the other disciple who came first to the tomb also entered in, and he saw and believed.

9For as yet they didn’t know the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.

10So the disciples went away again to their own homes.

11But Mary was standing outside at the tomb weeping. So as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb,

12and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head, and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.

13They asked her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they have laid him.”

14When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, and didn’t know that it was Jesus.

15Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?” She, supposing him to be the gardener, said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”

16Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him, “Rabboni!” which is to say, “Teacher!”

17Jesus said to her, “Don’t hold me, for I haven’t yet ascended to my Father; but go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ”

18Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had said these things to her.

19When therefore it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were locked where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the middle, and said to them, “Peace be to you.”

20When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples therefore were glad when they saw the Lord.

21Jesus therefore said to them again, “Peace be to you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.”

22When he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit!

23If you forgive anyone’s sins, they have been forgiven them. If you retain anyone’s sins, they have been retained.”

24But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, wasn’t with them when Jesus came.

25The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

26After eight days again his disciples were inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, the doors being locked, and stood in the middle, and said, “Peace be to you.”

27Then he said to Thomas, “Reach here your finger, and see my hands. Reach here your hand, and put it into my side. Don’t be unbelieving, but believing.”

28Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”

29Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen, and have believed.”

30Therefore Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book;

31but these are written, that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.

Key verses

Verse 8
So then the other disciple who came first to the tomb also entered in, and he saw and believed.

The disciple enters the tomb, he sees and he believes. What he sees is modest, an empty tomb and wrappings, but it is enough to open his faith. The next verse explains that they did not yet understand the Scripture.

Verse 16
Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him, “Rabboni!” which is to say, “Teacher!”

It is enough for Jesus to say her name for Mary to recognize him. The scene shows that the risen Lord makes himself known personally to the one who looks for him.

Verse 21-22
Jesus therefore said to them again, “Peace be to you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit!

Peace is given for a mission: Jesus sends his disciples as the Father sent him, and gives them the Holy Spirit. Christian traditions understand this breath in slightly different ways, whether or not tied to Pentecost.

Verse 28-29
Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen, and have believed.”

Thomas arrives at the strongest confession of the gospel, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus then declares blessed those who have not seen and yet believe, which concerns every reader who came after the witnesses.

Verse 31
but these are written, that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.

John himself gives the key to his book: to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and to have life in his name. The whole account is a testimony meant to bring people to faith.

Characters in this chapter

Pray about this

What the sermons say

Why Still Talk About Jesus in a World of Images?The preacher starts from the sentence I believe what I see to show that John 20 invites us to believe without seeing. He follows the chapter in three steps: believing in Jesus without seeing him, being sent, then announcing the word that makes believing possible.Read the summary →Do Not Doubt but Believe: The Faith of ThomasThe sermon dwells on John 20:19-31. Jesus comes through closed doors, offers his peace twice, sends his disciples, then answers Thomas without mocking his conditions.Read the summary →Believing Without Seeing: Thomas and the Official from CapernaumJames Hutinet compares the official of John 4, who goes home with only the word of Jesus, with the saying of John 20:29: blessed are those who believe without having seen. In both cases faith rests on the word of Jesus.Read the summary →The Church Is Your Family: Be Planted, Be Present, Be ConnectedGaetana Le Veo points out that Thomas was absent at the first appearance (John 20:19), then present at the second. She concludes that God acts with those who are present, which invites us to stay connected to the church.Read the summary →John 1:1-18: The Word Became Flesh : Hope for YouFrantz Galland shows that John built his book around confessions of faith, with Thomas' as the high point, to lead the reader to confess that Jesus is the Savior he needs (John 20:31).Read the summary →John 6: Jesus Walks on Water, Step Out in Faith in Your StormReading John 6:16-21, the sermon cites John 20:31 to recall that John wants to focus the reader on the person of Jesus: who he is, what he reveals and what he asks us to believe.Read the summary →

Frequently asked questions about John 20

What does John 20 tell?

The chapter tells of the resurrection of Jesus as seen by those who met him: Mary Magdalene, Peter and another disciple, the disciples gathered in the evening, then Thomas eight days later. It ends with the reason for John's gospel: to believe that Jesus is the Christ and to have life in his name.

What does “Blessed are those who have not seen, and have believed” mean?

Jesus says it to Thomas after his confession. The first witnesses saw the risen Lord, but most believers come to faith through their testimony, without seeing for themselves. They are declared blessed, which values a faith resting on the word and not on sight.

Why is Thomas called the doubter?

Absent at the first appearance, Thomas says he will not believe without seeing the marks of the nails and putting his hand in the side of Jesus. Jesus appears to him and invites him to touch. Thomas answers, “My Lord and my God!” His doubt became the occasion for the strongest confession of the book.

What does “Receive the Holy Spirit” mean in John 20:22?

Jesus breathes on his disciples, giving them the Spirit for the mission he entrusts to them. Christians do not all read this gesture the same way, some seeing a gift already granted at Easter, others an anticipation of Pentecost, but all find in it the link between the Spirit and being sent.

Articles quoting John 20

← All chapters

World English Bible translation — public domain.