John 20

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

2 Therefore 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!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

13 They 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.”

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

15 Jesus 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.”

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

17 Jesus 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.’”

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

19 When 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.”

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

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

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

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

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

25 The 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.”

26 After 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.”

27 Then 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.”

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

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

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

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.

Around John 20

Book context

JohnEditorial draft

John states its own purpose near the end: these signs “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” (20:31). It opens with Jesus as the Word who “became flesh and lived among us” (1:14), and it is built around a selection of signs and long conversations (20:30). The closing verses attribute the book to “the disciple who testifies about these things” (21:24). Church tradition identifies him as the apostle John; scholars still discuss who that disciple was. Much of John’s material and order differs from Matthew, Mark and Luke.

Why we say this

HisFullGlory editorial · common interpretation · not yet reviewed by a theological reader

From the text itself

Sources

Notes summarise their sources in our own words. Where Christians or scholars disagree, the note says so. Notes are not original-language evidence and do not replace the text.

AI explanation

John 20 · Written by an AI model · Not reviewed by a theological reader

This explanation was written by an AI model to help you get started. It names no sources and can contain mistakes. Scripture comes first, and context with sources is shown separately on this page.

What this chapter says

Early on the first day of the week, while it is still dark, Mary Magdalene comes to the tomb and sees the stone taken away. She runs to Peter and the beloved disciple. The two run to it. Peter goes in and sees the linen cloths, and the other disciple goes in, sees and believes.

Mary stays outside, weeping. She sees two angels and then a man she takes for the gardener. He says her name: “Mary.” She cries, “Rabboni!” and Jesus tells her to go and tell his brothers.

That evening the disciples are behind locked doors. Jesus stands among them and says, “Peace be to you.” He shows them his hands and side and sends them as the Father sent him. Thomas was not there and says he will not believe until he sees. A week later Jesus comes again, and Thomas says, “My Lord and my God!”

Background

John makes Mary Magdalene the first witness to meet the risen Jesus. Early Christians remembered that the first to tell the news were women. Verses 30 and 31 read like an ending, and many scholars think chapter 21 was added by the author or by others who knew him. Christians differ on how to read verse 23 about forgiving and retaining sins. Many Catholic, Orthodox and Anglican readers link it to the church's ministry of absolution, and many Protestants link it to the message of forgiveness. Compare Matthew 28 and Luke 24.

About this explanation

Written by Claude Sonnet 5.5, an AI model, on 14 October 2026. It draws on the WEB text and general knowledge and was not checked against sources by a person. Every quotation from Scripture is checked automatically against the WEB text.

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World English Bible. Public-domain source and edition notes