John  ◦   Chapter 20

1Early on Sunday, before sunrise, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and discovered that the stone covering the entrance had been removed.2She immediately turned and ran to Simon Peter, John, and the other disciples, and said, "They have taken our Lord! He is not in the tomb, and we don't know where he is!

3Peter and John both ran for the tomb.4But John was younger and fitter, so he reached the tomb first.5He bent down and looked into the tomb, saw the strips of linen used to bury Jesus, but did not see Jesus, and did not enter the tomb.6Then Simon Peter arrived and went directly into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen;7he also saw the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head, folded neatly, by the linen.8Finally, John also entered the tomb and saw the linen and burial cloth, and believed that Jesus was gone.9(But they still did not understand that Jesus had risen from the dead.)

10The disciples, discouraged and confused, went back to their homes.11But Mary stayed by the tomb grieving and crying, longing to see Jesus again. She bent over and looked inside 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 gently asked her, "Miss, why are you crying?"

"They have taken my Lord away and I don't know where they have put him," she cried.
14Then she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not recognize him.

15"Miss," Jesus said, "why are you crying? Who are you looking for?" Mary thought Jesus was the gardener, and said, "Sir, if you know where he is or where they have put him, please show me and I will take him away.

16Then Jesus spoke gently, in his familiar tone, "Mary."

Mary's heart leapt. She turned toward him, and cried with inexpressible joy, "Teacher!" as she fell at his feet, hugging him.

17Jesus said, "You must let me go, Mary, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go and tell my brothers that I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God."

18Mary Magdalene eagerly ran to the disciples with great good news: "I have seen the Lord! He is alive!" And she told them what he had said.

19On Sunday evening before nightfall, as Monday was approaching, the disciples were gathered together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, when Jesus suddenly appeared in the room in the midst of them and said, "Peace be with you!"20After he said this, he showed them his wounded hands and side. The disciples were overwhelmed with joy and thanksgiving when they saw their Lord.

21Then Jesus said again, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me to bring the healing Remedy to the world, I am now sending you, who have partaken of this healing Remedy, to spread the good news about the Remedy throughout the world."22And just as he had breathed into Adam the breath of life, filling Adam with his Spirit and bringing him to life, so now he breathed on his disciples and said, "Receive into your hearts and minds the Spirit," and he invigorated them with renewed life.23Then he said to them, "Anyone who accepts the healing Remedy you distribute will get well, but those who reject the healing Remedy you distribute will not get well."

24Now, Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus appeared in the upper room.25But the other disciples told him, "The Lord is alive! He is risen from the dead and we have seen him!" But Thomas said, "Unless I see him for myself and feel the wounds in his hands and touch his side for myself, I won't believe it."

26Eight days later, the disciples were again gathered in the upper room, with the doors locked. Suddenly, Jesus appeared in the room with them and said, "Peace be with you!"27Then he turned to Thomas and said, "Come and feel the wounds in my hands, and touch my side. Become confident in the truth and stop doubting."

28Then Thomas, with great emotion, said, "You are my Lord and my God!"

29Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen and touched me, you believe; blessed are those who have not seen my physical body nor touched my wounded hands–yet have seen the evidence in Scripture and nature of who I am, and have heard the testimony of witnesses about all I have done, and have thought it through–and been convinced."

30Jesus performed many more miracles in the presence of his disciples that are not written down in this book.31But what has been written is recorded to provide evidence demonstrating that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God — the only cure for the infection of selfishness, the only Remedy for the diseased human mind — and that by trusting him you may experience complete healing of mind, restoration of Christlike character, and life eternal.