*John 20:1-18
Mary Magdalene discovers the empty tomb, tells Peter and the beloved disciple, and then encounters the risen Jesus.
- The Empty Tomb:
- Early on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene visits Jesus’ tomb and finds the stone rolled away.
- Alarmed, she runs to tell Simon Peter and another disciple (the one whom Jesus loved) that Jesus’ body has been taken.
- Peter and the Beloved Disciple Investigate:
- Peter and the beloved disciple rush to the tomb.
- The beloved disciple arrives first but does not enter; instead, he peers in and sees the linen cloths lying there.
- Peter then arrives, enters the tomb, and also sees the linen cloths, along with the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head, neatly folded.
- The beloved disciple follows, enters the tomb, sees the evidence, and believes that Jesus has risen, though he does not fully understand the scriptural prophecy of resurrection.
- Mary’s Encounter with Angels:
- After Peter and the beloved disciple leave, Mary stands outside the tomb weeping.
- As she weeps, she bends to look into the tomb and sees two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had lain.
- They ask her why she is crying, and she explains her distress over Jesus’ missing body.
- Jesus Appears to Mary:
- Turning around, Mary sees a figure she does not initially recognize, thinking him to be the gardener.
- Jesus asks her why she is crying and whom she is seeking.
- When He calls her by name, “Mary,” she recognizes Him and turns to Him, saying “Rabboni” (which means Teacher).
- Jesus instructs her not to cling to Him, as He has not yet ascended to the Father, but to go and tell His disciples that He is ascending to His Father and their Father, to His God and their God.
- Mary Announces the Resurrection:
- Mary Magdalene goes to the disciples with the news, saying, “I have seen the Lord,” and tells them what Jesus said to her.
John 20:1-8 reminds us that God’s power is greater than anything we face. When Mary and the disciples found the empty tomb, they didn’t fully understand at first, but it was proof that Jesus had risen. This teaches us to trust God, even when we don’t have all the answers. We can apply this by believing that Jesus is alive and that His victory over death gives us hope. When life feels confusing or uncertain, we should remember that God is always working, and His promises are true. Faith means trusting Him, even when we don’t see the whole picture yet.
John 20:1-18 (WEB)
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.