John 20 - Life Application Bible Commentary (NT)

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb.NIV Mary Magdalene was one of several women who had followed Jesus to the cross, watched his crucifixion (19:25), and then remained to see where he was buried (Matthew 27:61). She, along with other women, was an early follower of Jesus who traveled with him and helped provide for the financial needs of the group: “The twelve were with [Jesus], as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out . . . and many others, who provided for them out of their resources” (Luke 8:1-3, NRSV). Mary was obviously grateful to Jesus for freeing her from the torment of demon possession. She was from Magdala, a town near Capernaum in Galilee, and had followed Jesus to Jerusalem and, ultimately, to the foot of his cross and to his tomb.

Because of the short interim between Jesus’ death and the coming of the Sabbath on Friday evening, the women who had stood by the cross had not had time to anoint Jesus. When the Sabbath arrived with the sunset on Friday, they had to go to their homes and rest. But after sundown on Saturday, the end of the Sabbath, they probably purchased and/or prepared the spices, then early on the first day of the week, (the day after the Sabbath, that is, Sunday), Mary Magdalene (also called Mary of Magdala in some versions) came to anoint the body of Jesus with certain spices. According to the other Gospel accounts, she was joined by Mary the mother of James, Salome (Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:1), and perhaps other women as well.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

These women had followed Joseph to the tomb, and so they knew exactly where to find Jesus’ body when they returned after the Sabbath with their spices and ointments. These women could not do great things for Jesus —they were not permitted to stand up before the Jewish council or the Roman governor and testify on his behalf —but they did what they could. They stayed at the cross when most of the disciples had fled, and they got ready to anoint their Lord’s body. Because of their devotion, they were the first to know about the Resurrection. As believers, we may feel we can’t do much for Jesus. But we are called to take advantage of the opportunities given us, doing what we can do and not worrying about what we cannot do.

Mark records that as the women were on their way to the tomb, they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” (Mark 16:3 NRSV). But this would not be a problem, because as they approached they saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.NIV John writes specifically from Mary Magdalene’s perspective, as if she were the only one at the tomb. The other women were there, but in the following verses they are gone, for Mary Magdalene is the first person to see the resurrected Christ. At this point, however, the women arrived at the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed. They assumed that Jesus’ body had been stolen. But the stone had been rolled away, not by grave robbers, and not so that Jesus could get out, but so they, and others, could get in and see that Jesus was gone.

ANGELS

The conception, birth, and resurrection of Jesus Christ are supernatural events beyond human logic or reasoning. Because of this, God sent angels to help certain people understand the significance of what was happening (see Matthew 2:13, 19; Luke 1:11, 26; 2:9; 24:4-7).

Angels are spiritual beings created by God who help carry out his work on earth. They bring God’s messages to people (Luke 1:26ff.; 24:4-7), protect God’s people (Daniel 6:22), offer encouragement (Genesis 16:7ff.), give guidance (Exodus 14:19), carry out punishment (2 Samuel 24:16), patrol the earth (Zechariah 1:9-14), and fight the forces of evil (2 Kings 6:16-18; Revelation 20:1-2). There are both good and bad angels (Revelation 12:7), but because bad angels are allied with the devil, or Satan, they have considerably less power and authority than good angels. Eventually the main role of angels will be to offer continuous praise to God (Revelation 7:11-12).

The other Gospel accounts record that angels spoke to the women. According to Mark’s Gospel, as they went to the tomb, they wondered among themselves how they were going to get in. “When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe” (Mark 16:4-5 NRSV). Luke records two angels who, in no uncertain terms, questioned the women with a slight reprimand: “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again” (Luke 24:5-7 NRSV). Then the angels told the women to “go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead” (Matthew 28:7 NKJV).

She ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, [that is, John the Gospel writer] and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”NRSV According to Luke’s account, several women ran to tell the disciples: “Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened” (Luke 24:10-12 NRSV). Peter was not alone when he dashed in amazement to the tomb; John adds his personal account (as “the other disciple”) to his narrative.

20:3-5 Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. . . . The other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in.NRSV Though John’s youthful legs carried him more swiftly to the grave, once he was there he looked in, but he waited for Peter’s arrival before entering the cave. Resurrection would not have been their first thought. None of the possible natural explanations for the missing body were of any comfort. If Jesus’ body had been stolen or moved by the religious leaders, the disciples would have reason to worry about their own fate.

JESUS RISES FROM THE DEAD / 20:1-10 / 239

The truth of Christianity rests heavily on the Resurrection. If Jesus rose from the grave, who saw him? How trustworthy were the witnesses? Those who claimed to have seen the risen Jesus went on to turn the world upside down. Most of them also died for being followers of Christ. People rarely die for halfhearted belief. Chapter 20 of John’s Gospel contains the record of Jesus’ resurrection and first appearances to his followers and John’s personal discovery of the empty tomb. The four Gospels provide different accounts of Jesus’ resurrection appearances. These appearances occurred over a forty-day period (Acts 1:3). See the chart below.

Matthew’s Gospel records that after Jesus was buried by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, the chief priests and Pharisees again went to Pilate. This time they requested that the tomb be made secure. The religious leaders remembered Jesus’ claims to rise again on the third day, so they wanted to make sure that no one could get into the tomb (or maybe that no one could get out). Because the tomb was hewn out of rock in the side of a hill, there was only one entrance. The tomb was sealed by stringing a cord across the stone that was rolled over the entrance. The cord had a clay seal at each end.

The religious leaders took a further precaution, asking that guards be placed at the tomb’s entrance. Their explanation to Pilate: “His disciples may go and steal him away, and tell the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead,’ and the last deception would be worse than the first” (Matthew 27:64 NRSV). The religious leaders didn’t know that at that moment the disciples were cowering in fear for their lives, not even thinking about the Resurrection. And such a sham would be unbelievable, for any thinking person would ask: “If Jesus rose again, where is he?” But the Pharisees were terrified of Jesus; and Pilate was still quaking in his Roman sandals from all that had occurred, so he agreed: “You have a guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can” (Matthew 27:65 NRSV). But they did not understand that no rock, seal, or guard could prevent the Son of God from rising again.

20:1-2

20:6-7 Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there. . . . The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen.NIV Close examination revealed that the graveclothes had been left as if Jesus had passed right through them. The headpiece was rolled up separately from the other wrappings that had enveloped Jesus’ body. A grave robber couldn’t possibly have made off with Jesus’ body and left the linens as if they were still shaped around it. The neatness and order indicated that there was not a hasty removal of Jesus’ body. Rather, Jesus arose and left the wrappings lying there, empty.

20:8-9 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed.NIV When John saw the empy tomb and the empty graveclothes, he instantly believed that Jesus must have risen from the dead. The text stresses the importance here of John “seeing and believing” to affirm the eyewitness account of an apostle. Most believers would not have this opportunity; they would have to base their faith on what the witnesses reported.

Though John believed that the graveclothes and open tomb indicated Jesus’ resurrection, he still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the deadNIV (see 2:22). John believed, but without complete understanding; that would come later and affirm his belief. The Scripture they would come to understand probably included Psalm 16:10 (“You will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay,” NIV) and Isaiah 53:11 (“After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied” NIV).

The disciples did not fabricate this story about the Resurrection; in fact, they were surprised that Jesus was not in the tomb. When John saw the graveclothes looking like an empty cocoon from which Jesus had emerged, he believed that Jesus had risen. It wasn’t until after they had seen the empty tomb that they remembered what the Scriptures and Jesus had said —he would die, but he would also rise again!

John’s account also demonstrates that the disciples couldn’t have “invented” the Resurrection in order to fulfill the Old Testament prophecies because they did not immediately see any Old Testament connection. The fact of the Resurrection opened the disciples minds to see that God had foretold his plan through the prophets.

THE KEY

Why is Jesus’ resurrection the key to the Christian faith?

• Jesus rose from the dead, just as he said. We can be confident, therefore, that Jesus will accomplish all he has promised.
• Jesus’ bodily resurrection shows us that the living Christ, not a false prophet or impostor, is ruler of God’s eternal kingdom.
• Because Jesus was resurrected, we can be certain of our own resurrection. Death is not the end —there is future life.
• The divine power that brought Jesus back to life is now available to us to bring our spiritually dead selves back to life.

The Resurrection is the basis for the church’s witness to the world.

20:10 Then the disciples went back to their homes.NIV Perplexed, John and Peter left and went back home. They “believed” in something miraculous; that is, they did not fear that Jesus’ body had been stolen, as Mary had, but they did not know for sure what they believed or what they should do next. So they just went home. Later they joined with the other disciples behind locked doors (see 20:19).

JESUS APPEARS TO MARY MAGDALENE / 20:11-18 / 240

We see Jesus’ humility in his resurrection as well as in his crucifixion. Jesus did not rise and then march into the temple to confront the religious leaders or Caiaphas; he did not dash to the Praetorium to say to Pilate, “I told you so”; he did not go stand in the center of Jerusalem to impress the crowd. Instead, Jesus revealed himself only to believers. The first person to see him was a woman who had been healed and forgiven and who tearfully stayed at the cross and followed his body to the tomb.

As Jesus demonstrated throughout his life, he responded to those who waited attentively and faithfully. Jesus dissolved the perplexities of the disciples. He dried their tears. He dispelled their doubts. Jesus knows how similar we are to his original disciples, and he does not overpower us either. Even though our faithfulness wavers, Jesus faithfully stays with us.

20:11-12 Mary stood outside the tomb crying.NIV Mary apparently followed Peter and John back to the tomb. When the two disciples left, she was there alone, still crying, still hoping that somehow she could discover where Jesus’ body had been taken, but fearing the worst.

As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white.NIV The angels actually looked like humans —not beings with halos and wings. The angels had appeared to the women and then sent them to spread the good news that Jesus was alive (Matthew 28:1-7; Mark 16:1-7; Luke 24:1-12), but apparently they were not in the tomb when Peter and John arrived. Yet they are here again to speak to Mary.

20:13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”NIV Under normal circumstances this would seem to be an odd question. People might be expected to be crying beside the tomb of a loved one, and even more so if one thought the tomb had been desecrated and the body stolen. However, the angels knew the incredible joy of the empty tomb. They also knew that if these people had listened to Jesus’ words about his resurrection while he was alive, they would not be sad and confused; instead, they would be leaping for joy. So the angels’ question was not odd, but obvious. It was not meant as a rebuke, but as a reminder of heaven’s perspective.

Every tragedy provides us with an opportunity to see Jesus in a new way. As we experience sorrow, we can recall Christ’s suffering for us. Our pain is a result of living in a fallen world; his pain was the result of his love for us who inhabit this sinful world. Our pain is deserved, or at least unavoidable; his pain was freely chosen. Our pain reminds us that beyond it lies all the blessing that Christ provided for us by his pain. Because Jesus died, we can be forgiven. Because he lives, we too shall live! Christ’s resurrection gives us hope for a future restoration with loved ones and the gift of new bodies in the heavenly kingdom.

Mary simply answered the angels’ question, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”NKJV

20:14-15 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.NIV Something caused Mary to turn around, probably a feeling that a person had come up behind her. And indeed, next to the tomb stood Jesus, but Mary didn’t recognize him. Perhaps this was the same kind of blindness that afflicted the two who walked with the risen Jesus on the road to Emmaus (see Luke 24:15-16). Or perhaps Mary’s eyes were so full of tears and her grief so intense that she literally could not see who was standing there.

“Woman,” he said, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”NIV Jesus repeated the angels’ question and added an additional question, asking Mary to specify her request.

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.”NIV Mary imagined that this man was the gardener. She was trying to grasp what might have happened to Jesus’ body. The shock of having the grave disturbed must have been devastating.

20:16-17 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher).NRSV Mary had been looking for the body of her dead Lord; suddenly, to her amazement, she stood face to face with her living Lord. Mary didn’t recognize Jesus at first. Her grief had blinded her, and she couldn’t see him because she didn’t expect to see him. Then Jesus spoke her name, and immediately she recognized him. A gardener would not have known her name. Imagine the love that flooded Mary’s heart when she heard her Savior saying her name!

JESUS KNOWS YOUR NAME

Your heart may be filled with grief and despair, but Jesus knows your name. Suffering does not mean that you have been forgotten! Jesus knows every tear and every trial you face. In sorrow, he seeks you out by his comforting Holy Spirit, to minister to you.

Mary’s immediate response was to touch Jesus and cling to him. But Jesus stopped her: “Do not hold on to me,”NRSV which could also be translated, “Stop clinging to me.” Perhaps Mary wanted to hold Jesus and not lose him again. She had not yet understood the Resurrection. Perhaps she thought this was his promised Second Coming (14:3). Though Mary’s title of “teacher” was endearing, Jesus did not want to be detained at the tomb. He was not to remain on this earth in physical form. If he did not ascend to heaven, the Holy Spirit could not come. Both he and Mary had important work to do.

“But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”NRSV Prior to his death, Jesus had called the disciples his “friends” (15:15). But here, because of the Resurrection, Jesus’ disciples had become his brothers (see also Matthew 28:10). Christ’s resurrection creates this new level of relationship because it provides for the regeneration of every believer (see 1 Peter 1:3). After his resurrection, Jesus called his disciples “my brothers” (see Hebrews 2:11-14). After Jesus ascended to his Father, he would come to his disciples and give them this new life and relationship by breathing into them the Holy Spirit. Thus, for the first time in the Gospel, it is made clear that Jesus’ Father is our Father, that Jesus’ God is our God. The death and resurrection of Jesus ushered in a new relationship between believers and God.

20:18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!”NIV Thus, Mary was the first person to see the risen Christ.

THE TOMB IS EMPTY

Mary did not meet the risen Christ until she had discovered the empty tomb. She responded with joy and obedience by going to tell the disciples. We cannot meet Christ until we discover that he is indeed alive, that his tomb is empty. Are you filled with joy by this good news? How can you share it with others?

And she told them that he had said these things to her.NIV Jesus’ words should have been a great comfort to the disciples. Despite their deserting him in the Garden, he was calling them his “brothers” and explaining that his Father was theirs, his God was theirs. But this report was no more believed by the disciples than the women’s report of the angels’ words (see Luke 24:10-11). “She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it” (Mark 16:10-11 NIV). The disciples were still hiding behind locked doors, for fear of the Jews.

HE AROSE!

People who hear about the Resurrection for the first time may need time before they can comprehend this amazing story. Like Mary and the disciples, they may pass through four stages of belief. (1) At first, they may think the story is a fabrication, impossible to believe (20:2). (2) Next, like Peter, they may check out the facts and still be puzzled about what happened (20:6). (3) Only when they encounter Jesus personally will they be able to accept the fact of the Resurrection (20:16). (4) Then, as they commit themselves to the risen Lord and devote their lives to serving him, they begin to understand fully the reality of his presence with them (20:28).

At this point, Matthew records the humorous anecdote about the religious leaders and the guards, who had obviously been unable to stop this “deception” that they had so much feared (Matthew 27:62-66). Matthew alone records that the guards were present at the tomb but “became like dead men” at the appearance of the angels (Matthew 28:4 NRSV). So picture them high-tailing it to the chief priests —breathlessly telling the story of an angel descending, an earthquake, and the tomb opening —and then not being able to remember anything else! Notice that they did not go to Pilate, for to do so might have meant their lives. Roman soldiers who let a prisoner escape (even a dead one) would often pay for their negligence with their lives.

The religious leaders dealt with the soldiers as they had with Judas —with money. They gave the frightened men a large sum of money and told them to forget whatever they saw: “You must say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ If this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble” (Matthew 28:13-14 NRSV). These soldiers “took the money and did as they were directed. And this story is still told among the Jews to this day” (Matthew 28:15 NRSV).

Meanwhile, a very alive Jesus was making himself known to his beloved followers: the women (Matthew 28:8-10), Peter (Luke 24:34), and two travelers on the road to Emmaus (Mark 16:12-13; Luke 24:13-35). Then he went to see his disciples.

JESUS APPEARS TO THE DISCIPLES BEHIND LOCKED DOORS / 20:19-23 / 244

Mary’s announcement (20:18) must have stunned the disciples. Later the news that the Lord was alive came from two travelers who had unknowingly spent the day walking to Emmaus with Jesus (Luke 24:15-16). Confused, elated, doubtful, and fearful, the disciples stayed close together, hoping to endure the waiting in one place. They were huddled behind locked doors when Jesus appeared to all of them.

There is no real safe place in the world without Jesus, but his presence makes the most dangerous places bearable. When Jesus appeared to his disciples on this occasion he left them five gifts: (1) his own presence; (2) his peace (20:19, 21); (3) a mission: “I am sending you”; (4) a companion —the Holy Spirit; and (5) a message of forgiveness.

20:19 On 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.NIV The disciples were still perplexed and apparently had gotten together that night behind bolted doors. They probably were discussing the women’s reported sighting of angels, what Peter and John saw at the tomb, and Mary’s astounding claim that she had seen Jesus. At some point during the day, Jesus had appeared to Peter (Luke 24:34), and the women had reported the angel’s words that the disciples were to go to Galilee and meet Jesus there (Matthew 28:7). But for some reason, they did not go; instead they stayed in Jerusalem, hiding from the Jewish leaders. Before long, however, their confusion would be dispelled.

The first news arrived in the night with the sounds of excited knocking on the door. Two disciples were allowed in, breathlessly telling the rest of the group that they had met Jesus on the road to Emmaus and had talked with him most of the day (Luke 24:13-35). The variety of reports must have had an effect. Shock and disbelief began to be replaced with wild hope. Luke recounts that this was when Jesus made his first appearance to his gathered disciples (although we find out later that Thomas was missing from the group). This appearance is astounding because Jesus came and stood among them, somehow appearing to them in a locked room. Jesus could do this because his resurrection and subsequent glorification had altered his bodily form. In this new spiritual form, he was able to transcend all physical barriers.

DON’T HIDE . . . SEEK!

Though the Resurrection had occurred, the disciples were hiding out! The happy news had not driven their doubts away. But we are like them when we lock ourselves behind closed doors:

• Doors of isolation —If we never make friends with non-Christians or interact with the world, we deny God’s power to change lives. Hiding in church, or refusing to make contact with anyone suspected to be a nonbeliever, limits Christ’s work. The truth does not have to hide or isolate itself.
• Doors of anonymity —If we relate to those around us but never tell them that we are Christians, we deprive them of discovering what God has done in our lives.
• Doors of superficiality —If we only talk of sports and weather and keep to safe subjects with people around us, we cooperate with the world’s intention to ignore God and any subject that might lead someone to seriously consider God’s perspective.

Christ can make his presence known behind closed doors, but he will not unlock them for us. Unless we step out of our hiding places, we will never see all that Christ can do through us.

“Peace be with you.”NKJV This was a standard Hebrew greeting, but here it was filled with deeper meaning (see 14:27; 16:33). Jesus would repeat these words in verse 21.

20:20 He showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.NIV Due to Jesus’ sudden, miraculous appearance among them, the disciples “were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost” (Luke 24:37 NIV). Jesus needed to convince them that he, including his touchable physical body, was present with them. When they realized who he was, they rejoiced. Jesus had said, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me. . . . You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy” (16:16, 20, NIV). The “little while” was over, joy had replaced grief, and “no one will take away your joy” (16:22, NIV).

20:21-23 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”NRSV Jesus gave his peace to them and then commissioned them to be his representatives, even as he had been the Father’s (see 17:18). Jesus again identified himself with his Father. He told the disciples by whose authority he did his work. Then he gave the task to his disciples of spreading the gospel message around the world. They were sent with authority from God to preach, teach, and do miracles (see Matthew 28:16-20; Luke 24:47-49) —in essence, to continue across the world what Jesus had begun in Palestine. Whatever God has asked you to do, remember: (1) Your authority comes from God, and (2) Jesus has demonstrated by words and actions how to accomplish the job he has given you. As the Father sent his Son, Jesus sends his followers . . . and you. Your response is to determine from day to day those to whom the Father has sent you.

When He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”NKJV Before the disciples could carry out this commission, however, they needed the power of the Holy Spirit. And Jesus gave them this power by breathing into them the Holy Spirit. It could be said that this verse consummates the Gospel of John because the Spirit who had been promised (7:37-39; 14:16-20, 26; 15:26; and 16:7-15) at last was given to the disciples.

This act reminds us of what God did to make the first man come alive —he breathed into him and he became a living soul (Genesis 2:7). There is life in the breath of God. Man was created but did not come alive until God had breathed into him the breath of life (Genesis 2:7). God’s first breath made man different from all other forms of creation. Here, through the breath of Jesus, God imparted eternal, spiritual life. With this breathing came the power to do God’s will on earth.

If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retainedNRSV Jesus gave the disciples their Spirit-powered and Spirit-guided mission —to preach the Good News about him so that people’s sins might be forgiven. The disciples did not have the power to forgive sins (only God can forgive sins), but Jesus gave them the privilege of telling new believers that their sins have been forgiven because they have accepted Jesus’ message. All believers have this same privilege. We can announce the forgiveness of sin with certainty when we ourselves repent and believe. Those who don’t believe will not experience the forgiveness of sins; their sins will be retained (i.e., not forgiven).

JESUS APPEARS TO THE DISCIPLES INCLUDING THOMAS / 20:24-31 / 245

Thomas was not with the other disciples for Jesus’ first visit in 20:21-23. Consistent with his character elsewhere in the Gospel (see 14:5), Thomas was skeptical toward his friends’ report about seeing Jesus. He epitomized hardheaded realism by insisting that seeing and touching Jesus for himself would be the only proof that would satisfy him. When Jesus did appear to him, Thomas realized the inappropriateness of his demand.

A week after the first appearance of Jesus, Thomas was with the other disciples, but they had no particular reason to believe that Jesus was coming to them again. But Jesus did visit and, it seems, specifically for Thomas’s sake. His words to Thomas about believing without tangible proof also speak directly to us.

Jesus made it clear that our faith must be based on the testimony of those who were with him. Insisting on seeing and touching Christ ourselves would indicate a reluctance to believe. We have no right to require God to prove himself; but he has every right as our Creator to expect our belief and obedience. The fact that God blesses those who believe is simply an added gift of his grace.

John concludes this section with a summary of his reason for writing. After quoting Jesus’ words to Thomas about the importance of acting on the witness that has been given to us, John reminds his audience that the very words that they are reading are proof enough to believe in Jesus. Have you submitted in faith to the truth about Jesus that you have been told?

20:24 But Thomas . . . was not with them when Jesus came.NRSV When the disciples told Thomas that Jesus had appeared to them, he did not believe. Sometimes people overemphasize the doubtful part of Thomas’s character. John 11:16 reveals Thomas as tough-minded and committed, even if he tended to be pessimistic. And Matthew points out (Matthew 28:17) that all the disciples shared Thomas’s skepticism. It was part of his character to put the group’s feeling into words. None of the other disciples believed until they saw Christ face-to-face.

20:25 “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.”NIV Thomas insisted that he see the Jesus who had been crucified. He wanted bodily proof —to see and touch the nail scars in his hands and the scar of the lance thrust into his side.

20:26-28

After eight daysNKJV Thomas got his chance. This time he was present when Jesus appeared. The disciples were still behind locked doors when Jesus appeared among them as he had before and gave the same greeting, “Peace be with you!”NIV But this time he spoke directly to Thomas, supernaturally knowing of Thomas’s doubt and what he needed in order to be convinced.

Then 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.”NIV Jesus’ resurrected body was unique. It was not the same kind of flesh and blood Lazarus had when he came back to life. Jesus’ body was no longer subject to the same laws of nature as before his death. He could appear in a locked room; yet he was not a ghost or apparition because he could be touched and could eat. Jesus’ resurrection was literal and physical —he was not a disembodied spirit.

When he saw Jesus, doubting Thomas became believing Thomas. His response rings through the ages as the response of many doubters who finally see the truth, “My Lord and my God!” This clear affirmation of Jesus’ deity provides a good conclusion to John’s Gospel, which continually affirms Jesus’ deity (see 1:1, 18; 8:58; 10:30).

YOU CAN TOUCH JESUS

Have you ever wished you could actually see Jesus, touch him, and hear his words? Are there times you want to sit down with him and get his advice? Thomas wanted Jesus’ physical presence. But God’s plan is wiser. He has not limited himself to one physical body; he wants to be present with you at all times. Even now he is with you in the form of the Holy Spirit. You can talk to him, and you can find his words to you in the pages of the Bible. He can be as real to you as he was to Thomas.

20:29-31 “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”NIV Though Thomas proclaimed Jesus to be his Lord and God, Jesus reproved Thomas because he had to see before he could believe. The blessed ones are they who have not seen and yet have believed. Some people think they would believe in Jesus if they could see a definite sign or miracle. But Jesus says we are blessed if we can believe without seeing. We have all the proof we need in the words of the Bible and the testimony of believers.

DOUBTING DOS AND DON’TS

Jesus wasn’t hard on Thomas for his doubts. Despite his skepticism, Thomas was still loyal to the believers and to Jesus himself. Some people need to doubt before they believe. If doubt leads to questions, questions lead to answers, and the answers are accepted, then doubt has done good work. It is when doubt becomes stubbornness and stubbornness becomes a lifestyle that doubt harms faith. When you doubt, don’t stop there. Let your doubt deepen your faith as you continue to search for the answer.

In the last two verses of the chapter, John explains why he wrote this Gospel: Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 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.NKJV John wrote this Gospel to encourage belief in Jesus as the Christ and as the Son of God. All the signs in this Gospel point to Jesus as being the Christ and God’s Son, who came to give life to all those who believe. Most likely, John wrote this Gospel to encourage those who already believed to continue in their faith. We who believe are encouraged to read and reread John in order to continue in our belief. And this Gospel has also been used far beyond that as a powerful tool for evangelism, bringing people to faith in Christ.

To understand the life and mission of Jesus more fully, all we need to do is study the Gospels. John tells us that his Gospel records only a few of the many events in Jesus’ life on earth. But the Gospels include everything we need to know to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, through whom we receive eternal life.