John 20 - CSB Study Bible for Women

20:1-22 John devotes more space to the resurrection account than any of the other Gospel writers. In this chapter, Peter and John (the one Jesus loved) are juxtaposed (v. 2). Both of them ran to the tomb and found it empty, but only the beloved disciple saw, and believed (vv. 3-10). The rest of the chapter spotlights the interaction between Mary and Jesus (vv. 11-18) and between the disciples and Jesus (vv. 19-29).

The first day of the week would have been the day after the Sabbath, beginning at sundown on Saturday and ending at sundown on Sunday (v. 1). The visit from the women occurred early on Sunday morning. John mentioned only Mary Magdalene, but others are noted in the Synoptic Gospels (v. 1; Mt 28:1; Mk 16:1; Lk 24:10). The other disciple (v. 3) seems to be the apostle John, who spoke of himself humbly in this way.

The Jewish custom of wrapping the dead body with long strips of cloth and then placing a napkin over the face would suggest that getting out of this mummy-like grave clothing would require a struggle and leave a disheveled mess. However, not only were the grave clothes still there, indicating the body had not been stolen, but the wrapping that had been on Jesus’s head was in a separate place and neatly folded (vv. 6-7).

They feared the Jews (v. 19) indicated why Joseph of Arimathea had not come forward earlier to identify himself as a disciple (19:38) as well as why the apostles were gathering behind closed doors (20:19). On the other hand, Mary Magdalene went alone to the tomb of Jesus while it was still dark (v. 1), while Simon Peter and the one Jesus loved waited until it was becoming daylight to go (vv. 2-8). Mary Magdalene is a wonderful example of eagerness to minister to and to honor the Lord. The risen Lord Jesus chose to send her to His brothers (v. 17) before the apostles received Christ’s command. Jesus personally sent them out with the message of forgiveness in the power of the Holy Spirit (vv. 21-23).

Mary Magdalene had the honor of being the first messenger commissioned by the risen Christ (v. 18; cp. Mt 28:1-10). In John, Mary was the carrier of the news about the empty tomb and the resurrected Lord to the other disciples. Perhaps the bookend effect created by the repeated wording, “because of his fear of the Jews” in 19:38 and “because they feared the Jews” in 20:19, is a literary touch that spotlighted this woman disciple. That wording is found elsewhere in John only in 7:13, a reference to why many Jews would not openly seek Jesus (cp. 9:22). This observation affirms the courage of Mary Magdalene, who faithfully bore her testimony in a fearful situation (20:18).

Jesus’s salutation, Woman, was the polite way of addressing a woman (v. 15). She did not recognize His voice then, but immediately when He uttered her name, she knew it was the Lord. Mary used the affectionate and respectful address Rabboni (Aramaic, “my master, my teacher”). When Jesus said to Mary, “Don’t cling to me” (v. 17), He was not concerned about being touched since He asked Thomas to touch Him (20:27). Rather, He wanted Mary to realize that He was there only temporarily. His return to the Father was imminent. Brothers included more than His siblings. The disciples now were related to Him in a new way because of His representing them to the Father (Heb 2:11-12). Jesus spoke of His Father and your Father because Mary’s relationship to God was different than His own (v. 17).

That Jesus breathed on them again used OT imagery (v. 22; see Gn 2:7; Ezk 37:9). Christ imparted spiritual life in the same way God gave physical life to Adam. This bestowal of the Holy Spirit on the disciples was a precursor of what would take place at Pentecost (Ac 2:1-4). God does not look to any man to decide whether or not to forgive (Jn 20:23). However, those who represent Him in sharing the gospel are recognized by forgiving or not forgiving sins, depending on whether the one who hears the message of salvation accepts or rejects Christ as Savior. Because the first two verbs are aorist tense, which implies a one-time action, and the other verbs are in perfect tense, which suggests a continuation and ongoing of the action of the former verbs, a more literal translation would be thus: “Those whose sins you forgive have already been forgiven; those whose sins you do not forgive have not been forgiven” (see note on Mt 16:13-20).

20:23-31 Thomas’s confession of faith in Christ is a great spontaneous testimony of genuine belief (v. 28). Thomas moved from the lowest measure of faith—doubt and unbelief—to the highest confidence and faith. My Lord was Jesus’s title used by His disciples, and my God was full acknowledgment of His deity.

John includes Jesus’s last beatitude (v. 29) in this Gospel. Jesus pronounced a blessing on those who, unlike Thomas, would never see Him in the flesh but yet would exercise faith and believe in Him and His resurrection. Immediately following is the purpose statement of the entire Gospel (v. 31).