11But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; 12and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. 13And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” 14When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. 15Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” 16Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher). 17Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’” 18Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that He had said these things to her.
19So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23“If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.”
24But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”
26After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” 27Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” 29Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”
30Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.
Interesting Words
must
(δεῖ – Greek) – dei ► absolutely necessary, inevitable; less frequently: it is a duty, what is proper, behooves, obligation – Matt 16:21;
rise again
(ἀνίστημι – Greek) – anistémi ► to raise up, set up; to rise from among (the) dead; arise, appear, from the Greek prefix ἀνά (ana, meaning “up” or “again”) and ἵστημι (histémi, meaning “to stand” or “to set”) – Mark 8:31, 9:31; Rom 6:9;
from
(ἐκ or ἐξ – Greek) – ek or ex ► from out, out from among, from, suggesting from the interior outwards. It can denote physical separation, such as coming out of a place, or metaphorical separation, such as being delivered from a situation – Acts 3:15;
the dead
(νεκρός – Greek) – nekros ► dead, lifeless, subject to death, mortal, a dead body, a corpse – Rom 8:2; Heb 9:22;
ascend
(ἀναβαίνω – Greek) – anabainó ► to go up, mount, ascend; of things: to rise, spring up, come up – Acts 2:31-32, 33, 34; Eph 4:8;
Cross References
▪︎ Death on a cross – Phil 2:8;
▪︎ Raised in glory – Phil 2: 9;
▪︎ Exalted to heaven – Phil 2:10
Discussion Questions
1. Explain the situation in the tomb on Sunday morning. How do all the facts add to the account?
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2. Consider all the definitions about the last phrase in John 20:9. What is the full meaning, and what is the sum of all parts?
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3. What fear could Jesus’ ascension cause in the group of the disciples? Note also John 20:19.
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4. What is the most convincing aspect of Jesus coming into the presence of the disciples?
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5. “What wrinkle did Thomas bring later? What was the result of that encounter?
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6. What did Jesus challenge the disciples with in John 20:21?
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7. What aspect of the last several verses do you hold dearest to your heart?
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