The Tomb Is Empty

20 Early on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb. It was still dark. She saw that the stone had been moved away from the entrance. 2So she ran to Simon Peter and another disciple, the one Jesus loved. She said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb! We don’t know where they have put him!”

3So Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb. 4Both of them were running. The other disciple ran faster than Peter. He reached the tomb first. 5He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there. But he did not go in.

6Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived. He went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there. 7He also saw the burial cloth that had been around Jesus’ head. The cloth was folded up by itself. It was separate from the linen.

8The disciple who had reached the tomb first also went inside. He saw and believed. 9They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

10Then the disciples went back to their homes. 11But Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she cried, she bent over to look into the tomb. 12She saw two angels dressed in white. They were seated where Jesus’ body had been. One of them was where Jesus’ head had been laid. The other sat where his feet had been placed.

13They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

“They have taken my Lord away,” she said. “I don’t know where they have put him.”

14Then she turned around and saw Jesus standing there. But she didn’t realize that it was Jesus.

15“Woman,” he said, “why are you crying? Who are you looking for?”

She thought he was the gardener. So she said, “Sir, did you carry him away? Tell me where you put him. Then I will go and get him.”

16Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward him. Then she cried out in the Aramaic language, “Rabboni!” Rabboni means Teacher.

17Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me. I have not yet returned to the Father. Instead, go to those who believe in me. Tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ”

18Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news. She said, “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

Jesus Appears to His Disciples

19On the evening of that first day of the week, the disciples were together. They had locked the doors because they were afraid of the Jews.

Jesus came in and stood among them. He said, “May peace be with you!” 20Then he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were very happy when they saw the Lord.

21Again Jesus said, “May peace be with you! The Father has sent me. So now I am sending you.” 22He then breathed on them. He said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Jesus Appears to Thomas

24Thomas was one of the Twelve. He was called Didymus. He was not with the other disciples when Jesus came. 25So they told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “First I must see the nail marks in his hands. I must put my finger where the nails were. I must put my hand into his side. Only then will I believe what you say.”

26A week later, Jesus’ disciples were in the house again. Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were locked, Jesus came in and stood among them.

He said, “May peace be with you!” 27Then 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.”

28Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

29Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen me but still have believed.”

30Jesus did many other miraculous signs in front of his disciples. They are not written down in this book. 31But these are written down so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. If you believe this, you will have life because you belong to him.