Gospel of John, Ch. 20,

Gospel according to John, Chapter 20:  Read &/or listen from the Bible.

1/ The Resurrection of Jesus                            – Jn.20:1-10
2/ Mary Magdalene Sees the Risen Lord   – Jn.20:11-18
3/ The Apostles Commissioned                      – Jn.20:19-23
4/ Seeing and Believing                                       – Jn.20:24-29
5/ The Purpose- That You May Believe     – Jn.20:30-31

1/ The Resurrection of Jesus                            – Jn.20:1-10

20 Early on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb while it was still dark and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 So she came running to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have put Him.”

3 So Peter came out with the other disciple and they went toward the tomb. 4 They both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. 5 Stooping down and looking in, he saw the linen cloths lying. Yet he did not enter. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went inside the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the cloth that was around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but wrapped in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who came first to the tomb, went in also. He saw and believed. 9 For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went away again to their own homes.

“The first day of the week”, is a Sunday. The Sabbath changed from Saturday to Sunday right after Jesus Christ rose from the dead. He was resurrected on a Sunday and from then on, believers have been gathering on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7). The Sabbath belongs to the old covenant. Ex.20:8
After God created everything, He rested on the Sabbath. But now, the first day of the week started being called “The Day of the Lord” (Rev.1:10) or “Dies Domini” in Latin, were the word ‘Domingo’ (Sunday in Spanish) comes from. Some early Church believers called Sunday also ‘the eight day‘. It was a very special day.

• “By the mid-2nd century, Justin Martyr wrote in his apologies about the cessation of Sabbath observance and the celebration of the first (or eighth) day of the week (not as a day of rest, but as a day for gathering to worship): “We all gather on the day of the sun” (τῇ τοῦ ῾Ηλίου λεγομένη ἡμέρᾳ, recalling both the creation of light and the resurrection). He argued that Sabbath was not kept before Moses, and was only instituted as a sign to Israel and a temporary measure because of Israel’s sinfulness, no longer needed after Christ came without sin.” Wikipedia.None of the disciples expected Jesus resurrection. They didn’t understand when Jesus told them before: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” Jn.19-21, or “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.” Jn. 10:17-18, or  when He told them “Because I live, you will live also.” John 14:19.

2/ Mary Magdalene Sees the Risen Lord   – Jn.20:11-18

11 But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 Then 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.”

14 Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”

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, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’ ”

18 Mary Magdalene came and told the [b]disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.

Believing in the resurrection of the Lord is a fundamental fact of the Christian faith, the Word of God says: “And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. ¹⁵ Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. ¹⁶ For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. ¹⁷ And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!   1 Cor. 15: 1-4 & 13-17.

Some people today that even call themselves ‘Christians’ don’t believe that Christ rose bodily from the dead, but this is a very important fact of the gospel. Some Catholics friends have told me that Jesus resurrected as a spirit, but that’s not a ‘resurrection’ at all. Pls read Luke 24: 36-43. Jesus Christ came out with a glorified body that will never see death again. He is alive! This is the resurrection! 

3/ The Apostles Commissioned                      – Jn.20:19-23

19 On the evening of that first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.”20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. The disciples were then glad when they saw the Lord.

21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As My Father has sent Me, even so I send you.” 22 When He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven them. If you retain the sins of anyone, they are retained.”

I can just imagine the joy they must had to see Jesus alive! The Lord commissioned them & gave them the Holy Spirit .

4/ Seeing and Believing                                       – Jn.20:24-29

24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called The Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail prints in His hands, and put my finger in the nail prints, and put my hand in His side, I will not believe.”

26 After eight days His disciples were again inside with the doors shut, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came and stood among them, and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at My hands. Put your hand here and place it in My side. Do not be faithless, but believing.”

28 Thomas answered Him, “My Lord and my God!”

29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen, and have yet believed.”

Tomas called Jesus ‘God‘! We can be counted among those blessed ones because we have not seen & believed.

5/ The Purpose- That You May Believe     – Jn.20:30-31

The Purpose of the Book

30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book. 31 But these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

This is the goal of the gospel. The Lord did many more things that were not recorded. In writing this gospel. John did not try to write a biography of Jesus Christ. He wrote that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing, we might have life in His name. Beloved, it is through believing that we receive life and are spiritually reborn. We become children of God by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

He is Lord!

In Spanish: Holy is He who lives!