Chapter 20 The tomb where Jesus was buried is found to be empty (20:1-9). Early Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran back to Simon Peter and me and told us, Theyve taken our Lord out of the tomb! We dont know where theyve put him. So Peter and I ran for the tomb. We left together, but I outran Peter and got there first. Bending down to look inside, I could see the linen cloths lying there, but I didnt go in. But when Simon Peter came running up, he went straight into the tomb. He, too, saw the linen grave-clothes and the burial cloth that had been wound around Jesus head. (It was not with the other wrappings but folded up and lying by itself.) Then I -- the one who had arrived first at the tomb -- went inside. When I saw that the tomb was empty, I believed Marys report. (As yet we did not understand from Scripture that Jesus would rise from the dead.) The Garden Tomb, a traditional burial site for Jesus The risen Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene outside the empty tomb (20:10-18) Then we went back to our homes, but Mary remained outside the tomb weeping. Still in tears, she bent down to look inside. There she saw two angels dressed in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been, one at his head and the other at his feet. Dear woman, why are you weeping? they asked her. Mary answered, They have taken away my Master, and I dont know where theyve put him. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Jesus standing there, but she didnt recognize him. Jesus asked, Dear woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for? Thinking him to be the gardener, she said, Sir, if you are the one who carried him away, tell me where you put him, so I can go and get him. Then Jesus said to her, Mary! She turned to him and cried out in Aramaic, Rabbouni! (The word means Teacher.) You dont need to hold on to me! said Jesus. I havent yet ascended to my Father. But go to my disciples and tell them, I am returning to my Father and God, and to your Father and God. Mary Magdalene came to us and exclaimed, I have seen the Master! Then she told us everything he had said to her. Inside the empty tomb Jesus appears to his disciples (20:19-23). On the evening of the same day, Sunday, we had gotten together behind locked the doors for fear of the Jewish authorities. Suddenly Jesus was standing right there in our midst. After greeting us in the customary way (Peace be with you!), he showed us his hands and his side. We were filled with joy when we realized it was the Lord. Peace be with you! he said again, and added, I am now sending you, just as the Father sent me. Then he breathed on us and said, Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyones sins, they are forgiven; but if you do not forgive their sins, they are not forgiven. Jesus appears to Thomas (20:24-29). Although Thomas (called The Twin) was one of the Twelve, he was not with us when Jesus had suddenly appeared. We kept telling him, We have seen the Lord! His response was: Unless I see the wounds where the nails were driven through his hands, and touch them with my own finger, I will never believe it. I would have to put my hand into his side where the spear was thrust. A week later we were together in a house, and this time Thomas was with us. Again Jesus appeared in our midst, although the doors were closed and securely locked. Peace be with you, he said. Turning to Thomas, he said, Put your finger here where the nails were driven through. Put your hand into my side. Stop doubting and learn to trust. Thomas exclaimed, It is you! My Lord and my God! Column capital on one of Herods homes Jesus said, Thomas, you believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who will come to believe without ever having seen me. Why John wrote his story (20:30-31). The other disciples and I watched Jesus perform many other miracles that are not included in this story. But the ones you have read are here so you will come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. Chapter 21 Jesus appears to seven of his disciples who had gone fishing on Lake Tiberias (also called the sea of Galilee) (21:1-14). Later on, Jesus appeared to us along the shore of Lake Tiberius. This is how it happened. Simon Peter, Thomas (the Twin), Nathanael (from Cana in Galilee), my brother James and I (sons of Zebedee), and two other disciples of Jesus were there. Peter announced, Im going out fishing. Well go with you, the rest of us said. So we got into a boat and went out to fish, but didnt catch a thing all night long. Early the following morning, Jesus was standing on the shore, but we didnt recognize him. He called out to us, Hey there! Did you catch anything? No, we shouted back. So he told us, Cast your net to the starboard, and youll get a catch. We did what he said and caught so many fish that we were unable to hoist the net into the boat. Lake Tiberias Suddenly I realized who the man on shore was. I told Peter, Its the Lord! When Simon Peter heard this, he wrapped his outer garment around him (he had stripped for work), and plunged into the lake. Since we were not far from land (about a hundred yards), the rest of us followed in the boat, dragging the net full of fish. When we landed, we saw a charcoal fire with fish cooking on it. There was some bread as well. Bring me some of the fish youve just caught, Jesus said to us. So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net onto the sand. It was full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three to be exact. Even though the catch was so large, the net had not ripped apart. Jesus said to us, Come, lets have breakfast. Not a one of us ventured to ask, Who are you? because we were all sure it was the Lord. Jesus went over and picked up the bread and handed it to us. He did the same with the fish. This was the third time Jesus appeared to us after he was raised from the dead. A friendly camel Jesus questions Peter three times about his love for him (to counter his three denials), and charges Peter to take care of his flock (21:15-19). When we had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these? Yes, Lord, replied Peter, you know that I love you. Then feed my lambs. Jesus asked a second time, Simon, son of John, do you love me? Yes, Lord, replied Peter, you know that I love you. Then be a shepherd to my sheep, said Jesus. Yet a third time Jesus asked, Simon, son of John, do you love me? Peter was distressed that Jesus had asked him three times if he loved him. Lord, he said to Jesus, you know everything; you know that I love you. Jesus replied, Then feed my sheep. Be a shepherd to my sheep I tell you the truth, when you were a young man you used to dress yourself and go anywhere you wanted. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands so someone else can dress you and carry you where youd rather not go. (Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would bring honor to God.) Then he said to Peter, Follow me! Jesus speaks of me, the disciple whom he loved (21:20-23). When Peter turned around and saw that I (the disciple who leaned back against Jesus during supper and asked, Lord, who is it that will betray you?) was following them, he said to Jesus, Lord, what will happen to John? Jesus replied, Even if he should remain alive until I return, what difference would that make to you? So the rumor spread among the early believers that I would not die. But Jesus did not say that I would not die. He simply said, Even if he should remain alive until I return, what difference would that make to you? Final words (21:24-25) Jesus did many other things. If all of them were written down, I do not think the world itself would be large enough to hold all the books that would have to be written. I have now told you the story of my friend Jesus. I wrote it all down and you can be sure that I am telling the truth.
Posted on: Wed, 07 Jan 2015 00:30:24 +0000
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