New Testament Commentary - John 20

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 20 Mary Magdalene, Peter, John find empty tomb—The Risen Christ appears to Mary Magdalene in the garden—He appears to disciples and shows his resurrected body—Thomas feels the wounds in Jesus' hands, feet, and side—'Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.'	Mary Magdalene's group find the tomb empty—She runs to tell Peter and John—Peter and John then come also finding the tomb empty—The Risen Christ appears to the first in mortality, Mary Magdalene, in the garden of the tombs as she had trailed Peter and John back to the tomb—Jesus later appears to his disciples, showing them his resurrected body—Thomas also latter feels the wounds in Jesus' hands, feet, and side—'Jesus is the Resurrected Christ, the Son of God.'
1 THE ^afirst day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early^a, when it was yet ^bdark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the ^cstone taken away from the ^dsepulchre. 2 Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other ^adisciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the ^bLord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him^a.	1^a cometh Mary Magdalene early Here John pointedly and specifically narrows his narative to include the story of but one women who came to the tomb early Sunday morning. The other accounts of the gospels reveal that others had come with her. Matthew after first naming Mary Magdalene by name adds also the 'other Mary'. Mark after first naming Mary Magdalene by name adds also Mary the mother of James and Salome, Luke first naming Mary Magdalene by name adds also the mother of James, Joanna and other women as well. All gospels name and list Mary Magdalene in the preferential first position and John even leaves all direct mention of the other women out completely but for an inference when Mary Magdalene has ran and told Peter and John with the added information that 'we know not where they have laid him'. Thus John indirectly infers the presence of others at the tomb with Mary Magdalene, but in his purpose in emphasizing Mary Magdalene's experience with her Master, he leave all mention of them out that he names no others by name. To some readers they mistakenly think that the gospels do not match in their accounts of this event, but a careful reading reveals other intents of purpose in the way in which each gospel relates the same account. And especially John has but one special entent and purose to isolate and emphasize but Mary Magdalene's experience at the tomb of above all the other women. For unto her and her alone did the Savior first appear, even before he had left to assend unto his Father. What this tells of Mary Magdalene's and Jesus Christ's special relationship to each other I will here leave to the mind of the reader and to that Spirit of Revelation by which they may consider it. But it was certain that John considered it of premiere interest to have given the account as he did, myopically focusing on only Mary Magdalene and her Lord and Master. 2^a we know not where they have laid him John state only that Mary Magdalene did first come unto the tomb where Jesus had been laid. But it is not correct to charge John as stating that ONLY Mary Magdalene came alone and no other women came with her. For here in John's record it is indirectly revealed that John knew well that other had come with her as he states in the plural 'we know not where they have laid him'. Who else could Mary Magdalene be refering to in the plural but those other women who had accompanied her to the tomb that morning, for see ran straight from the tomb to the two apostles, James and John and first to none others to have said 'we' of other than those who were indeed with her at the tomb that early morning.	1^a D&C 128:20; 2^a Mark 9:2 (2-13); Luke 9:29 (28-36); John 1:14; 2 Pet. 1:16 (16-19); TG Jesus Christ, Glory of;
3 Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. 4 So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. 5 And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.		1^a D&C 128:20; 2^a Mark 9:2 (2-13); Luke 9:29 (28-36); John 1:14; 2 Pet. 1:16 (16-19); TG Jesus Christ, Glory of;
6 Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, 7 And the ^anapkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. 8 Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed.		1^a D&C 128:20; 2^a Mark 9:2 (2-13); Luke 9:29 (28-36); John 1:14; 2 Pet. 1:16 (16-19); TG Jesus Christ, Glory of;
9 For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must ^arise again from the ^bdead. 10 Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.		1^a D&C 128:20; 2^a Mark 9:2 (2-13); Luke 9:29 (28-36); John 1:14; 2 Pet. 1:16 (16-19); TG Jesus Christ, Glory of;
11 ¶ But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, 12 And seeth two ^aangels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.
14 And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and ^asaw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.
16 Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, ^aMaster. 17 Jesus saith unto her, ^aTouch me not; for I am not yet ^bascended to my ^cFather: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my ^dFather, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. 18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.
19 ¶ Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were ^aassembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and ^bstood in the midst, and saith unto them, ^cPeace be unto you. 20 And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his ^ahands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they ^bsaw the Lord.
21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my ^aFather hath ^bsent me, even so ^csend I you. 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: 23 Whose soever sins ye ^aremit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
24 ¶ But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the ^aprint of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
26 ¶ And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. 27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and ^athrust it into my side: and be not ^bfaithless, but ^cbelieving. 28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.^a 29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast ^aseen me, thou hast believed: ^bblessed are they that have not seen, and yet have ^cbelieved.	28^a My Lord and my God. Because of various traditional Christian views between God the Father and Jesus Christ, the Son of God, we who understand the truth of the matter often still have to remind ourselves exactly what is being said in the scriptures. Jesus was God. He was the God of the Old Testament, Jehovah. He was not Jehovah's son as some represent and think him to be. Exactly when Jesus, who at his birth had the veil placed upon his mind, as did well; just when he came to understand that he was the condescending God of the Old Testament is not readily known. Certainly he was informed whether during his 40 days instruction by angels in the wilderness or some time before. For Jesus taught plainly of the Doctrine of the Father and did so state and know of himself that he was the God of Abraham (John 5:58). Certainly his apostles came to understand it also as this testimony of Thomas bares out when he witnesses that Jesus is hid Lord and God. With Jehovah/Jesus being selected, anointed and empowered and directed by God the Father of Spirits to be the 'Ministering God' of this temporal creation, and that by his hand, Jehovah's/Jesus', were the worlds made, organized, formed and 'created'; and all that he, Jehovah/Jesus, did so create he does redeem, being that God of Salvation which brings men back to the presence of God. That God the Father of Spirits was already of the Celestial Estate with a glorified and immortal body of flesh and bone and so stood beyond this temporal mortal estate in his position ought to understood. And thus only those who did pertain unto this estate or temporal world were so called to minister unto it (D&C 130:5). And thus the need for a 'Ministering God' to be so selected, anointed and ordained from among us, God the Father of Spirit's children. And of course the lot fell to the Firstborn in the Spirit Jehovah, who in righteousness did respond to the Father's request of whom He should send forth to be the Savior, Deliverer and Redeemer of the Plan of God, that Plan of Happiness, whereby the Father's spirit children might so progress in their own righteousness to the same status of the Father, if they would so obey God.
30 ¶ And many other ^asigns truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not ^bwritten in this book: 31 But these are ^awritten, that ye might ^bbelieve that Jesus is the ^cChrist, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have ^dlife through his ^ename.