John 20 Verses 1-10

John 20:1 “The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. 2 Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him. 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. 6 Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, 7 And the napkin, 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. 9 For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.” 

“The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.”  This statement among other things shows forth the error of the religious world in saying that Jesus arose at sunrise on Sunday.  First of all, the first day of the week in the biblical calendar began at sundown on Saturday.  We are told that Mary came early the first day of the week and she came when it was still dark.   

According to Mat 28:2 an angel came down from heaven and rolled away the stone: “And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.”

“Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.”  It is apparent that at this time neither Mary nor the two disciples yet believed that Jesus would arise from the dead.  As Mary said, “they have taken away the Lord out of the sepulcher, and we know not where they have laid him.” 

“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.  And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.”  Both Peter and John showed their great concern for the missing body of Jesus as they both ran unto the sepulchre.  We are not told why John did not go in at the first.  However, he did witness that the linen clothes were lying, but Jesus was gone.   

“Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.”  For a long time, I did not understand the significance of the napkin wrapped together in a place by itself.  A dear brother told me about the tradition that at mealtime, when someone left the table and was not coming back he would leave the napkin unfolded, however, if he was coming back then the napkin would be wrapped together.  Thus, the napkin wrapped together tells us that the Lord is coming back.  Amen.   

“Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed.”  Based on the tradition of the napkin, I believe that John saw and believed that the Lord was coming back, however, based on the next verse, he apparently did not yet believe that the body of Jesus had arisen from the grave. 

“For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.”  These two disciples had no clue where the body of Jesus was and they did not yet know the scripture that he must rise again, so they simply went back to their own home. 

John 20 Verses 11-18 

John 20:11 “But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, 12 And seeth two angels 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 saw 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, Master. 17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, 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.”   

“But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.  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.”  During this period of mourning and great concern as to where the body of Jesus was, Mary saw two angels (we are not told whether Mary recognized them as angels or only as two men.  Often times in the scriptures angels appear as men.)  The angels asked Mary why she was weeping and her answer was that they had taken away her Lord and she did not know where they have laid him.  I would venture a guess that she may have thought the Roman authorities or the chief priest and rulers had come and taken away the body of Jesus.  She was greatly desirous and anxious to know where the body of Jesus had been taken. 

“And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw 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.”  After his resurrection, the Lord had to reveal himself for the persons to recognize him.  In this case, Mary who knew the Lord and what he had looked like very well, yet she did not recognize the appearance or the voice of the Lord at first and thought him to be the gardener.  Another example of men not recognizing the Lord after his resurrection is found in the book of Luke: Luke 24:13 “And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. 14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened. 15 And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. 16 But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.”   

“Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.”  As soon as the Lord called her name, she recognized Him.  No doubt the joy must have instantly filled her heart.  I am sure she probably wanted to embrace him at that time. “Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.”  Jesus was not to be touched by man’s hands until he had ascended to the Father.  The Lord’s message to Mary was to go to his brethren and tell them that he was to “ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God and your God.”  In obedience to that command “Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.”