Mary Finds an Empty Tomb
1Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb. She saw that it was open. Someone had moved the stone that covered the entrance. 2So she took off running back to Simon Peter and the disciple Jesus loved. [1] She told them, “They took our Lord out of the tomb. We [2] don’t have any idea where they put him.”3So Peter and the other disciple took off running to the tomb to check this out. 4They started running together, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and he pulled ahead. He got to the tomb first. 5He bent down to look inside. He saw the strips of linen lying there in place. He didn’t go inside.
6When Simon Peter got there, however, he didn’t hesitate. He walked right inside the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there. 7But the face cloth that had covered the head of Jesus wasn’t lying with those strips of linen. Someone had rolled it up neatly and set it off to the side. 8The other disciple stepped into the tomb and saw this too. He believed something wonderful had happened. [3]
9Neither of the two realized that the Bible said Jesus had to rise from the dead. [4] 10The disciples went back to where they were staying.
Through Tears, Mary Sees Jesus
11Mary stayed. She stood outside the tomb crying. She was still crying when she bent down to look inside the tomb. 12She saw two angels sitting where the body of Jesus had been laid. One sat where Jesus’s head had rested. The other sat at the foot.13They asked Mary, “Ma’am, why are you crying?”
She said, “Someone has taken the body of my Master, and I don’t know where they put him.”
14After she said that, she turned around and saw Jesus standing right there in front of her. She didn’t realize it was him.
15Jesus spoke to her. “Dear woman, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?”
She thought he was the gardener, [5] so she said, “Sir, if you are the one who carried his body away, please tell me where you put him. I’ll take care of him.”
16Jesus simply said, “Mary.” She turned to him and spoke one word in Hebrew, “Rabboni.” [6] It means “Teacher.”
17Jesus told her, “Don’t hang on to me. You need to let me go. I still have work to do before ascending to the Father. [7] Go give this message to the disciples: ‘I’m ascending soon. I’m going back to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
18Mary went to the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” She delivered the message Jesus gave her.
Jesus Visits the Disciples
19Later that day, on Sunday evening, the disciples were staying inside a house. They had locked the doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, there stood Jesus. He was right inside the house with them. He said, “Peace to you.”20After Jesus said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples went ballistic with joy when they realized it was the Lord. 21Then he repeated himself. He said, “Guys, peace to you. The Father sent me. Now I’m sending you.” 22Then Jesus breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. [8] 23If anyone sins and you forgive them, it’s done—they’re forgiven. But if you don’t forgive them, it’s not done—they’re not forgiven.”
Thomas, the Show-Me Disciple
24One of the 12 disciples missed out on all of this because he wasn’t there when Jesus came. The disciple was Thomas, nicknamed the Twin. 25The other disciples told him, “We saw the Lord!”But Thomas said, “Okay, fellows, before I believe that I’m going to have to see the nail marks in his hands, stick my fingers into those nail wounds, and put my hand into his side.”
26Eight days later he got his chance. The disciples were in the house. Thomas was there too. With the doors locked, Jesus suddenly showed up standing right there in the middle of the group. He said, “Peace to you.” 27He turned to Thomas and said, “Okay, fellow, take a real close look at my hands. Touch them with your fingers. Then I want you to reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting. Believe.”
28Thomas said, “You’re my Lord and my God!”
29Jesus said, “You believe in me because you see me standing right here in front of you. God is going to honor the people who believe in me even though they don’t see me.”
