SCRIPTURE: John 20:1-18
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VERSES 1-2: ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK
1Now on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went early (Greek: some manuscripts say erchetai proi –– comes early), while it was still dark, to the tomb, and saw the stone taken away from the tomb. 2Therefore she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have laid him!"
"Now on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went early (some manuscripts say erchetai proi –– comes early), while it was still dark, to the tomb" (v. 1a). People believed that the dead person's spirit remains in the vicinity of the tomb for three days, so they commonly visited the tomb during the first three days after burial. Sabbath regulations prohibit such visits on the Sabbath, so the earliest that Mary can visit is sundown on our Saturday evening, which ends the Sabbath and begins the first day of the week.
The Synoptic versions of this story have Mary Magdalene accompanied by other women, but the accounts do not agree (Matthew 27:56; Mark 15:40; Luke 24:10).
This Gospel does not tell us the purpose of the visit, but Mark 16:1 says that the women "bought spices, that they might come and anoint him."
"and saw the stone taken away from the tomb" (v. 1b; see also Matthew 28:2; Mark 16; Luke 24). Mary does not even consider that Jesus might be risen from the dead. She sees only that the grave has been opened –– probably desecrated.
"Therefore she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved" (v. 2a). The presence of these two men at the tomb will be important, because it establishes two legal witnesses (the number required by Torah law) to the empty tomb. As a woman, Mary has no legal standing as a witness.
"They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have laid him" (v. 2b). Presumably the authorities have removed the body as part of their effort to erase Jesus' memory –– or perhaps grave robbers have stolen the body.
VERSES 3-10: HE SAW THE LINEN CLOTHS LYING THERE
3Therefore Peter and the other disciple went out, and they went toward the tomb. 4They both ran together. The other disciple outran Peter, and came to the tomb first. 5Stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths lying, yet he didn't enter in. 6Then Simon Peter came, following him, and entered into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying, 7and the cloth (Greek: soudarian –– face cloth) that had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths, but rolled up in a place by itself. 8So then the other disciple who came first to the tomb also entered in, and he saw and believed. 9For as yet they didn't know the Scripture, that he must (Greek: dei –– it is necessary –– a divine imperative)rise from the dead. 10So the disciples went away again to their own homes.
"Therefore Peter and the other disciple went out, and they went toward the tomb" (v. 3). It is interesting to see the interplay between Peter and the beloved disciple, commonly thought to be John. They run together for a bit, but then the beloved disciple outruns Peter and arrives at the tomb first.
The other disciple "stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths lying, yet he didn't enter in" (v. 5). It is important that this disciple sees the linen wrappings, because he constitutes one of two witnesses required by Torah law.
"Then Simon Peter came, following him, and entered into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying,and the cloth (soudarian –– face cloth) that had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths, but rolled up in a place by itself" (vv. 6-7). Some scholars propose that these grave clothes are lying in place as if Jesus' body has somehow dematerialized, letting the clothing settle into place where his body laid. However, if Jesus had dematerialized, the soudarian would be quite near the rest of the grave clothes and would not be rolled up.
The grave clothes serve three functions in this story:
–– First, they provide visual evidence of Jesus' resurrection.
–– Second, they provide evidence that Jesus' body was not stolen. Grave robbers would not leave behind valuable linen cloth.
–– Third, they serve a theological function. When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, Lazarus emerged from the tomb still wrapped in his burial clothes (11:38-44). However, when Jesus emerged from the tomb, he did so unencumbered, perhaps signaling "his resurrection into the life of God's eternal order" (Beasley-Murray, 372).
"So then the other disciple who came first to the tomb also entered in, and he saw and believed" (v. 8). Believed what? The impression is that he believes that Jesus has been raised from the dead, but John does not say that. Instead, in the next verse, John says that "they didn't know the Scripture, that he must (dei –– it is necessary –– a divine imperative) rise from the dead" (v. 9). It seems that the sight of the grave clothes and the tomb have awakened some sort of fledgling belief in the beloved disciple that he would be hard-pressed to define.
"that he must(dei –– it is necessary –– a divine imperative) rise from the dead" (v. 9b). The word "must" (Greek: dei –– it is necessary –– a divine imperative) "is important…. Since they came to see the resurrection in inspired prophecy it was no chance happening. The hand of God was in it. It must happen" (Morris, 737).
"So the disciples went away again to their own homes" (v. 10). Their return to their homes reflects their uncertainty about what they should do next.
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VERSES 11-18: JESUS SAID TO HER, "MARY!"
11But Mary was standing outside at the tomb weeping. So, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb, 12and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head, and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13They told her, "Woman, why are you weeping?"
She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I don't know where they have laid him." 14When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, and didn't know that it was Jesus.
15Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?"
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."
16Jesus said to her, "Mary."
She turned and said to him, "Rabboni!" which is to say, "Teacher!"
17Jesus said to her, "Don't hold me, for I haven't yet ascended to my Father; but go to my brothers, and tell them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"
18Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had said these things to her.
"But Mary was standing outside at the tomb weeping. So, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb, and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head, and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain" (vv. 11-12). Mary returns to the tomb to find two angels sitting where Jesus had lain, like the two gold cherubim who sat at either end of the mercy seat on the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 25:18).
"Woman, why are you weeping?" (v. 13a). Neither Peter nor the beloved disciple saw the angels, and Mary does not recognize them as angels.
"Because they have taken away my Lord, and I don't know where they have laid him" (v. 13b). Who is "they"? Roman soldiers? Jewish leaders? Grave robbers?
"When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, and didn't know that it was Jesus" (v. 14). Perhaps Mary's vision is clouded by tears. Perhaps her grief so overwhelms her that she cannot think clearly.
"Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?" (v. 15a). Jesus repeats the question that the angels just asked.
"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'" (v. 15b). Mary addresses Jesus, whom she assumes to be the gardener, with the word, kyrie.
There is something lovely about Jesus making his first resurrection appearance to Mary Magdalene, otherwise a minor character in the Gospel story.
"Mary" (v. 16a). Jesus addresses her by her name, Mary. Hearing her name and Jesus' voice, Mary recognizes him and addresses him, "Rabboni" (v. 16b).
"Rabboni" (v. 16b). Mary's word, Rabboni, is confusing. John tells us that it means teacher, a lesser word than Lord, which she used earlier.
"Don't hold me, for I haven't yet ascended to my Father; but go to my brothers, and tell them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God'" (v. 17). This verse has generated a great deal of scholarly comment. Why does Jesus prohibit Mary from touching him and later invite Thomas to do so (v. 27)?
Scholars differ on this matter, but the preponderance of opinion is that Mary has thrown herself at Jesus' feet and is clinging to him in her great joy. Jesus commands her not to cling to him, because he is ascending to the father and is therefore unable to resume life, as he knew it before.
Rather than clinging to Jesus, Mary is to go to his brothers, his disciples. He and his disciples are brothers by virtue of the fact that they share a common Father, "my Father and your Father…, my God and your God."
Mary obeys by going to the disciples and announcing, "she had seen the Lord" and by telling them all that he had said to her (v. 18).
SCRIPTURE QUOTATIONS are from the World English Bible(WEB), a public domain (no copyright) modern English translation of the Holy Bible. The World English Bible is based on the American Standard Version (ASV) of the Bible, the Biblia Hebraica Stutgartensa Old Testament, and the Greek Majority Text New Testament. The ASV, which is also in the public domain due to expired copyrights, was a very good translation, but included many archaic words (hast, shineth, etc.), which the WEB has updated.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Barclay, William, The Daily Study Bible, "The Gospel of John," Vol. 2 (Edinburgh: The Saint Andrew Press, 1955)
Beasley-Murray, George R., Word Biblical Commentary: John (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1999)
Brown, Raymond, The Anchor Bible: The Gospel According to John XIII-XXI (Garden City: Doubleday, 1970)
Bruce, F. F., The Gospel of John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1983).
Brueggemann, Walter; Cousar, Charles B.; Gaventa, Beverly R. and Newsome, James D., Texts for Preaching: A Lectionary Commentary Based on the NRSV––Year B (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1993)
Carson, D. A., The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel of John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1991).
Craddock, Fred R.; Hayes, John H.; Holladay, Carl R.; and Tucker, Gene M., Preaching Through the Christian Year B (Valley Forge: Trinity Press International, 1993)
Gossip, Arthur John and Howard, Wilbert F., The Interpreter's Bible, Volume 8 (Nashville: Abingdon, 1952)
Howard-Brook, Wes, Becoming the Children of God: John's Gospel and Radical Discipleship (New York: Maryknoll, 1994).
Moloney, Francis J., Sacra Pagina: The Gospel of John (Collegeville: The Liturgical Press, 1998)
Morris, Leon, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1995).
O'Day, Gail R., The New Interpreter's Bible, Volume IX (Nashville: Abingdon, 1995)
Palmer, Earl F., The Book That John Wrote (Vancouver: Regent College Publishing, 1975)
Pazdan, Mary Margaret, in Van Harn, Roger (ed.), The Lectionary Commentary: Theological Exegesis for Sunday's Text. The Third Readings: The Gospels (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001)
Sloyan, Gerald, "John," Interpretation (Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1988)
Smith, D. Moody, Jr., Abingdon New Testament Commentaries: John (Nashville: Abingdon, 1999)
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