Lesson for November 23, 2025

The Book of John

Lesson 42

Chapter 20:1-31

Verses 1-10

“Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already removed from the tomb. ² So she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we do not know where they have put Him.’ ³ So Peter and the other disciple left, and they were going to the tomb. ⁴ The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead, faster than Peter, and came to the tomb first; ⁵ and he stooped to look in, and saw the linen wrappings lying there; however he did not go in. ⁶ So Simon Peter also came, following him, and he entered the tomb; and he looked at the linen wrappings lying there, ⁷ and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings but folded up in a place by itself. ⁸ So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb also entered then, and he saw and believed. ⁹ For they did not yet understand the Scripture, that He must rise from the dead. ¹⁰ So the disciples went away again to their own homes.”

Who was Mary Magdalene?

1. She had seven demons cast out of her – Mark 16:9; Luke 8:2
2. She was a prostitute – Luke 7:37; 8:2
3. She was one of the women who ministered with Jesus – Luke 8:1-3
4. She was present at the Cross – Luke 23:49
5. She was at the burial of Jesus – Matthew 27:61; Mark 15:47; Luke 23:55
6. She brought spices to anoint the body of Jesus after His death – Mark 16:1
7. She was the first to the tomb of Jesus on resurrection day – Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:1-2
8. She brought the news of the Resurrection to Peter and John – Luke 24:10; John 20:1-2
9. She was the first person to see the resurrected Christ – John 20:1-18

The Order of Events:

1. The earthquake as the angel rolled away the stone – Matthew 28:1-2
2. Three women came to the tomb – Mark 16:1; John 20:1
3. Mary Magdalene 2) Mary, mother of James 3) Salome
4. Mary Magdalene left to find the disciples – John 20:1-2
5. Mary and Salome saw the angel – Mark 16:5-6
6. Mary Magdalene found Peter and John, and they returned to the tomb – John 20:2
7. Peter marveled at what he saw – Luke 24:12
8. John believed Jesus had risen – John 20:8
9. Mary Magdalene mistook Jesus Christ for the gardener – John 20:11-18

Verses 11-18

^11 “But Mary was standing outside the tomb, weeping; so as she wept, she stooped to look into the tomb; ¹² and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. ¹³ And they said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they put Him.’ ¹⁴ When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and yet she did not know that it was Jesus. ¹⁵ Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?’ Thinking that He was the gardener, she said to Him, ‘Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you put Him, and I will take Him away.’ ¹⁶ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, ‘Rabboni!’ (which means, Teacher). ¹⁷ Jesus said to her, ‘Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’ ¹⁸ Mary Magdalene came and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord,’ and that He had said these things to her.”

Once Mary got control of her emotions, she recalled the doctrine that Jesus had taught her regarding His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. She was able to understand what was occurring and what she was seeing. Mary, not wanting to let Jesus leave, was clinging to Him, but He had to complete His mission shortly, by returning to Heaven.

Verses 19-25

^“Now when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were together due to fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst, and said to them, ‘Peace be to you.’ ²⁰ And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. ²¹ So Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be to you; just as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.’ ²² And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.’ ²⁴ But Thomas, one of the twelve, who was called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵ So the other disciples were saying to him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.’”

Jesus rose on the first day of the week, Sunday. The church meets on Sunday because it is the resurrection day and because the earlier church met on Sunday. (Acts 20:7; I Corinthians 16:2) When evening came the disciples were now all gathered behind locked doors in fear of the Jewish religious leaders finding them.

Jesus walked through the locked door, being in His glorified body. The disciples were all afraid when Jesus was standing there in the midst. Jesus came to comfort them and bring them peace and tranquillity. The resurrection is the basis for happiness, both now, as well as in the future. The resurrection produces both confidence and inner happiness when properly understood. The peace of God manifests itself as a relaxed mental attitude toward life, people, and circumstances.

When Christ ascended, there was a ten-day interlude before the Church Age began, and during that time the disciples were His representatives. They represented Him between the Ascension, when Christ was absent from the earth and was present with the Father, until the Church Age began. They needed the power of the Holy Spirit until He came to indwell them on the day of Pentecost. So, Jesus gave them the Holy Spirit. He gave them the Holy Spirit during the dispensation of the Age of Israel (enduement). At Pentecost they were permanently indwelt by the Holy Spirit.

If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.’  For 50 days the disciples were representatives of Christ, with the endued power of the Holy Spirit, in order to lead people to Christ. Upon faith in Christ, they would have the authority to say, “Your sins are forgiven” or if a person rejected Christ, “your sins are not forgiven.”

Verses 26-29

^“Eight days later His disciples were again inside, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, ‘Peace be to you.’ ²⁷ Then He said to Thomas, ‘Place your finger here, and see My hands; and take your hand and put it into My side; and do not continue in disbelief, but be a believer.’ ²⁸ Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ ²⁹ Jesus said to him, ‘Because you have seen Me, have you now believed? Blessed are they who did not see and yet believed.’”

The following Sunday night, Jesus appeared to His disciples by walking through a closed door, as He had before. In response to Thomas’ doubt, Jesus allowed him to feel His wounds so he would no longer doubt. Why do people always require physical proof of how God works? Jesus had proved His deity to His disciples and many others time and again. This was why Jesus rebuked Thomas’ doubt and praised those who, by faith, believe. As advancing believers, we have definitive proof that Jesus was the Messiah, the Savior of the world. Our faith is not “blind faith.” Our faith is in facts that can be authenticated and proven to be accurate and truthful.

Thomas was brought into the picture to show what is wrong with many believers, which is lack of faith. It is by faith that a person can please God. (Hebrews 11:6) Faith is the way of salvation. Faith is the way we live our Christian lives. Faith is how we develop a relaxed attitude toward God, self, and others. Faith is how we grow spiritually. Faith is how we orient to God’s policies and procedures found throughout His Word. Faith is how we find out who we are and what we have as a result of our relationship with Jesus Christ. (Matthew 6:25-33)

Verses 26-29

“So then, many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; ³¹ but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that by believing you may have life in His name.”