Chapter 20

  On the first day of the week, very early, while it was still dark, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from it.

  So she ran, as fast as she could, to find Simon Peter and the other disciple--the one who was dear to Jesus--and to tell them, 'They have taken the Master out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have put Him.'

  Peter and the other disciple started at once to go to the tomb, both of them running,

  but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and reached it before he did.

  Stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths lying there on the ground, but he did not go in.

  Simon Peter, however, also came, following him, and entered the tomb. There on the ground he saw the cloths;

  and the towel, which had been placed over the face of Jesus, not lying with the cloths, but folded up and put by itself.

  Then the other disciple, who had been the first to come to the tomb, also went in and saw and was convinced.

  For until now they had not understood the inspired teaching, that He must rise again from among the dead.

  Then they went away and returned home.

  Meanwhile Mary remained standing near the tomb, weeping aloud. She did not enter the tomb, but as she wept she stooped and looked in,

  and saw two angels clothed in white raiment, sitting one at the head and one at the feet where the body of Jesus had been.

  They spoke to her. 'Why are you weeping?' they asked. 'Because,' she replied, 'they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have put him.'

  While she was speaking, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but did not recognize Him.

  'Why are you weeping?' He asked; 'who are you looking for?' She, supposing that He was the gardener, replied, 'Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him and I will remove him.'

  'Mary!' said Jesus. She turned to Him. 'Rabboni!' she cried in Hebrew: the word means 'Teacher!'

  'Do not cling to me,' said Jesus, 'for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But take this message to my brethren: 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.''

  Mary of Magdala came and brought word to the disciples. 'I have seen the Master,' she said. And she told them that He had said these things to her.

  On that same first day of the week, when it was evening and, for fear of the Jews, the doors of the house where the disciples were, were locked, Jesus came and stood in their midst, and said to them, 'Peace be to you!'

  Having said this He showed them His hands and also His side; and the disciples were filled with joy at seeing the Master.

  A second time, therefore, He said to them, 'Peace be to you! As the Father sent me, I also now send you.'

  Having said this He breathed upon them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.

  If you remit the sins of any persons, they remain remitted to them. If you bind fast the sins of any, they remain bound.'

  Thomas, one of the twelve--surnamed 'the Twin' --was not among them when Jesus came.

  So the rest of the disciples told him, 'We have seen the Master!' His reply was, 'Unless I see in his hands the wound made by the nails and put my finger into the wound, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe it.'

  A week later the disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them, when Jesus came--though the doors were locked--and stood in their midst, and said, 'Peace be to you.'

  Then He said to Thomas, 'Bring your finger here and feel my hands; bring you hand and put it into my side; and do not be ready to disbelieve but to believe.'

  'My Lord and my God!' replied Thomas.

  'Because you have seen me,' replied Jesus, 'you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.'

  There were also a great number of other signs which Jesus performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not recorded in this book.

  But these have been recorded in order that you may believe that He is the Christ, the Son of God, and that, through believing, you may have Life through His name.