John 20:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away."

NIV: He asked her, "Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."

NASB: 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.'

CSB: "Woman," Jesus said to her, "why are you crying? Who is it that you’re seeking?" Supposing he was the gardener, she replied, "Sir, if you’ve carried him away, tell me where you’ve put him, and I will take him away."

NLT: Dear woman, why are you crying?' Jesus asked her. 'Who are you looking for?' She thought he was the gardener. 'Sir,' she said, 'if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.'

KJV: 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.

NKJV: Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” 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.”

The last time Mary Magdalene saw Jesus, it was in the form of a beaten, murdered, skewered corpse (John 19:1–4, 18, 34) wrapped in linen and quickly buried (Matthew 27:60–61). Days later, she saw His grave open and empty, and ran to get a few of the disciples (John 20:1–10), who see the empty linens but leave without saying much. She is sobbing (John 20:11–14), and the light is still dim. She probably doesn't give Jesus a second look as she turns to leave.

Even when Jesus speaks, Mary does not fully realize it is Him. His question makes sense from a stranger, and she doesn't realize it's one of Christ's probing, challenging remarks (Matthew 9:4, 15; 15:16; Mark 8:17; 10:18; John 4:16; 6:67; 21:22). For the moment, her thoughts are locked to the idea that someone has taken Jesus body. She assumes this is the person tending the grave area (John 19:40–42). Her response is something like saying "I just want to know where His body is, please."

Jesus will call her by name, however. Something in His voice, or the fact that He uses her name, will trigger her recognition (John 20:16).

John 20:11–18 describes a remarkable scene. In an era where women were ignored and often mistrusted, a woman becomes the first person to share her experiences with a risen Jesus. Mary Magdalene encounters two angels outside Jesus' empty tomb, followed by Jesus Himself. She obeys His commands to speak with the disciples. This event is another example of John including certain details, without repeating the exact same points as the other, older gospel writings (Matthew 28:1–10; Mark 16:1–8; Luke 24:1–12).

Peter and John get a report from Mary Magdalene that Jesus' body is gone. They arrive to find an open grave, and empty grave clothes, along with a folded face cloth. When the two men leave, Mary remains and suddenly encounters a resurrected Jesus. Though she tells the others, they resist believing until they see Jesus in person. Thomas is especially stubborn, and Jesus remarks on how blessed they are to have been given so much proof. John points out that his writing is meant to prove that Jesus is the Messiah, arranged to encourage those who read to come to faith.

Most of Jesus' disciples scattered and hid when He was arrested (Matthew 26:56). Only John and some women were present to see His death and burial (John 19:26–30, 41–42; Matthew 27:60–61). When Jesus' tomb is seen empty, there is further confusion. Jesus appears to His followers, proving that He is alive, and remarking that they are blessed to have so much proof. John will complete his account in the next chapter with another encounter and more reminders about the nature of his writing.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.