John 20:16 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).

NIV: Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means "Teacher").

NASB: Jesus *said to her, 'Mary!' She turned and *said to Him in Hebrew, 'Rabboni!' (which means, Teacher).

CSB: Jesus said to her, "Mary." Turning around, she said to him in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" —which means "Teacher."

NLT: Mary!' Jesus said. She turned to him and cried out, 'Rabboni!' (which is Hebrew for 'Teacher').

KJV: Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.

NKJV: Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher).

Mary Magdalene is focused on finding out what happened to Jesus' body. She saw Him murdered and mutilated (John 19:1–4, 18, 34), then hastily buried (Matthew 27:60–61). That was the last time she saw Jesus, and the reason she ran to get help when she came to find the tomb open and empty (John 20:1–10). Mary has no reason to expect to see Jesus alive, let alone there in the garden with her (John 19:40–42). When she turns to leave and hears someone ask what she is doing, her natural response is to assume this is a caretaker (John 20:11–15).

Something in Jesus' tone, or the fact that He uses her name, or the way He pronounces it, gives her a shock of recognition. The emotional impact of this moment is impossible to exaggerate. Modern entertainment is full of surprise guests, or people being revealed after getting new clothes and hairstyles. This appearance by Jesus makes all of those "surprises" look boring by comparison.

Mary's one-word reaction to recognizing Jesus carries layers of importance. John notes that she calls Him "Teacher." Beyond indicating surprise, this also reinforces an important aspect of Jesus' ministry. Women in that era were dismissed as inferior, but those who followed Jesus saw themselves as His students (John 11:28; Luke 10:39). His gospel dispelled the notion that they were lesser than men (Galatians 3:28). The bare fact that women—not men—first realize and proclaim the resurrection of Christ would have been scandalous in the ancient world. This is not a detail someone would invent, given the option.

Jesus' counter-remark in the next verse (John 20:17) suggests Mary tried to embrace Him, or that she threw herself at His feet (Matthew 28:9). That, as well, indicates the powerful emotions of her recognition.

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.