John 20:18 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord" — and that he had said these things to her.

NIV: Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her.

NASB: Mary Magdalene *came and announced to the disciples, 'I have seen the Lord,' and that He had said these things to her.

CSB: Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them what he had said to her.

NLT: Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, 'I have seen the Lord!' Then she gave them his message.

KJV: Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.

NKJV: Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.

Mary Magdalene was present to see Jesus maimed and killed (John 19:1–4, 18, 34), then hastily buried (Matthew 27:60–61). She saw His empty grave the following Sunday morning (John 20:1) and watched two disciples investigate the tomb before leaving (John 20:2–10). She was shocked to discover, moments later, that Jesus was standing there and speaking to her (John 20:11–17).

In that era, women were assumed to be mentally inferior, and unreliable. No one would have invented the claim that it was women who first learned something so important. Even in the details of His resurrection, Jesus' ministry continues to overturn those prejudices and raise the status of women (John 11:28; Luke 10:39; Galatians 3:28).

Those prejudices won't die easily. Mary will go and tell the disciples exactly as she's been commanded by Jesus. Apparently, they don't believe her. Despite all that's happened, they seem to dismiss her message as feminine hysteria (Luke 24:10–11, 22–24). When Jesus comes to see the disciples in person, they will be huddled in fear and shocked to see Him (John 20:19–23).

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.