John 20:20 - Printer Friendly

ESV: When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.

NIV: After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

NASB: And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

CSB: Having said this, he showed them his hands and his side. So the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

NLT: As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord!

KJV: And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.

NKJV: When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.

While hiding in a locked room, the disciples are suddenly in the presence of Jesus (John 20:19). The last time most of these men had seen Him, He was being arrested (Matthew 26:56). A few had witnessed His trials (John 18:15), and at least one was there when He was crucified and murdered (John 19:25–27). His burial location was known (Matthew 27:60–61). It's possible that, if Jesus had appeared without any scars of any kind, they might have had later doubts about His physical resurrection.

Showing His crucifixion wounds reassures the men that this is the same Jesus, and the same body, which was executed on the cross. The same form that was in the grave is now alive. This meant His prophecies were fulfilled, exactly as He had said they would be (John 2:19–22; Mark 9:31; Luke 18:33). John's description of their response to this is probably greatly understated.

Even amid these miracles, the disciples show a frustrating level of hard-headedness. Mary Magdalene and other women had told them about seeing Jesus (John 20:16–18), but this did not stop them from hiding. Nor did it give them confidence (Luke 24:10–11). Only when they see Jesus with their own eyes, together, do they seem to accept the truth. In another instance of stubbornness, one of the disciples, Thomas, is not there. Despite the combined claims of the other disciples, and the women, he will refuse to accept that Jesus is alive until he personally sees and touches Him (John 20:24–25).

John 20:19–23 is the first time Jesus appears to His disciples after being raised from death. They are hiding behind a locked door in fear when Jesus appears to speak with them. Jesus shows physical evidence of His crucifixion, then gives the men a partial measure of the Holy Spirit. This validates the earlier testimony of Mary Magdalene. Thomas is the only disciple not present, and the next passage shows his resistance to believe what has happened.

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.