John 20:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed;

NIV: Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed.

NASB: So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb also entered then, and he saw and believed.

CSB: The other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, then also went in, saw, and believed.

NLT: Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed —

KJV: Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed.

NKJV: Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed.

Mary Magdalene rushed to tell the disciples that she'd found Jesus' tomb open and vacant. Peter and John arrive, but only Peter enters. There, they see the linen in which Jesus was buried lying empty. Peter, from his position inside, also notices that the face cloth (John 11:44) is separate from the other strips and has been neatly folded (John 20:1–7).

Legends about this folded cloth suggest it was a signal, used at a dinner, implying that Jesus planned to come back. This is not supported by any historical or scholarly evidence. The mere fact that the cloth is there, deliberately placed, and by itself, is evidence enough that it was put there on purpose. John comes into the tomb to see this, probably because Peter tells him what he has seen.

Looking at this piece of evidence gives John a jolt of realization. Despite Jesus' many predictions (John 2:19–22; Mark 9:31; Luke 18:33), the disciples are still having a difficult time understanding the idea of His death and resurrection (John 20:9). With two thousand years of hindsight, we might find that strange. In the moment, however, it's not clear what has happened. Seeing the folded cloth immediately tells John that it was Jesus—alive—who put it there.

John 20:1–10 includes the first moments in which Jesus' followers realize He has been resurrected. Mary Magdalene brings Peter and John to the grave after finding it open. John sees the empty grave wrappings and realizes what has happened. Mary will remain behind and encounter a pair of angels, as well as Jesus, soon after. John's chosen details complement those found in Matthew 28:1–10, Mark 16:1–8, and 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.