John from The Message Bible with an opportunity to comment on each chapter

John 20:1  Early in the morning on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone was moved away from the entrance.

John 20:2  She ran at once to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, breathlessly panting, "They took the Master from the tomb. We don't know where they've put him."

John 20:3  Peter and the other disciple left immediately for the tomb.

John 20:4  They ran, neck and neck. The other disciple got to the tomb first, outrunning Peter.

John 20:5  Stooping to look in, he saw the pieces of linen cloth lying there, but he didn't go in.

John 20:6  Simon Peter arrived after him, entered the tomb, observed the linen cloths lying there,

John 20:7  and the kerchief used to cover his head not lying with the linen cloths but separate, neatly folded by itself.

John 20:8  Then the other disciple, the one who had gotten there first, went into the tomb, took one look at the evidence, and believed.

John 20:9  No one yet knew from the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead.

John 20:10  The disciples then went back home.

John 20:11  But Mary stood outside the tomb weeping. As she wept, she knelt to look into the tomb

John 20:12  and saw two angels sitting there, dressed in white, one at the head, the other at the foot of where Jesus' body had been laid.

John 20:13  They said to her, "Woman, why do you weep?" "They took my Master," she said, "and I don't know where they put him."

John 20:14  After she said this, she turned away and saw Jesus standing there. But she didn't recognize him.

John 20:15  Jesus spoke to her, "Woman, why do you weep? Who are you looking for?" She, thinking that he was the gardener, said, "Mister, if you took him, tell me where you put him so I can care for him."

John 20:16  Jesus said, "Mary." Turning to face him, she said in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" meaning "Teacher!"

John 20:17  Jesus said, "Don't cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go to my brothers and tell them, 'I ascend to my Father and your Father, my God and your God.'"

John 20:18  Mary Magdalene went, telling the news to the disciples: "I saw the Master!" And she told them everything he said to her.

John 20:19  Later on that day, the disciples had gathered together, but, fearful of the Jews, had locked all the doors in the house. Jesus entered, stood among them, and said, "Peace to you."

John 20:20  Then he showed them his hands and side. The disciples, seeing the Master with their own eyes, were exuberant.

John 20:21  Jesus repeated his greeting: "Peace to you. Just as the Father sent me, I send you."

John 20:22  Then he took a deep breath and breathed into them. "Receive the Holy Spirit," he said.

John 20:23  "If you forgive someone's sins, they're gone for good. If you don't forgive sins, what are you going to do with them?"

John 20:24  But Thomas, sometimes called the Twin, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.

John 20:25  The other disciples told him, "We saw the Master." But he said, "Unless I see the nail holes in his hands, put my finger in the nail holes, and stick my hand in his side, I won't believe it."

John 20:26  Eight days later, his disciples were again in the room. This time Thomas was with them. Jesus came through the locked doors, stood among them, and said, "Peace to you."

John 20:27  Then he focused his attention on Thomas. "Take your finger and examine my hands. Take your hand and stick it in my side. Don't be unbelieving. Believe."

John 20:28  Thomas said, "My Master! My God!"

John 20:29  Jesus said, "So, you believe because you've seen with your own eyes. Even better blessings are in store for those who believe without seeing."

John 20:30  Jesus provided far more God-revealing signs than are written down in this book.

John 20:31  These are written down so you will believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and in the act of believing, have real and eternal life in the way he personally revealed it.

The Message:
The Bible in Contemporary Language
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