John 20:1-18

Living Bible

20 Early Sunday morning,^[a] while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone was rolled aside from the entrance.

² She ran and found Simon Peter and me^[b] and said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and I don’t know where they have put him!”

^3-4 We^[c] ran to the tomb to see; I outran Peter and got there first, ⁵ and stooped and looked in and saw the linen cloth lying there, but I didn’t go in. ⁶ Then Simon Peter arrived and went on inside. He also noticed the cloth lying there, ⁷ while the swath that had covered Jesus’ head was rolled up in a bundle and was lying at the side. ⁸ Then I went in too, and saw, and believed that he had risen^[d]— ⁹ for until then we hadn’t realized that the Scriptures said he would come to life again!

¹⁰ We^[e] went on home, ¹¹ and by that time Mary had returned to the tomb and was standing outside crying. And as she wept, she stooped and looked in ¹² and saw two white-robed angels sitting at the head and foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying.

¹³ “Why are you crying?” the angels asked her.

“Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”

¹⁴ She glanced over her shoulder and saw someone standing behind her. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him!

¹⁵ “Why are you crying?” he asked her. “Whom are you looking for?”

She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”

¹⁶ “Mary!” Jesus said. She turned toward him.

“Master!” she exclaimed.

¹⁷ “Don’t touch me,” he cautioned, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them that I ascend to my Father and your Father, my God and your God.”

¹⁸ Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them his message.