The passage
      v1. Only in the synoptic gospels are we told that the women were on an anointing mission, which was strange since Nicodemus had already undertaken the task, 19:39-40. It was normal practice for the female relatives of a deceased man to prepare him for burial and so obviously these female disciples wanted to stand in for his mother. Getting past the stone was the main problem, but when they arrived at the garden tomb the grave was open.
      v2. Although it was "still dark", the women could at least make out that the grave was empty and so Mary Magdalene set off to tell the other disciples the news. She headed for Peter and "the one Jesus loved" (referring to John, the source of this account of Jesus' life, death and resurrection). The women obviously assumed that someone (one of Jesus' enemies) had "stolen" his body.
      v3. Peter and John run to the tomb, followed by Mary Magdalene.
      v4. Although Peter set off first, John outran him and reached the tomb before Peter.
      v5. John hesitated in setting out for the tomb and now he hesitates again. As he looks in, he sees the linen sheets, used to cover the body for burial, "lying there".
      v6-7. When Peter arrives, he goes straight into the tomb. As well as seeing the linen sheets, he also sees the head-cloth, the towel originally wrapped around Jesus' head. This he sees neatly placed beside the sheets. John is describing a scene of order, rather than chaos. Had grave robbers been at work they would have taken the sheets as well, or at least strewn them on the floor. John is not describing the scene as if Jesus' body has risen through the sheets, but rather as if someone has gotten out of bed, pushing the sheets aside, neatly placing the head-towel to one side.
      v8. John now enters the tomb, and "saw" what Peter saw, and "believed". He too sees a scene evidencing the waking of someone who was asleep. Yet what does he believe? Does he just believe the report of Mary that the tomb was empty? If v9 qualifies John's belief then his belief is in the bodily resurrection of Jesus, even though he does not yet understand the Biblical support for such an event.
      v9. The disciples did not invent a resurrection based on Biblical prophecy. They first believed in Jesus' resurrection, then they looked for its Biblical support. Interestingly, there is not much Biblical support, even if Paul and others often affirmed that Jesus was raised "on the third day according to the scriptures", 1Cor.15:4. References to the third day are found in Hos.6:2, Jon.1:17, (quite unconvincing!), and to resurrection in Isa.53:10-13, Ps.15:10...... Of course, the resurrection of the Messiah is the linchpin of Biblical prophecy in that it inaugurates the dawning kingdom of God. The resurrection itself may have little Biblical precedence, but its consequences are the stuff of Biblical prophecy.
      v10. Having seen the tomb, the disciples went home.

New life in Christ
      On the first Easter morning a number of Jesus' friends come to the garden tomb to perform the accustomed burial rites on his body. John mentions only "Mary Magdalene", although he reports Mary saying, "we don't know where they have put him (Jesus)." Mary uses the plural when reporting the missing body to Peter and John. Obviously she was not alone. Matthew tells us that "the other Mary" was with her, Matt.28:1. Mark adds Salome, Mk.16:1, and Luke adds Joanna, Lk.24:10. So, it seems that there were four women on this early morning jaunt to the garden tomb.
      Within minutes of finding the tomb empty, both Peter and John were at the tomb themselves. When John viewed the scene, he came to believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus. John believes, even though he has no inkling of such an event from his study of the scriptures. There are few references in the scriptures to messiah's resurrection on the third day. In that sense John's belief is based on the same limited evidence as ours. Jesus claimed that he would be arrested, crucified, and then raised on the third day. For John, there was little supporting evidence in the Old Testament scriptures for the resurrection of the messiah, so Jesus' claim could not be backed up with a clear word from God. All John had to go on was some ruffled sheets, a towel and the conviction of his heart.
      Our faith rests more on conviction than on concrete fact. Like John and Peter, we have to go with our heart more than with our head, for in the end our faith rests on little tangible evidence. We just have to go out on a limb and affirm Jesus' resurrection, and do so, based on the most minute of evidence. The existence of the Christian church, the testimony of the eye witnesses, the faith of the disciples in the face of persecution, ....., on these threads of evidence we rest our faith. So, like John, our faith rests on some sheets of "linen lying."

v2
      oun "so" - therefore. We are not told what actually prompts Mary's dash into the city. What does she see? The stone rolled aside, or the empty tomb, or both?
      proV "to" - Mary runs to Peter and to John. Are they in different localities?
      hJran (airw) aor. "they have taken" - they took. An emphatic reading prompts the question who are the "they". Possibly read as equivalent to the English passive, "has been taken", Brown.
      ouk oidamen (oida) 1st. pers. pl. "we don't know" - A clear indication that Mary is not alone.
      eqhkan (tiqhmi) aor. "they have put" - they placed. Mary is probably saying, "we don't know where they have buried him."

v3
      exhlqen (exercomai) aor. sing. "started" - he went out. Again indicating that Peter is by himself and is then joined by John and, with Mary tagging along, "they were coming" to the tomb.
      eiV "for [the tomb]" - to/into the tomb. They are heading for the tomb, rather than entering it. "Set out at once for the tomb", Phillips.

v4
      proedramen (protrexw) aor. "outran" - ran ahead [faster]. "The other disciple ran on ahead, faster than Peter", Barclay.
      hlqen prwtoV eiV to mnhmeion "reached the tomb first" - came first to/into the tomb. Again, they have not, as yet, entered / gone into the tomb.

v5
      blepei (blepw) pres. "looked" - he sees. Obviously, "he sees in the full light of dawn."
      keimena (keimai) pres. mid. part. "lying there" - lying. The word here may not be indicating anything about the position of the linen sheets, but rather just that they are "there". Some commentators argue that the wrappings are as if a body has passed through them and they have sunk to the bench where the body lay. This is an interesting theory, but can't be derived from the text. Cast to one side, as if a person were rising from their bed, would be more likely. What is clear, is that the scene is not one that would be left by grave robbers with everything is strewn around. "He saw the strips of cloth lying inside the tomb", CEV.
      ta oqonia (ov) pl. "strips of linen" - pieces of linen cloth. Shroud-like sheets are most likely what is intended. Strips, as in the wrappings of a mummy, is certainly not intended. "He saw the linen grave-cloths lying there", Barclay.

v6
      akolouqwn (akolouqew) pres. part. "who was behind [him]" - following. Note Barrett's idea that the Johnnine tradition is here subordinating Peter to John. A bit far fetched!
      eishlqen (eisercomai) aor. "went into" - he entered into a space. The sense of immediacy is carried by the aorist, "he went immediately/straight into the tomb and saw what John had seen."

v7
      to soudarion (ov) "the burial cloth" - The sudarium (Latin) is a small towel for personal use. The word is used of a small towel, or large handkerchief, used to wipe the face. It is quite possible that this was of better material than the linen sheets. "Handkerchief", Phillips; "napkin", REB.
      ou "-" - The sudarium was not lying with/like the linen sheets.
      meta "with" - with. That the sudarium was not "with" the sheets is the most accepted meaning, but "like", referring to condition rather than place, or "among", are other possibilities.
      alla cwriV "separate from the linen" - but apart. "But separately" is the most accepted meaning, but the phrase may just serve to emphasize the negative, "but on the contrary." So again, what is being described? Is it the position of the sudarium (separate to the linen), or the way it is placed?
      entetuligmenon (entulissw) perf. pas. part. "folded up" - having been folded up / rolled up. Neatly placed is implied, with or beside the linen. "Still in its folds", Barclay.
      eiV eJna topon "by itself" - in one place. "In the same place [as the linen sheets]" rather than a "different place", is the natural reading of the phrase. That is, the linen sheets have been pushed aside as if a person were getting out of bed, but the sudarium is folded neatly and placed with/beside the linen. I is clear that there is a point to these details, details for John at least, that prompted faith.

v8
      eiden kai episteusen "he saw and believed" - Clearly, it is the arrangement of the linen sheets and the sudarium that prompts John to believe that Jesus has risen from the dead. As already noted, that John is describing a rising through the linen is a bit far fetched. What John does seem to describe is a scene that looks as if someone has just got out of bed, rather than been dragged away by grave robbers. Such a scene is likely to remind a disciple that Jesus promised that death would not hold him. Yet, the next verse seems to undermine this conclusion and for this reason has prompted a number of textual variants. I have always wondered if the condition of the grave cloths reminded John of the way Jesus usually left his bed. Did Jesus normally leave his bed airing, ready for a quick back in and pull up of the sheets? The "airing" is, of course, a kind euphemism for "unmade"! Of course, if this is true then it undermines the moral imperative of "hospital corners."

v9
      oudepw gar hdeisan thn grafhn "they still did not understand from scripture" - for not yet they knew the scripture. The phrase "as yet they did not understand the scripture" concerning the necessity of the resurrection of the messiah, does not necessarily imply that John hasn't believed that Jesus has risen from the dead. They (Peter and John, and possibly Mary) have seen, and John (and possibly Peter) has believed, but they are bewildered. This parenthetical comment simply serves to underline their bewilderment and therefore, the limit of their belief. The disciples will need an Emmaus walk to help them understand the necessity of messiah's rising, as it relates to the Old Testament scriptures.
      dei "had to [rise]" - it is necessary. The necessity of Christ's rising for lost Israel and broken humanity, under the sovereign will of God, as foretold in the Law and the Prophets, is certainly well beyond the understanding of the disciples at this point in time.