John

20:1-10

The glory of the Messiah, 13:1-20:1

3. The resurrection of Jesus, 20:1-31

i] The empty tomb

In John's gospel, the story of the resurrection is covered in the account of: the empty tomb, 20:1-10, the appearances to Mary, v11-18, the ten in the upper room, v19-23, and "doubting" Thomas, v24-29. The story of the empty tomb is reported by all the evangelists, although John's account is quite different to the three synoptic gospels. Although the telling of the story is different, the details remain the same.

Dodd says of John's account of the resurrection of Jesus that it is "the most humanly moving of all the stories of the risen Christ."

prwi (a) "early" - early in the morning. Between 3 and 6 am. or more specifically "dawn".

th/ de mia/ twn sabbatwn "on the first day of the week" - Sunday. "On Sunday morning", CEV.

oushV (eimi) gen. pres. part. "while [it was still dark]" - being [still dark]. The genitive absolute participial phrase is temporal, as NIV. Some disparity here with the synoptic gospels, although the first rays of dawn is an acceptable understanding of what John is saying.

Maria hJ Magdalhnh "Mary Magdalene" - Much is made of the disparity found in the gospel accounts as to who and how many women attended the tomb. It was probably four, as in Luke, but John, for obvious reasons, focuses on Mary. None-the-less, note Mary's words to the apostles "they have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid him", v2.

ercetai (ercomai) pres. "went" - comes. Why did Mary go to the tomb? Since Nicodemus has already performed the burial rite of anointing, she may have come to wail, but this is not what the synoptics say. Maybe the ladies came to do the job properly, given that it's women's business!

oun "so" - therefore. Drawing a logical conclusion. We are not told what actually prompts Mary's dash into the city. What does she see, the stone rolled aside, the empty tomb, angels, ....?

proV "to" - Mary runs to Peter and to John. Are they in different localities?

efilei (filew) imperf. "[the one Jesus] loved" - [whom Jesus] loved. The imperfect is durative.

autoiV pro. "-" - [and says] to them. Dative of direct object.

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."

oun "so" - therefore. Again, drawing a logical conclusion, as NIV.

exhlqen (exercomai) aor. sing. "started" - he went out. Again possibly indicating that Peter is by himself and is then joined by John and, with Mary tagging along.

eiV "[started] for [the tomb]" - [they were coming] to/into [the tomb]. They are heading for the tomb, rather than entering it. "Set out at once for the tomb", Phillips.

etrecon (trecw) imperf. "[both] were running" - [the two together] were running. The imperfect is durative.

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.

tou Petrou (oV) gen. "Peter" - of Peter. The genitive is ablative, of comparison; the other disciple ran faster than Peter.

parakayaV (parakuptw) aor. part. "he bent over" - having bent over, stooped down. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the main verb "he sees", as NIV.

blepei (blepw) pres. "looked in" - he sees. Obviously, "he sees in the full light of dawn."

keimena (keimai) pres. mid. part. "lying there" - lying. The participle is adjectival, limiting "the linen cloths". 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 it can't be derived from the text. Possibly, cast to one side as if a person were rising from their bed. What is clear, is that the scene is not one that would be left by grave robbers who would have stolen the linen and spices and left the body. Even if the Jewish authorities had organized the theft of the body, which would surely be counter productive, it is very unlikely that the body would be taken without its burial garb. Clearly, John is quite taken with the state of the burial cloths and repeats the observation, cf. v6 and 7. "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.

akolouqwn (akolouqew) pres. part. "who was behind [him]" - following. The participle is adjectival, describing, forming a relative clause as NIV. Note Barrett's idea that the Johnnine tradition is here subordinating Peter to John. A bit far fetched, although some healthy competition between the two may be evident in this account.

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."

keimena (keimai) pres. part. "[strips of linen] lying there" - [the linen cloths] lying. The participle is adjectival, describing, limiting, "the strips of linen." John is again making note of what Peter saw.

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 "-" - not. 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. The participle is adjectival, descriptive, attributive of "the face cloth". The main verbs in this sentence, which consists of verses 6 and 7, are "comes" and "sees". What Peter sees is "lying linen cloths" and "a having been folded up face cloth" not with the "lying linen cloths", but "apart". Neatly placed is implied, with or beside the linen. All this, for John, prompts belief, v8. "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.

tote "Finally" - then. Temporal adverb.

oJ elqwn (ercomai) aor. part. "who had come" - the one having come. The participle is adjectival forming a relative clause, as NIV.

eiden kai episteusen "he saw and believed" - Clearly, it is the arrangement of the linen sheets and the sudarium that prompts John to believe, but believe what? As already noted, what John seems to describe is a scene that looks as if someone has just got out of bed, rather than a scene disturbed by grave robbers. Such a scene is likely to confront a disciple with Jesus' promise that death will not hold him, a promise even now realized before their very eyes.

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.

oJti "that" - that. Here introducing a dependent statement of perception expressing what they did not know.

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.

anasthnai (anisthmi) aor. inf. "had to rise" - to rise. The infinitive functions as the subject of the verb "is necessary", "to rise from the dead is necessary."

ek "from" - out of, from. Expressing separation here.

oun "then" - therefore. Here drawing a logical conclusion / inferential, expressed temporally.

proV autouV "to their homes" - to their. They went back to where they were when Mary called them. This verse serves to clear the way for Mary's meeting with Jesus. "So the disciples went back home", Barclay.

John Introduction.

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