1   Early on the Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb. She saw that the stone had been moved away from the entrance, 2   and ran to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. ‘They have taken the Lord out of his tomb,’ she cried, ‘and we do not know where they have laid him.’ 3   So Peter and the other set out and made their way to the tomb. 4   They were running side by side, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5   He peered in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but did not enter. 6   Then Simon Peter came up, following him, and he went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying, 7   and the napkin which had been over his head, not lying with the wrappings but rolled together in a place by itself. 8   Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first went in too, and he saw and believed; 9   until then they had not understood the scriptures, which showed that he must rise from the dead.

10    11   So the disciples went home again; but Mary stood at the tomb outside, weeping. 12   As she wept, she peered into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head, and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13   They said to her, ‘Why are you weeping?’ She answered, ‘They have taken my Lord away, and I do not know where they have laid him.’ 14   With these words she

The final conflict turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but did not recognize him. 15   Jesus said to her, ‘Why are you weeping? Who is it you are looking for?’ Thinking it was the gardener, she said, ‘If it is you, sir, who removed him, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.’ 16   Jesus said, ‘Mary!’ She turned to him and said, ‘Rabbuni!’ (which is Hebrew for ‘My Master’). 17   Jesus said, ‘Do not cling to me, ^note for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers, and tell them that I am now ascending ^note to my Father and your Father, my God and your God.’ 18   Mary of Magdala went to the disciples with her news: ‘I have seen the Lord!’ she said, and gave them his message.

19   Late that Sunday evening, when the disciples were together behind locked doors, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them. 20   ‘Peace be with you!’ he said, and then showed them his hands and his side. So when the disciples saw the Lord, they were filled with joy. 21   Jesus repeated, ‘Peace be with you!’, and said, ‘As the Father sent me, so I send you.’ 22   Then he breathed on them, saying, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit! 23   If you forgive any man's sins, they stand forgiven; if you pronounce them unforgiven, unforgiven they remain.’

24   One of the Twelve, Thomas, that is ‘the Twin’, was not with the rest when Jesus came. 25   So the disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ He said, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails on his hands, unless I put my finger into the place where the nails were, and my hand into his side, I will not believe it.’

26   A week later his disciples were again in the room, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them, saying, ‘Peace be with you!’ 27   Then he said to Thomas, ‘Reach your finger here; see my hands. Reach your hand here and put it into my side. Be unbelieving no longer, but believe.’ 28    29   Thomas said, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said, ‘Because you have seen me you have found faith. Happy are they who never saw me and yet have found faith.’

30   There were indeed many other signs that Jesus performed in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31   Those here written have been recorded in order that you may hold the faith ^note that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this faith you may possess life by his name.

The final conflict

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