John 20

http://www.esvbible.org/John+20/

On Sunday after the crucifixion, Mary from Magdala went to Jesus' tomb. When she arrived, the stone blocking the entrance had been rolled away, and when she looked inside, she saw Jesus' body was gone. She ran and found Simon Peter and John to tell them what she found. They both ran as fast as they could to the tomb to see for themselves. John arrived first and saw strips of linen on the ground. When Peter arrived, he saw that the linens from Jesus' head were rolled up separately. After John went inside, he believed, though they still didn't know what scripture meant when it said that Jesus would come back to life.

After Peter and John leave, Mary from Magdala stays and cries about what has happened. When she looks up, she sees two angels sitting where Jesus' body had been. They ask her why she is crying, and she tells them that someone has taken the Lord, and she can't find Him. Then, she turns around and sees Jesus, but He is disguised, so she doesn't recognize Him. She thinks He is the gardener and tells Him if He took Jesus' body to tell her where He put it. Jesus simply says Mary's name, and she knows it's Him. He tells her she must go to the disciples and tell them what she has seen, so she does.

Jesus later appears to the disciples even though they had been behind a locked door, and He shows them His hands and His side, so that they truly know it is He. Then He breathes the Holy Spirit into them. He gives them the great commission by sending them as God sent Jesus. He says if they forgive sins then they are forgiven, and if they don't, the sins are not forgiven. He says this to give the apostles authority to know those of false faith who intend harm from those truly seeking forgiveness.

Jesus again enters a locked door to appear to His disciples because Thomas, who wasn't with the others in the last story, didn't believe that Jesus had actually risen from the dead. Thomas said he wan't to put his fingers in the nail holes and his hand in Jesus' side. When Jesus appeared again, He told Thomas to do so, and Thomas believed. Jesus says that Thomas believed because he saw, but blessed are those who believe but didn't see. That is great for us because we live thousands of years later, and it is impossible to see the human version of Christ since He ascended to Heaven. John says Jesus performed many more miracles that John didn't write about because they're written about elsewhere to help us believe that Jesus is the Messiah.