John 20

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Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

18 When Jesus had spoken these words, nhe went out with his disciples across othe brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew pthe place, for qJesus often met there with his disciples. rSo Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. Then Jesus, sknowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, tWhom do you seek? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus said to them, I am he.1 Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. uWhen Jesus2 said to them, I am he, they drew back and fell to the ground. So he asked them again, tWhom do you seek? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered, I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go. vThis was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one. 10 Then Simon Peter, whaving a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant3 and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) 11 So Jesus said to Peter, Put your sword into its sheath; xshall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?

Jesus Faces Annas and Caiaphas

12 So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews4 arrested Jesus and bound him. 13 First they yled him to zAnnas, for he was the father-in-law of aCaiaphas, who was high priest that year. 14 It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews bthat it would be expedient that one man should die for the people.

Peter Denies Jesus

15 cSimon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, 16 dbut Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door, and brought Peter in. 17 eThe servant girl at the door said to Peter, You also are not one of this man’s disciples, are you? He said, I am not. 18 Now the servants5 and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves. fPeter also was with them, standing and warming himself.

The High Priest Questions Jesus

19 gThe high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. 20 Jesus answered him, I have spoken hopenly ito the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together. jI have said nothing in secret. 21 Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them; they know what I said. 22 When he had said these things, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand, saying, kIs that how you answer the high priest? 23 Jesus answered him, If what I said is wrong, bear witness about the wrong; but if what I said is right, why do you strike me? 24 lAnnas then sent him bound to lCaiaphas the high priest.

Peter Denies Jesus Again

25 mNow Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, You also are not one of his disciples, are you? He denied it and said, I am not. 26 One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of nthe man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, Did I not see you oin the garden with him? 27 Peter again denied it, and pat once a rooster crowed.

Jesus Before Pilate

28 qThen they led Jesus rfrom the house of Caiaphas to sthe governor’s headquarters.6 It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor’s headquarters, tso that they would not be defiled, ubut could eat the Passover. 29 vSo Pilate went outside to them and said, What accusation do you bring against this man? 30 They answered him, If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you. 31 Pilate said to them, wTake him yourselves and judge him by your own law. The Jews said to him, It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death. 32 xThis was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken yto show by what kind of death he was going to die.

My Kingdom Is Not of This World

33 zSo Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, aAre you the King of the Jews? 34 Jesus answered, Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me? 35 Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done? 36 Jesus answered, bMy kingdom cis not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, dmy servants would have been fighting, that eI might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world. 37 Then Pilate said to him, So you are a king? Jesus answered, fYou say that I am a king. gFor this purpose I was born and for this purpose hI have come into the worldito bear witness to the truth. jEveryone who is kof the truth llistens to my voice. 38 Pilate said to him, What is truth?

After he had said this, mhe went back outside to the Jews and told them, nI find no guilt in him. 39 oBut you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews? 40 They cried out again, pNot this man, but Barabbas! Now Barabbas was a robber.7

Jesus Delivered to Be Crucified

19 Then Pilate took Jesus and qflogged him. rAnd the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. They came up to him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! and struck him with their hands. Pilate went out again and said to them, See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that sI find no guilt in him. So Jesus came out, wearing tthe crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, uBehold the man! When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, Crucify him, crucify him! Pilate said to them, vTake him yourselves and crucify him, for wI find no guilt in him. The Jews1 answered him, We have a law, and xaccording to that law he ought to die because yhe has made himself the Son of God. When Pilate heard this statement, zhe was even more afraid. aHe entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, bWhere are you from? But cJesus gave him no answer. 10 So Pilate said to him, You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you? 11 Jesus answered him, dYou would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore ehe who delivered me over to you fhas the greater sin.

12 From then on gPilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, If you release this man, you are not Caesar’s friend. hEveryone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar. 13 So when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on ithe judgment seat at a place called The Stone Pavement, and in Aramaic2 Gabbatha. 14 Now it was jthe day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour.3 He said to the Jews, kBehold your King! 15 They cried out, lAway with him, away with him, crucify him! Pilate said to them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. 16 mSo he ndelivered him over to them to be crucified.

The Crucifixion

So they took Jesus, 17 and ohe went out, pbearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. 18 qThere they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. 19 Pilate ralso wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. 20 Many of the Jews read this inscription, for sthe place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. 21 So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, Do not write, The King of the Jews, but rather, This man said, I am King of the Jews. 22 Pilate answered, tWhat I have written I have written.

23 uWhen the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic.4 But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, 24 so they said to one another, Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be. vThis was to fulfill the Scripture which says,

wThey divided my garments among them,

and for my clothing they cast lots.

So the soldiers did these things, 25 xbut standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother and ythe disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, zWoman, behold, your son! 27 Then he said to the disciple, Behold, your mother! And from that hour the disciple took her to ahis own home.

The Death of Jesus

28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now bfinished, said (vto fulfill the Scripture), cI thirst. 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, dso they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, eIt is finished, and he bowed his head and fgave up his spirit.

Jesus’ Side Is Pierced

31 Since it was gthe day of Preparation, and hso that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was ia high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other jwho had been crucified with him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out kblood and water. 35 lHe who saw it has borne witnessmhis testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truthnthat you also may believe. 36 oFor these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: pNot one of his bones qwill be broken. 37 And again another Scripture says, rThey will look on him whom they have pierced.

Jesus Is Buried

38 sAfter these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly tfor fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. 39 uNicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus5 by night, came vbringing a mixture of wmyrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds6 in weight. 40 So they took the body of Jesus and xbound it in ylinen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a zgarden, and ain the garden a new tomb bin which no one had yet been laid. 42 So because of the Jewish cday of Preparation, dsince the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.

The Resurrection

20 eNow on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that fthe stone had been taken away from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, gthe one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and hwe do not know where they have laid him. iSo Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. And stooping to look in, he saw jthe linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, and kthe face cloth, which had been on Jesus’1 head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, lwho had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet mthey did not understand the Scripture, nthat he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went back to their homes.

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And oshe saw ptwo angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, qWoman, why are you weeping? She said to them, rThey have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him. 14 Having said this, she turned around and ssaw Jesus standing, tbut she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, uWoman, why are you weeping? vWhom are you seeking? Supposing him to be wthe gardener, she said to him, Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away. 16 Jesus said to her, Mary. She turned and said to him in Aramaic,2 xRabboni! (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to ymy brothers and say to them, zI am ascending to my Father and your Father, to amy God and your God. 18 Mary Magdalene bwent and announced to the disciples, I have seen the Lordand that he had said these things to her.

Jesus Appears to the Disciples

19 cOn the evening dof that day, the first day of the week, ethe doors being locked where the disciples were ffor fear of the Jews,3 Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, gPeace be with you. 20 When he had said this, hhe showed them his hands and his side. Then ithe disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, Peace be with you. As jthe Father has sent me, keven so I am sending you. 22 And when he had said this, he lbreathed on them and said to them, mReceive the Holy Spirit. 23 nIf you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.

Jesus and Thomas

24 Now oThomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin,4 was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, We have seen the Lord. But he said to them, pUnless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.

26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. qAlthough the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, qPeace be with you. 27 Then he said to Thomas, rPut your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe. 28 Thomas answered him, sMy Lord and my God! 29 Jesus said to him, Have you believed because you have seen me? tBlessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.

The Purpose of This Book

30 uNow Jesus did many other signs vin the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 wbut these are written so that you may xbelieve that Jesus is the Christ, ythe Son of God, and that by believing zyou may have life ain his name.

Jesus Appears to Seven Disciples

21 After this Jesus brevealed himself cagain to the disciples by dthe Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. Simon Peter, eThomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of fCana in Galilee, gthe sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, I am going fishing. They said to him, We will go with you. They went out and got into the boat, but hthat night they caught nothing.

Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples idid not know that it was Jesus. jJesus said to them, Children, do you have any fish? They answered him, No. kHe said to them, Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some. So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. That disciple lwhom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, It is the Lord! When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, mhe put on his outer garment, for he was nstripped for work, and othrew himself into the sea. The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards1 off.

When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, Bring some of the fish that you have just caught. 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, pCome and qhave breakfast. Now rnone of the disciples dared ask him, Who are you? They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and stook the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. 14 tThis was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

Jesus and Peter

15 When they had ufinished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, vSimon, wson of John, xdo you love me more than these? He said to him, Yes, Lord; you know that I love you. He said to him, Feed ymy lambs. 16 He said to him a second time, Simon, son of John, do you love me? He said to him, Yes, Lord; you know that I love you. He said to him, zTend ymy sheep. 17 He said to him the third time, Simon, son of John, do you love me? Peter was grieved because he said to him athe third time, Do you love me? and he said to him, Lord, byou know everything; you know that I love you. Jesus said to him, Feed cmy sheep. 18 dTruly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, eyou used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go. 19 (This he said to show fby what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, gFollow me.

Jesus and the Beloved Apostle

20 Peter turned and saw hthe disciple whom Jesus loved following them, ithe one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, Lord, who is it that is going to betray you? 21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, Lord, what about this man? 22 Jesus said to him, If it is my will that he remain juntil kI come, what is that to you? lYou follow me! 23 So the saying spread abroad among mthe brothers2 that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?

24 This is the disciple nwho is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and owe know pthat his testimony is true.

25 Now qthere are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that rthe world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

Acts Illustration

Acts

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

In the first book, O aTheophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began bto do and teach, until the day when che was taken up, after he dhad given commands ethrough the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. fHe presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

And while staying1 with them ghe ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, you heard from me; for hJohn baptized with water, hbut you will be baptized iwith2 the Holy Spirit not many days from now.

The Ascension

So when they had come together, they asked him, Lord, jwill you at this time krestore the kingdom to Israel? He said to them, lIt is not for you to know mtimes or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive npower owhen the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and pyou will be qmy witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and rSamaria, and sto the end of the earth. And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, the was lifted up, and ua cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, vtwo wmen stood by them in xwhite robes, 11 and said, yMen of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, zwill acome in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.

Matthias Chosen to Replace Judas

12 Then bthey returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13 And when they had entered, they went up to cthe upper room, where they were staying, dPeter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon ethe Zealot and Judas the son of James. 14 All these fwith one accord gwere devoting themselves to prayer, together with hthe women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and ihis brothers.3

15 In those days Peter stood up among jthe brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, 16 Brothers, kthe Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, lwho became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17 For mhe was numbered among us and was allotted his share in nthis ministry. 18 (Now this man oacquired a field with pthe reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong4 he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. 19 And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called qin their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20 For it is written in the Book of Psalms,

rMay his camp become desolate,

and let there be no one to dwell in it;

and

sLet another take his office.

21 So one of the men who have accompanied us during tall the time that the Lord Jesus uwent in and out among us, 22 vbeginning from the baptism of John until the day when whe was taken up from usone of these men must become with us xa witness to his resurrection. 23 And they put forward two, Joseph called yBarsabbas, who was also called zJustus, and aMatthias. 24 And bthey prayed and said, You, Lord, cwho know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen 25 to take the place in dthis ministry and eapostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place. 26 And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.