20 1 Early in the morning on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the sepulcher, and saw that the stone had been removed.
2 She ran to tell Peter and the disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They've taken the Lord away from the sepulcher, and we don't know where they've put him.”
3-7 So Peter and the other disciple raced to the sepulcher (the other disciple got there first) and saw his linen clothes and the napkin that was on his head.
10 Then they went home.
11 Mary [Magdalene] looked into the sepulcher and saw two angels dressed in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been.
12 They said to her, “Woman, why are you crying?”
13 She answered, “Because I don't know where they took my Lord.”
14 Then she turned and saw Jesus standing there, but she didn't recognize him.
15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?”
She answered, thinking he was the gardener, “Sir, if you've taken him away, tell me where you put him.”
16 Jesus said to her, "Mary." She said to him, "Master."
17 Jesus said,
Don't touch me, because I haven't ascended to my Father.
But go tell my brothers that I say to them, “I ascend to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”
18 So she told the disciples that she had seen Jesus and that he said these things to her.
19 That evening, while the disciples were hiding from the Jews in a locked room, Jesus came and stood in middle of them, and said, "Peace be with you."
20 Then he showed them his hands and his side, and they were glad.
21 Jesus breathed on them and said,
22 Receive the Holy Ghost.
23 If you forgive someone's sins, they're forgiven.
If you don't forgive them, they're not forgiven.
24 Thomas wasn't with them when Jesus visited.
25 The other disciples said to him, "We've seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Until I see the nail wounds on his hands and put my finger in them, and thrust my hand into his side, I won't believe."
26 Eight days later, the disciples were again locked in a room. This time Thomas was with them. Jesus appeared again and stood in the middle of them.
27 He said to Thomas, "Put your finger in my nail wounds and shove your hand in my side. Don't be faithless anymore but believe."
28 Thomas said, “My Lord and my God.”
29 Jesus said, “Thomas, because you've seen me, you believe. Blessed are those who haven't seen, and yet believe.”
30 Jesus did many other signs which aren't recorded in this book.
31 These things have been written to help you believe that Jesus is the Son of God. And so you'll live through his name.
21 1 After these things, Jesus appeared to his disciples on the Sea of Tiberias.
2-3 Peter said to Thomas, Nathanael, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples, “I'm going fishing.”
They said, "We'll go with you."
So they got on a boat and went fishing. But after fishing all night they didn't catch anything.
4 In the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples didn't recognize him.
5 Jesus called out to them, saying, “Hey children, do you have any meat?”
They said to him, "No."
6 Jesus said, “Cast your net on the right side and you'll catch fish.”
So they did that and caught so many fish they couldn't bring in the net.
7 The disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It's the Lord.”
When Peter heard him say that he put on his coat and jumped in the water. (Because he was naked.)
8 The other disciples came in another boat and helped them bring in all the fish.
9 When they got to shore, they saw a fire cooking fish and bread.
10 Jesus said, "Bring the fish that you caught."
11 Peter brought them over. There were a total of 153 big fish in the net.
12 Jesus said, "Come and eat."
None of the disciples asked him, "Who are you?", since they knew he was Jesus.
15 After they ate, Jesus said to Peter, "Simon, son of Jonas, do you love me more than the others?"
Peter said, "Yes, Lord. You know I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."
16 Again Jesus said to Peter, "Simon, son of Jonas, do you love me?"
Peter said, "Yes, Lord. You know I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my sheep."
17 A third time Jesus said to Peter, "Simon, son of Jonas, do you love me?"
Peter, who was sad that he asked the same thing three times, said, "Yes, Lord. You know everything. So you know I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my sheep."
20 Peter asked Jesus about the disciple whom Jesus loved (the one who leaned on Jesus's breast at supper), saying, “What will this man do?”
22 Jesus said, “If he lives until I come back, what is that to you? “
23 (Some people were saying that this disciple would never die. But Jesus didn't say to Peter that the disciple wouldn't die, but that if he is still living when he comes back, what is that to him?)
24 This is the disciple who talked and wrote these things, and we know what he said is true.
25 Jesus did many other things, which, if they were written in books, would fill the entire earth.
Jesus tells Mary Magdalene not to touch him because he hasn't yet ascended -- as if the touch of a woman would defile him and somehow prevent him from ascending into heaven.
But if he was untouchable before his ascension, why did he insist that Thomas touch him (Jn 20:27) and allow others to touch him and hold him by the feet before his ascension (Mt 28:9)?
Was it OK to touch the risen Jesus?
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The Skeptic's Annotated Bible
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