The Empty Tomb

John 19:38—20:10

Jesus Is Buried

³⁸ Later, a man named Joseph from Arimathea asked Pilate^r for the body of Jesus. (Joseph was a follower of Jesus, but he did not tell anyone, because he was afraid of the Jewish leaders.) Pilate said Joseph could take Jesus’ body, so he came and took it away.

³⁹ Nicodemus went with Joseph. He was the man who had come to Jesus before and talked to him at night. He brought about 100 pounds^s of spices—a mixture of myrrh^t and aloes.^u 40 These two men took Jesus’ body and wrapped it in pieces of linen cloth with the spices. (This is how the Jews bury people.) ⁴¹ In the place where Jesus was killed on the cross, there was a garden. In the garden there was a new tomb.^v No one had ever been buried there before. ⁴² The men put Jesus in that tomb because it was near, and the Jews were preparing to start their Sabbath^w day.

News That Jesus Has Risen From Death

20 ¹ Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb. She saw that the large stone was moved away from the entrance. ² So she ran to Simon Peter and the other follower (the one Jesus loved very much). She said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.”

³ So Peter and the other follower started going to the tomb. ⁴ They were both running, but the other follower ran faster than Peter and reached the tomb first. ⁵ He bent down and looked in. He saw the pieces of linen cloth lying there, but he did not go in.

⁶ Then Simon Peter finally reached the tomb and went in. He saw the pieces of linen lying there. ⁷ He also saw the cloth that had been around Jesus’ head. It was folded up and laid in a different place from the pieces of linen. ⁸ Then the other follower went in—the one who had reached the tomb first. He saw what had happened and believed. ⁹(These followers did not yet understand from the Scriptures^b that Jesus must rise from death.)

¹⁰ Then the followers went back home.

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    s 19:39 100 pounds Literally, 100 litras or Roman pounds, equal to 32.7 kg (72 pounds).

    t 19:39 myrrh Sweet-smelling sap from the bark of trees or other plants that was used for perfume and also to prepare bodies for burial. Mixed with wine, it was probably used to relieve pain (Mk. 15:23).

    u 19:39 aloes The oil from a sweet-smelling wood that was used to make perfume (Ps. 45:8; Prov. 7:17) or the bitter juice from a cactus-like plant that was used to prepare bodies for burial (Jn. 19:39).

    v 19:41 tomb A grave dug in a wall of rock or a building where a dead body is buried. It can also be a small building made to show respect for important people who had died.

    w 19:42 Sabbath Saturday, the seventh day of the week and a special day for Israelites or Jews. By God’s command it was set aside as a time for the people to rest and honor God.

    b 20:9 Scriptures Or “Holy Writings”—the Old Testament.