Jesus Resurrection

Scripture Readings: John 19:31 - 20:29

Now it was the day of getting ready for the Passover, and so that the bodies might not be on the cross on the
Sabbath (because the day of that Sabbath was a great day), the Jews made a request to Pilate that their legs
might be broken, and that they might be taken away. So the men of the army came, and the legs of the first were
broken and then of the other who was put to death on the cross with Jesus: But when they came to Jesus, they
saw that he was dead by this time, and so his legs were not broken; But one of the men made a wound in his
side with a spear, and straight away there came out blood and water. And he who saw it has given witness (and
his witness is true; he is certain that what he says is true) so that you may have belief. These things came about
so that the Writings might be true, No bone of his body will be broken. And again another verse says, They will
see him who was wounded by their spears. After these things, Joseph of Arimathaea, who was a disciple of
Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, made a request to Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus: and
Pilate said he might do so. So he went and took away his body. And Nicodemus came (he who had first come
to Jesus by night) with a roll of myrrh and aloes mixed, about a hundred pounds. Then they took the body of
Jesus, folding linen about it with the spices, as is the way of the Jews when they put the dead to rest. Now there
was a garden near the cross, and in the garden a new place for the dead in which no man had ever been put.
So they put Jesus there, because it was the Jews' day of getting ready for the Passover, and the place was
near. Now on the first day of the week, very early, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the place and
saw that the stone had been taken away from it. Then she went running to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple
who was loved by Jesus, and said to them, They have taken away the Lord out of the place of the dead and we
have no knowledge where they have put him. So Peter and the other disciple went out to the place of the dead.
They went running together, and the other disciple got in front of Peter and came first to the hole in the rock; And
looking in, he saw the linen bands on the earth; but he did not go in, Then Simon Peter came after him and went
into the hole in the rock; and he saw the linen bands on the earth, And the cloth, which had been round his head,
not with the linen bands but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple who came there first went in;
and he saw and belief came to him. For at that time they had no knowledge that the Writings said that he would
have to come again from the dead. So then the disciples went away again to their houses. But Mary was still
there outside the hole in the rock, weeping; and while she was weeping and looking into the hole, She saw two
angels in white seated where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said
to her, Woman, why are you weeping? She said to them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I have no
knowledge where they have put him. And then looking round, she saw Jesus there, but had no idea that it was
Jesus. Jesus said to her, Woman, why are you weeping? who are you looking for? She, taking him for the
gardener, said to him, Sir, if you have taken him away from here, say where you have put him and I will take him
away. Jesus said to her, Mary! Turning, she said to him in Hebrew, Rabboni! (which is to say, Master). Jesus
said to her, Do not put your hand on me, for I have not gone up to the Father: but go to my brothers and say to
them, I go up to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God. Mary Magdalene went with the news to the
disciples, and said she had seen the Lord and that he had said these things to her. At evening on that day, the
first day of the week, when, for fear of the Jews, the doors were shut where the disciples were, Jesus came
among them and said to them, May peace be with you! And when he had said this, he let them see his hands
and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. And Jesus said to them again, May peace
be with you! As the Father sent me, even so I now send you. And when he had said this, breathing on them, he
said to them, Let the Holy Spirit come on you: Any to whom you give forgiveness, will be made free from their
sins; and any from whom you keep back forgiveness, will still be in their sins. Now Thomas, one of the twelve,
named Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, We have seen the
Lord. But he said to them, If I do not see in his hands the print of the nails and put my finger into the print of the
nails, and if I do not put my hand into his side, I will never have belief. And after eight days, his disciples were
again in the house and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were shut, Jesus came, and taking his place
in the middle of them, he said, May peace be with you! Then he said to Thomas, Put out your finger, and see my
hands; and put your hand here into my side: and be no longer in doubt but have belief. And Thomas said in
answer, My Lord and my God! Jesus said to him, Because you have seen me you have belief: a blessing will be
on those who have belief though they have not seen me!