John 20:19-31
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
19 On the evening of that first day of the week,(A) when the doors were locked, where the disciples[a] were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.[b] The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.(B) 21 [c][Jesus] said to them again,(C) “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22 [d]And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,(D) “Receive the holy Spirit. 23 [e](E)Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”
Thomas. 24 Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”(F) 26 Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”(G) 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” 28 [f](H)Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 [g]Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?(I) Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”
Conclusion.[h] 30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of [his] disciples that are not written in this book.(J) 31 But these are written that you may [come to] believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.(K)
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 20:19 The disciples: by implication from Jn 20:24 this means ten of the Twelve, presumably in Jerusalem. Peace be with you: although this could be an ordinary greeting, John intends here to echo Jn 14:27. The theme of rejoicing in Jn 20:20 echoes Jn 16:22.
- 20:20 Hands and…side: Lk 24:39–40 mentions “hands and feet,” based on Ps 22:17.
- 20:21 By means of this sending, the Eleven were made apostles, that is, “those sent” (cf. Jn 17:18), though John does not use the noun in reference to them (see note on Jn 13:16). A solemn mission or “sending” is also the subject of the post-resurrection appearances to the Eleven in Mt 28:19; Lk 24:47; Mk 16:15.
- 20:22 This action recalls Gn 2:7, where God breathed on the first man and gave him life; just as Adam’s life came from God, so now the disciples’ new spiritual life comes from Jesus. Cf. also the revivification of the dry bones in Ez 37. This is the author’s version of Pentecost. Cf. also the note on Jn 19:30.
- 20:23 The Council of Trent defined that this power to forgive sins is exercised in the sacrament of penance. See Mt 16:19; 18:18.
- 20:28 My Lord and my God: this forms a literary inclusion with the first verse of the gospel: “and the Word was God.”
- 20:29 This verse is a beatitude on future generations; faith, not sight, matters.
- 20:30–31 These verses are clearly a conclusion to the gospel and express its purpose. While many manuscripts read come to believe, possibly implying a missionary purpose for John’s gospel, a small number of quite early ones read “continue to believe,” suggesting that the audience consists of Christians whose faith is to be deepened by the book; cf. Jn 19:35.
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