John 20:14
Encyclopedia
John 20:14 is the fourteenth verse of the twentieth chapter of the Gospel of John
in the Bible
. In this verse, Mary Magdalene
has just finished speaking to the angel
s she found in Jesus
's empty tomb
. She then turns and sees the resurrected
Jesus, but fails to recognize him. In the Gospel of John, this is the first moment anyone sees Jesus after his resurrection.
In the King James Version of the Bible, the text reads:
The World English Bible
translates the passage as:
That it is Mary Magdalene who is the first to see the risen Jesus is considered to be of great importance. To Westcott, it indicates the veracity of John's narrative as a fake work would have used a far more prominent witness. This is especially true as in that period women were not considered valid legal witnesses.
The main debate over this verse is just why Mary did not recognize Jesus. She had known him a long time and had known him well, but fails to recognize him. In John 20:15
, she even goes on to mistake him for the gardener. In Luke 24:16, two of his disciples also fail to recognize Jesus after his resurrection. One theory is that the resurrected Jesus did not have the same physical form as before, but rather a wholly new appearance. Or perhaps the ordeal of crucifixion
had so altered his appearance and bearing that his closest friends failed to recognize him. John Calvin
, and many other scholars, reject such theories, arguing the fault is with Mary and that her blindness in the face of Jesus is a metaphor for those who fail to see Jesus despite his divine nature. It is also said to show how seeing and meeting Jesus in the flesh is not necessary, or even particularly helpful, in learning to worship him. Rather, such an understanding of Jesus can only be spiritual. More prosaic explanations have also been advanced. John 20:11
already mentioned that Mary was weeping and some feel that her vision was merely clouded by tears. In the other Gospels, such as in Matthew 28:9
and Mark 16
, the period where Mary fails to recognize Jesus is not mentioned at all.
Why she turns is also unknown, raising the issue of how Jesus appeared. Chrysostom speculated that Christ had materialized behind her and awed the two angels and it was their stares that got Mary to turn around. Alternatively, Jesus had made some noise or his movement caught Mary's eye.
That the angels of the previous two verses are from this point wholly forgotten is to Schnackenberg evidence that the angels were a later addition to the text and that the original narrative did not include them.
Gospel of John
The Gospel According to John , commonly referred to as the Gospel of John or simply John, and often referred to in New Testament scholarship as the Fourth Gospel, is an account of the public ministry of Jesus...
in the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. In this verse, Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, and the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons", conventionally interpreted as referring to complex illnesses...
has just finished speaking to the angel
Angel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
s she found in Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
's empty tomb
Empty tomb
Empty tomb most often refers to the tomb of Jesus which was found to be empty by the women who were present at Jesus’ crucifixion. They had come to his tomb to anoint his body with spices...
. She then turns and sees the resurrected
Resurrection
Resurrection refers to the literal coming back to life of the biologically dead. It is used both with respect to particular individuals or the belief in a General Resurrection of the dead at the end of the world. The General Resurrection is featured prominently in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim...
Jesus, but fails to recognize him. In the Gospel of John, this is the first moment anyone sees Jesus after his resurrection.
In the King James Version of the Bible, the text reads:
- And when she had thus said,
- she turned herself back, and
- saw Jesus standing, and knew
- not that it was Jesus.
The World English Bible
World English Bible
The World English Bible is a public domain translation of the Bible that is currently in draft form. Work on the World English Bible began in 1997 and was known as the American Standard Version 1997...
translates the passage as:
- When she had said this,
- she turned around and saw
- Jesus standing, and didn’t
- know that it was Jesus.
That it is Mary Magdalene who is the first to see the risen Jesus is considered to be of great importance. To Westcott, it indicates the veracity of John's narrative as a fake work would have used a far more prominent witness. This is especially true as in that period women were not considered valid legal witnesses.
The main debate over this verse is just why Mary did not recognize Jesus. She had known him a long time and had known him well, but fails to recognize him. In John 20:15
John 20:15
John 20:15 is a verse in the Gospel of John. It occurs when Mary Magdalene has returned to Jesus' tomb and found it empty. She does not know that Jesus has returned and they begin conversing without her realizing his identity....
, she even goes on to mistake him for the gardener. In Luke 24:16, two of his disciples also fail to recognize Jesus after his resurrection. One theory is that the resurrected Jesus did not have the same physical form as before, but rather a wholly new appearance. Or perhaps the ordeal of crucifixion
Crucifixion
Crucifixion is an ancient method of painful execution in which the condemned person is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang until dead...
had so altered his appearance and bearing that his closest friends failed to recognize him. John Calvin
John Calvin
John Calvin was an influential French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of Christian theology later called Calvinism. Originally trained as a humanist lawyer, he broke from the Roman Catholic Church around 1530...
, and many other scholars, reject such theories, arguing the fault is with Mary and that her blindness in the face of Jesus is a metaphor for those who fail to see Jesus despite his divine nature. It is also said to show how seeing and meeting Jesus in the flesh is not necessary, or even particularly helpful, in learning to worship him. Rather, such an understanding of Jesus can only be spiritual. More prosaic explanations have also been advanced. John 20:11
John 20:11
John 20:11 is the eleventh verse of the twentieth chapter of the Gospel of John. Peter and the Beloved Disciple have just departed, leaving Mary Magdalene at Jesus' tomb....
already mentioned that Mary was weeping and some feel that her vision was merely clouded by tears. In the other Gospels, such as in Matthew 28:9
Matthew 28:9
Matthew 28:9 is the ninth verse of the twenty-eighth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. This verse is part of the resurrection narrative...
and Mark 16
Mark 16
Mark 16 is the final chapter of the Gospel of Mark in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It begins with the discovery of the empty tomb by Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome — there they encounter a man dressed in white who announces the Resurrection of Jesus.Verse 8 ends...
, the period where Mary fails to recognize Jesus is not mentioned at all.
Why she turns is also unknown, raising the issue of how Jesus appeared. Chrysostom speculated that Christ had materialized behind her and awed the two angels and it was their stares that got Mary to turn around. Alternatively, Jesus had made some noise or his movement caught Mary's eye.
That the angels of the previous two verses are from this point wholly forgotten is to Schnackenberg evidence that the angels were a later addition to the text and that the original narrative did not include them.