September 19th, 2026

Things continue on, and the number of Sundays after Pentecost is now seventeen. And for the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost, the Gospel Reading (Matthew 20:1-16) jumps a significant distance from last Sunday’s reading. Jesus is about to enter into Jerusalem.

With the writings of this website, we have currently been going through the Gospel according to John a section at a time, and we are almost at the end. John is a significantly different Gospel account at times when compared to the other three, but it is also one with Jesus on the cross, and we have recently looked at that amazing act of God. And another amazing act of God is the resurrection.

All four accounts have some differences when it comes to the resurrection. The Gospel according to Mark hardly has anything. And in the Gospel according to John, there are two chapters of appearances. To see them as contradicting one another is to be on the wrong path of the Christian. To see them working together, then you have a strong, four-sided fortress to withstand all the attacks from the outside of the devil and the world. And do not forget that there are also attacks from the inside, because of our own sinful nature. But a four-sided fortress can withstand attacks from all directions.

One example of a Christian’s larger perspective is to see an emphasis on the Father in the Gospel according to Matthew, an emphasis on the Son in the Gospel according to Mark, and an emphasis on the Holy Spirit in the Gospel according to Luke, especially with its connection to the book of Acts. With such a structure, what emphasis is in the Gospel according to John?

When these writings went over the end of the twelfth chapter of that account, the point was made that by Jesus saying “thus he has said”, he was relating a characteristic of what is known as a Word of Exhortation. This is a Jewish type of sermon. It has already been noted in these writings that this Gospel account follows the Jewish liturgical year, from Passover (in the spring) to Hanukah (in the winter).

This type of sermon, a Word of Exhortation, is also in Acts 13 and the Epistle to the Hebrews. That phrase “thus he has said” may also be seen, translated in various ways, in those works (Acts 13:34; Hebrews 4:4). The second part of a typical Word of Exhortation gives a command, “Therefore, do not….”  Again, this characteristic appears in the two places above, Acts 13:40 and Hebrews 10:35 (but it may not be obvious in your translation). But what is in the Gospel according to John?

To see if there is any “exhortation” within the Gospel according to John, all the commands, both positive and negative, will be indicated in the below translation. They will also be listed in next week’s writing (God willing). In these writings they will be noted with capital letters and hyphens between each letter. Hopefully this is different enough so that the reader does not confuse the commands with the historical presents.
As always with these writings, it should also be mentioned that these writings have used a unique translation called an “EXTREMELY literal translation”. If you are familiar with this style of translation, you may wish to skip the next two paragraphs.

The first significant thing to mention regarding the description of this type of translation is that the chapter and verse numbers will not be included within the text itself. Both numbers were added quite later after the text was written, with the chapters added first and the verse numbers significantly later. Both chapters and verses are useful when someone is searching for a particular text, but the structure they imply is not always helpful. This pair of numerical designations makes the very beginning of the text important. There is always a first verse, and there is not always a thirtieth verse. With this structure, the focus tends to be on the beginning of the writing. The act of writing those verses is probably not the most important thing that the writer wants to get across to the reader. The biblical writers basically wanted the readers to focus on God and not on themselves. The words are much more important than the numbers, and often those words lead the reader near the middle and/or the end of the text in some way, to give to the reader some structure to all the words being read.

It should also be noted that the words with hyphens occur when more than one English word is used to describe a single word of the ancient Greek. And it should also be noted that some of the words chosen below are meant to point out the close connection that often occurs between the English and Greek languages. Now this happens a lot more often than we think. It is also important to mention that the order of the words below is also the same order that is in the ancient Greek. This may help to show the important words, especially when another word besides the verb is first in the sentence or phrase. Sometimes this emphasis will be shown with a “(!)”. The exception to this translation order is that there are just a small number of words (like “therefore” and “now”) that are usually second in a sentence that are meant to be first when translated. And although it should be obvious, it should be said that repetition of words should be noted as another type of emphasis. One more thing to mention is that the verbs in capital letters are called HISTORICAL PRESENTS.  Historical presents are somewhat frequent within all the Gospel accounts, but they are especially frequent in the Gospel according to John, and they are especially frequent in the resurrection section. The historical present is when a verb in a past tense is expected, but a verb in the present tense is given. More details regarding the historical presents have been explained elsewhere in these writings, so it may be helpful to read some of the other writings of this website. With all of the above things to consider, it will probably be very helpful to have another translation or a study bible nearby as you read the text below.
What follows is an EXTREMELY literal translation of the vast majority of the what has been called the twentieth chapter of the Gospel according to John (20:1-29). It is a significant amount of text, but a significant amount of the text is what happened on that very first day of Jesus’ resurrection. The Son of God was on the cross for his people. Then he died. And in the previous chapter he was placed into a tomb. And now he is alive again. And he never will die again. And this is something with a huge, eternal significance.

Now  on  the  one  of-the  Sabbat,  Maria  the  Magdalene,  SHE-COMES  early,  darkness  still  being,  into  the  tomb,  and  SHE-SEES  the  stone  having-been-taken-away  out-of  the  tomb.  Therefore  SHE-RUNS,  and  SHE-COMES  toward  Simon  Petros  and  toward  the  other  disciple  whom  he-brotherly-loved,  the  Jesus,  and  SHE-SAYS  to-them,  “They-took-away  the  Lord  out-of  the  tomb,  and  not  do-we-know  where  they-put  him.”

Therefore  he-came-out,  the  Petros  and  the  other  disciple,  and  they-were-coming  into  the  tomb.  Now  they-were-running,  the  duo,  together;  and  the  other  disciple  ran-before,  more-quickly  than-the  Petros,  and  he-came  proto  into  the  tomb,  and  having-bent-over,  HE-SEES  lying  the  sheets,  not  however  he-came-into.  Therefore  HE-COMES  also,  Simon  Petros,  following  him,  and  he-came-into,  into  the  tomb;  and  HE-BEHOLDS  the  sheets  lying,  and  the  handkerchief,  which  was  upon  the  head  of-him,  not  with  the  sheets  lying,  but-on-the-contrary,  apart,  having-been-wrapped-up,  into  one  place.  Therefore  then  he-came-into,  also  the  other  disciple,  the-one  having-come  proto  into  the  tomb,  and  he-saw,  and  he-believed.  For  not-yet  they-knew  the  graphay,  that  it-is-necessary,  him,  out-of-the  dead,  to-rise-up.  Therefore  they-came-away  again,  toward  them,  the  disciples.

Now  the  Maria  stood  toward  the  tomb,  outside  weeping.  Therefore  as  she-was-weeping,  she-bent-over  into  the  tomb,  and  SHE-BEHOLDS  duo  angels  in  white,  sitting,  one  toward  the  head  and  one  toward  the  feet,  where  it-was-lying,  the  soma  of-the  Jesus.  And  THEY-SAY  to-her,  those-ones,  “Woman,  why  are-you-weeping?”

SHE-SAYS  to-them  that,  “They-took-away  the  Lord  of-me,  and  not  I-know  where  they-put  him.”  These-things  having-said,  she-turned  into  the  back,  and  SHE-BEHOLDS  the  Jesus  standing,  and  not  she-knew  that  Jesus  it-is.
HE-SAYS  to-her,  Jesus,  “Woman,  why  are-you-weeping?  Whom  are-you-seeking?”
That-one  thinking  that  the  gardener  he-is,  SHE-SAYS  to-him,  “Lord,  if  you  have-lifted  him,  T-E-L-L  me  where  you-have-put  him,  and-I,  him(!),  I-will-take-away.”
HE-SAYS  to-her,  Jesus,  “Maria.”

Having-turned,  that-one,  SHE-SAYS  to-him,  in-Hebraist,  “Rabboni,”  (which  it-says,  “Teacher”).

HE-SAYS  to-her,  Jesus,  “Not  to-me  A-T-T-A-C-H,  for  not-yet  I-have-gone-up  toward  the  Father;  now  T-R-A-V-E-L  toward  the  brothers  of-me  and  S-A-Y  to-them,  ‘I-am-going-up  toward  the  Father  of-me  and  Father  of-you,  and  God  of-me  and  God  of-you.’”

SHE-COMES,  Mariam  the  Magdalene,  announcing  to-the  disciples  that  “I-have-seen  the  Lord,”  and  these-things(!)  he-said  to-her.

Therefore  being  early-evening  in-the  day,  on-that,  the  one  of-the-Sabbat,  and  the  doors  having-been-shut  where  they-were,  the  disciples,  on-account-of  the  phobia  of-the  Jews,  he-came,  the  Jesus,  and  he-stood  into  the  midst,  and  HE-SAYS  to-them,  “Peace  to-you.”  And  this  having-said,  he-showed  the  hands  and  the  side  to-them.  Therefore  they-rejoiced,  the  disciples,  having-seen  the  Lord.  Therefore  he-said  to-them,  the  Jesus,  again,  “Peace  to-you;  just-as  he-has-sent-out  me,  the  Father,  and-I  I-am-sending  you.  And  this  having-said,  he-breathed-in  and  HE-SAYS  to-them,  “R-E-C-E-I-V-E  Spirit,  Holy.  If  of-anyone  you-forgive  the  sins,  they-have-been-forgiven  to-them;  if  of-anyone  you-hold,  they-have-been-held.”

Now  Thomas,  one  out-of  the  duodeka,  the-one  being-called  Didymus,  not  he-was  with  them  when  he-came,  Jesus.  Therefore  they-were-saying  to-him,  the  other  disciples,  “We-have-seen  the  Lord.”

Now  the-one  said  to-them,  “If  not  I-see  in  the  hands  of-him  the  type  of-the  nails,  and  I-throw  the  finger  of-me  into  the  type,  and  I-throw  of-me  the  hand  into  the  side  of-him,  certainly  not  will-I-believe.”

And  after  days,  eight,  again  they-were  within,  the  disciples  of-him,  and  Thomas  with  them.  HE-COMES,  the  Jesus,  the  doors  having-been-shut,  and  he-stood  into  the  middle,  and  he-said,  “Peace  to-you.”  Then  HE-SAYS  to-the  Thomas,  “C-A-R-R-Y  the  finger  of-you  here,  and  S-E-E  the  hands  of-me,  and  C-A-R-R-Y  the  hand  of-you,  and  T-H-R-O-W  into  the  side  of-me,  and  not  B-E  unbelieving,  but-on-the-contrary,  believing.”
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He-answered,  Thomas,  and  he-said  to-him,  “The  Lord  of-me  and  the  God  of-me.”
HE-SAYS  to-him,  the  Jesus,  “Because  you-have-seen  me,  have-you-believed?  Blessed  the-ones  not  having-seen  and  having-believed.”