John 20:6
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Simon Peter arrived just after him. He entered the tomb and saw the linen cloths lying there.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
seeth the linen clothes lie--lying. And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes--not loosely, as if hastily thrown down, and indicative of a hurried and disorderly removal. but wrapped--folded. together in a place by itself--showing with what grand tranquillity "the Living One" had walked forth from "the dead" (Luk 24:5). "Doubtless the two attendant angels (Joh 20:12) did this service for the Rising One, the one disposing of the linen clothes, the other of the napkin" [BENGEL].
Open source ↗This evangelist, though he began not his gospel as the rest did, yet concludes it as they did, with the history of Christ' resurrection; not of the thing itself, for none of them describe how he rose, but of the proofs and evidences of it, which demonstrated that he was risen. The proofs of Christ's resurrection, which we have in this chapter, are I. Such as occurred immediately at the sepulchre. 1. The sepulchre found empty, and the graveclothes in good order (Joh 20:1-10). 2. Two angels appearing to Mary Magdalene at the sepulchre (Joh 20:11-13). 3. Christ himself appearing to her (Joh 20:14-18). II. Such as occurred afterwards at the meetings of the apostles. 1. At one, the same day at evening that Christ rose, when Thomas was absent (Joh 20:19-25). 2. At another, that day seven-night, when Thomas was with them (Joh 20:26-31). What is related here is mostly what was omitted by the other evangelists.
Open source ↗20:6-7 What Peter and John found in the tomb was remarkable. The linen wrappings (19:40) were on the burial bench. Jews also used a facial cloth for burials (cp. 11:44), which was rolled, wrapped under the chin, and tied on the top of the head. The apostles found this face cloth folded up on the bench. John’s inclusion of these details counters any suggestion that grave robbers had taken Jesus’ body; such costly garments would have been stolen in a robbery.
Open source ↗Cross-references
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At this, the servant girl watching the door said to Peter, “Aren’t you also one of this man’s disciples?” “I am not,” he answered.
Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it) and jumped into the sea.