Scripture Helps
Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20–21

“Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20–21,” Scripture Helps: New Testament (2024)

Scripture Helps

Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20–21

The risen Lord appeared to Mary Magdalene and other women, to two disciples walking to Emmaus, and to the Apostles. He also appeared to seven of His disciples on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, where He charged Peter to feed His sheep. Jesus foretold the martyrdom of Peter and the translation of John the Beloved. He commissioned the Twelve to teach and baptize in all nations. Then He ascended into heaven and sat at the right hand of God.

Resources

Background and Context

Learn More

Media

Note: The citation of a source not published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not imply that it or its author is endorsed by the Church or represents the official position of the Church.

Background and Context

Matthew 28:1–10

What role did women play as witnesses of the Savior’s Resurrection?

(Compare to Mark 16:1–14; Luke 24:1–12; John 20:1–2, 11–18.)

After the Sabbath, a group of women disciples went to the Savior’s tomb. Angels appeared and told them that Jesus Christ was not there but was “risen.” Mary Magdalene went to Peter and John and exclaimed that the Savior’s body was gone “and we know not where they have laid him.” Peter and John went to the tomb to see for themselves. After their departure, Mary remained alone at the empty tomb. After a brief exchange with two angels, the Resurrected Christ appeared to her. Mary became the first mortal to see Him. The Savior then appeared to other faithful women. They in turn testified to the Apostles that they had seen Him and touched His feet. Under Jewish law, women were generally not allowed to be witnesses. Having multiple women among the first witnesses of the Savior’s Resurrection demonstrates the value Jesus Christ places on women within His kingdom.

Matthew 28:1

How did the Savior’s Resurrection influence when the Sabbath was observed?

In Old Testament times, the covenant people observed the Sabbath on Saturday. This was done because God rested from the work of creation on the seventh day and “sanctified it.” While the Old Testament does not speak of Sabbath observance before Moses’s time, “the Sabbath is an eternal principle and would have existed from the days of Adam.” Because Jesus Christ was resurrected on the first day of the week, early Christians gathered on Sunday to celebrate His Resurrection. It became known as the Lord’s Day. These first Christians were divided on whether the Sabbath should be observed on Saturday or Sunday. To distinguish themselves from Judaism, Christians came to prefer Sunday.

Matthew 28:6

Why did the disciples struggle to believe that Jesus was resurrected?

(Compare to Mark 16:11–14; Luke 24:1–11.)

President James E. Faust taught: “Perhaps the Apostles should not be unduly criticized for not believing that Jesus, having been crucified and buried in a tomb, had come back to earth as a glorified being. In all human experience, this had never happened before. It was completely unprecedented. This was a different experience than the raising of Jairus’ daughter (see Mark 5:22, 24, 35–43), the young man of Nain (see Luke 7:11–15), or Lazarus (see John 11:1–44). They all died again. Jesus, however, became a resurrected being.”

Matthew 28:18

What did Jesus Christ experience after His Resurrection?

President Russell M. Nelson taught, “Just prior to his crucifixion, [Jesus Christ] said that on ‘the third day I shall be perfected’ [Luke 13:32, emphasis added]. Think of that! The sinless, errorless Lord—already perfect by our mortal standards—proclaimed his own state of perfection yet to be in the future. His eternal perfection would follow his resurrection and receipt of ‘all power … in heaven and in earth’ [Matthew 28:18; see also Doctrine and Covenants 93:2–22].”

Mark 16:9–20

Did Mark write the final verses of his gospel?

The most reliable early manuscripts of the Gospel of Mark do not contain Mark 16:9–20. The style of Greek language used in these verses differs from the rest of Mark. This suggests that the verses might have been written by someone else. This addition may have been an attempt to harmonize Mark’s account with the other three gospels. Whatever the reasons for the manuscript variations, the Church accepts the message of Mark 16 as inspired scripture.

Luke 24:36–42

Why was it important for the witnesses to touch the Resurrected Christ?

In New Testament times, “most people rejected the notion of a corporeal [physical] and eternal resurrection.” Even the Lord’s closest followers struggled to understand the meaning of the Resurrection. To affirm the reality of His physical resurrection, Jesus Christ allowed witnesses to touch His body. From Luke’s Gospel, we learn that Jesus invited His disciples to touch His hands and feet as evidence of His physical resurrection. When He ate before them, they fully accepted the reality of His Resurrection. Eight days after this event, Thomas also touched the Lord’s body.

John 20:17–18

Why did Jesus tell Mary Magdalene, “Touch me not”?

The King James Bible states that Jesus Christ told Mary Magdalene to not touch Him. Other Bible translations, including the Joseph Smith Translation, state that Jesus told Mary not to hold Him. A more literal translation of the Greek would be, “Stop holding on to me.” Thus, the Savior may have merely been instructing her to let Him go so He could present Himself to His Father.

John 20:22

Why did Jesus “breathe” on His disciples?

In both Hebrew and Greek, the word for “spirit” also carries the meaning of “breath” or “wind.” President Harold B. Lee taught that this event likely referred to “the confirmation and the commission to receive the Holy Ghost … by the laying on of hands.” The Holy Ghost fell upon the disciples on the day of Pentecost.

John 20:23

What do we know about the Apostles’ power to remit sins?

Of this passage, President Lorenzo Snow taught, “The apostles and seventies were ordained by Jesus Christ to administer in the ordinances of the Gospel. … Hence, Christ says to the apostles, Whosesoever sins ye remit, they shall be remitted; and whosesoever sins ye retain, they shall be retained [see John 20:23]: that is, every man that would come in humility, sincerely repenting of his sins, and receive baptism from the apostles should have his sins forgiven through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, and through the laying on of hands should receive the Holy Ghost; but those that would refuse receiving this order of things from the apostles would have their sins remain upon them.” The Savior gave this power to His Apostles in both ancient and modern times.

John 21:7

Was Peter naked when he was fishing?

Some Bible translations state that Peter was naked when he was fishing. The Greek term for “naked” does not always mean “nude” but can mean “lightly clad” or “without an outer garment.” Peter may have only been wearing an inner garment or loin cloth as he engaged in the hard work of fishing. Since Jews considered greeting someone as a “religious act,” Peter may have put on his outer garment to prepare to greet the Savior.

John 21:15–19

What was the significance of the Savior’s three invitations to Peter?

Three years prior to this encounter with the Savior, Peter and Andrew were fishing on the Sea of Galilee. Calling to them, Jesus said, “Follow me.” Now, after the Savior’s death and Resurrection, Peter and several other Apostles returned to the same sea to go fishing. Once again, Jesus came to them and shared a meal with them. During the meal, Jesus directed three invitations to Peter. Putting this experience into his own words, President Jeffrey R. Holland explained the intent of the Savior’s invitation as follows: “Peter, why are you here? Why are we back on this same shore, by these same nets, having this same conversation? Wasn’t it obvious then and isn’t it obvious now that if I want fish, I can get fish? What I need, Peter, are disciples—and I need them forever. I need someone to feed my sheep and save my lambs. I need someone to preach my gospel and defend my faith. I need someone who loves me, truly, truly loves me, and loves what our Father in Heaven has commissioned me to do. … So, Peter, for the second and presumably the last time, I am asking you to leave all this and to go teach and testify, labor and serve loyally until the day in which they will do to you exactly what they did to me.”

John 21:18–19

What do we know about Peter’s death?

In this passage, it appears that Peter is told that by following Jesus he would be submitting himself to eventual crucifixion at the hands of the Romans. The early Christian tradition is that Peter was crucified during the persecution of the Church during the rule of Nero (probably between AD 64 and 68.) According to the tradition, Peter was crucified upside down.

John 21:22–23

What did Jesus mean by “if I will that he tarry till I come”?

The Savior mentioned earlier that there were some who would not taste death until they see Him come again. After Jesus prophesied of Peter’s death, Peter asked about John’s fate. The Savior seemed to indicate that John would remain until the Second Coming. Modern revelation teaches that the disciple John has not died and will remain until Christ returns.

Learn More

The Resurrection

  • D. Todd Christofferson, “The Resurrection of Jesus Christ,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2014, 111–14

  • To read additional addresses by Church leaders about the Resurrection, see the topic “Resurrection” in the General Conference collection in Gospel Library.

Ministering

Media

Videos

“Finding Hope Through the Resurrection of Christ” (4:41)

4:42

“Jesus Is Resurrected” (4:15)

4:15

“Feed My Sheep” (5:47)

5:47

For additional videos, see “Easter” in the Media Library.

Images

the resurrected Christ appearing to Mary Magdelene

The Resurrection, by Harry Anderson

resurrected Christ standing in front of the empty tomb

Illustration by Dan Burr

Christ speaking to two disciples at night

Christ at Emmaus, by Walter Rane

Christ has His hand on Peter’s shoulder as He instructs Peter to “feed my sheep.”

Feed My Sheep, by Kamille Corry

The resurrected Christ commanding His Apostles to preach the gospel to all nations

Go Ye Therefore, by Harry Anderson

Notes

  1. The group of women included Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Salome, and Joanna (see Mark 16:1; Luke 24:10).

  2. Matthew 28:6.

  3. Mary Magdalene was a loyal disciple of Jesus Christ. In the synoptic Gospels, she is mentioned first in each account of the women at the tomb (see Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:1; Luke 24:10). In John’s Gospel, the account of the events of Easter morning focuses on Mary Magdalene.

  4. John 20:2.

  5. See John 20:11–18. Elder D. Todd Christofferson wrote, “Jesus Himself will appear to Mary and speak to her, the first mortal ever to see the resurrected Lord” (“The Atonement and the Resurrection,” in Religious Educator, vol. 7, no. 1 [2006], 2).

  6. See Matthew 28:9–10.

  7. “Generally, women were not permitted to be witnesses under Jewish law, which means that in order for the disciples, Peter, and Mark’s audience to accept the invitation to follow Jesus, they need to disregard the cultural norm of distrusting women’s words” (Julie M. Smith, “The Resurrection,” in New Testament History, Culture, and Society: A Background to the Texts of the New Testament, ed. Lincoln H. Blumell [2019], 384).

  8. Genesis 2:2–3; see also Exodus 20:8–11.

  9. Bible Dictionary, “Sabbath.”

  10. See Earl D. Radmacher and others, eds., NKJV Study Bible, 3rd ed. (2018), 1658, note for Acts 20:7; see also Acts 20:7.

  11. See Jason R. Combs, “Sabbath and Sunday in Ancient Christianity: Second through Sixth Centuries,” in Sacred Time: The Sabbath as a Perpetual Covenant, ed. Gaye Strathearn (2023), 123.

  12. See Combs, “Sabbath and Sunday in Ancient Christianity,” 123–47.

  13. James E. Faust, “The Supernal Gift of the Atonement,” Ensign, Nov. 1988, 13–14.

  14. Russell M. Nelson, “Perfection Pending,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 87. See also 3 Nephi 12:48.

  15. See Michael D. Coogan and others, eds., New Oxford Annotated Bible: New Revised Standard Version, 5th ed. (2018), 1465, note for Mark 16:9–20.

  16. See Richard Neitzel Holzapfel and others, Jesus Christ and the World of the New Testament (2006), 103.

  17. “The Pharisees were the exception to this line of thinking. … They made belief in a literal resurrection a point of doctrine. … Because of the popularity of this sect, many Jews began to accept the idea of a corporeal resurrection; however, the belief never became universal, and a strong contingent continued to reject it” (Richard D. Draper, “He Has Risen: The Resurrection Narratives as a Witness of Corporeal Regeneration,” in Sperry Symposium Classics: The New Testament, ed. Frank F. Judd Jr. and Gaye Strathearn [2006], 192).

  18. See Matthew 16:21–22; Mark 9:30–32; Luke 18:31–34; see also Richard D. Draper, “He Has Risen: The Resurrection Narratives as a Witness of Corporeal Regeneration,” in Sperry Symposium Classics: The New Testament, ed. Frank F. Judd Jr. and Gaye Strathearn (2006), 194–96.

  19. This account indicates that Jesus Christ retained the wounds in His hands, feet, and side to prove the reality of His literal, physical Resurrection (see also Matthew 28:9; John 20:19–20, 24–28). We learn from other scriptures that the Savior retains these wounds to verify that He is the true Messiah of whom the prophets wrote (see 3 Nephi 11:11–17; Zechariah 12:9–10; Doctrine and Covenants 45:51–52; see also Jeffrey R. Holland, Christ and the New Covenant: The Messianic Message of the Book of Mormon [1997], 258–59).

  20. See John 20:27.

  21. The Joseph Smith Translation of John 20:17 reads, “Hold me not” (in John 20:17, footnote a). See also Radmacher and others, NKJV Study Bible, 1613, note for John 20:17, where the word is translated as “cling.”

  22. Rick B. Jorgensen, “Teaching the Doctrine of the Resurrection When Sharing the Gospel,” in Celebrating Easter: The 2006 BYU Easter Conference, ed. Thomas A Wayment and Keith J. Wilson (2006), 232.

  23. Tremper Longman III and Mark L. Strauss, The Baker Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words (2023), entry 7307, page 1018 and entry 4151, page 1125.

  24. Harold B. Lee, in Conference Report, Apr. 1955, 18. Elder Bruce R. McConkie explained, “Jesus ‘breathed on them,’ which probably means that he laid his hands upon them as he uttered the decree: ‘Receive the Holy Ghost’” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary [1965], 1:857).

  25. See Acts 2:1–13.

  26. Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow (2012), 54.

  27. See Matthew 16:19; 18:18; Doctrine and Covenants 132:45–46.

  28. Longman and Strauss, The Baker Expository Dictionary, page 538.

  29. Harold W. Attridge and others, eds., The HarperCollins Study Bible: New Revised Standard Version, Including the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books (2006), 1853, note for John 21:7.

  30. Kenneth L. Barker and others, eds., NIV Study Bible: Fully Revised Edition (2020), 1876, note for John 21:7.

  31. Matthew 4:18–20; see also Mark 1:16–20; Luke 5:2–11.

  32. The Savior’s three invitations could be seen as an echo of Peter’s three denials, providing him three chances to confirm his faith. See James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ (1916), 693; see also Jeffrey R. Holland, “The First Great Commandment,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2012, 84.)

  33. The Greek in this passage can offer additional insight. In the first two questions, love is translated from the Greek agapaō. This is a godly love and is sometimes translated as charity (see Longman and Strauss, The Baker Expository Dictionary, entry 25, page 1037). In the third question, the word love is translated from the Greek phileo. This means friendship or brotherly love (see The Baker Expository Dictionary, page 1054). When Peter is told to feed the Lord’s sheep, the Greek word boskō is used. This refers to grazing as in a pasture (see The Baker Expository Dictionary, entry 1006, page 1058). When Peter is told to feed the Lord’s lambs, the Greek poimaino is used, which means to tend or shepherd (The Baker Expository Dictionary, 1128). “By asking the question three times in three ways the Savior asked [Peter] if he had both charity and brotherly love for him, and in his subsequent commandments the Savior taught Peter that he was to not only nourish but also shepherd both the young and old of his flock” (Terry B. Ball, “‘Whom Say Ye That I Am?’: Peter’s Witness of Christ,” in The Ministry of Peter, the Chief Apostle, ed. Frank F. Judd Jr. and others (2014), 25, footnote 17).

  34. Jeffrey R. Holland, “The First Great Commandment,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2012, 84.

  35. See James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ [1916], 219; see also Barker and others, NIV Study Bible, 1876, notes for John 21:18, John 21:19.

  36. See Matthew 16:28.

  37. See Doctrine and Covenants 7:1–8.