💫WEB · John 20:3
What does John 20:3 mean?
"Therefore Peter and the other disciple went out, and they went toward the tomb."
— John 20:3 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
Now on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went early, while it was still dark, to the tomb, and saw the stone taken away from the tomb.
Therefore she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have laid him!”
Therefore Peter and the other disciple went out, and they went toward the tomb.
They both ran together. The other disciple outran Peter, and came to the tomb first.
Stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths lying, yet he didn’t enter in.
Then Simon Peter came, following him, and entered into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying,
Explanation
John 20:3 comes at a pivotal moment in the resurrection narrative. Mary Magdalene has just come to the tomb early on the first day of the week, found the stone rolled away, and run to tell Peter and "the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved" (traditionally understood to be John himself, the author of this Gospel) that the Lord's body has been taken from the tomb. In response to this alarming news, these two disciples immediately set out, running toward the tomb to see for themselves what has happened.
The verse is simple in its wording but significant in its placement. John wrote this Gospel likely toward the end of the first century, addressing a community of believers who needed both historical grounding and theological reflection on who Jesus was and what his resurrection meant. This particular Gospel is known for including small, vivid, eyewitness-style details—like the fact that two disciples ran, that one outran the other, and how each responded upon entering the tomb (details given in the verses that follow). These specifics lend the account a sense of firsthand testimony rather than legend, reinforcing the Gospel's larger purpose "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God" (John 20:31).
Theologically, this verse marks the beginning of the disciples' personal encounter with the reality of the empty tomb. Up to this point, the resurrection has only been reported secondhand through Mary's alarmed message. Now the male disciples—representative of the wider apostolic witness—go to verify the news themselves. Their urgency reflects the seismic nature of what they
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