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Jesus Comes Riding Back from the Grave

¹ Early Sunday morning before sunrise, Mary Magdalene went to Jesus's grave and saw that the big stone had been rolled away. ² She came running back to Pete and the cowboy who Jesus loved, and said, "Jesus has been taken. We don't know where he is."

³ So Pete and the other cowboy headed out toward the grave at a high lope. ⁴ Pete was still on his way when the other cowboy stuck his head in the tomb. ⁵ Inside he could see the grave linens, but he didn't go in. ⁶ Pete got there at this point and barreled right by him and went in. He saw the grave linens lying there, ⁷ as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus's head. The cloth was laying there right where Jesus's head should have been. ⁸ Finally, the other cowboy joined Pete inside. He saw what had happened and believed. ⁹ Until now, they hadn't understood that Jesus would come riding back from the grave. ¹⁰ Then they went back to the house.

Jesus Talks to Mary Magdalene

¹¹ Mary had been standing outside crying. After they left, she looked in the tomb ¹² and saw two angels sittin' where Jesus's body should have been. ¹³ "My dear," they said, "why are you crying?"

"Because my Lord is missing. We don't know where he is," she said.

¹⁴ She turned around to leave and Jesus was standing there, but she didn't recognize him. ¹⁵ "My dear," he said, "why are you crying? Who are you looking for?"

She thought Jesus was the gardener and said, "Have you taken the body away? Please tell me where you have put him."

¹⁶ "Mary," Jesus said.

She then recognized him and cried out, "Rabboni!" (which means "Teacher" in Aramaic).

¹⁷ Jesus then said, "Don't hold on to me, for I haven't yet gone to my Father. Go tell my cowboys, 'I am going to our Father, and to our God.'"

¹⁸ Mary found the cowboys and said, "I have seen the Lord!" Then she told them what he'd said.

Jesus Appears to His Cowboys

¹⁹ That Sunday evening, the cowboys were sitting around with each other. They were keeping out of sight because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. All of a sudden, Jesus was in the room with them. "Peace be with y'all," he said. ²⁰ He showed them the nail scars and the one in his side. They were filled with happiness at seeing him alive. ²¹ He told them again, "Peace be with y'all. Like the Father sent me, it's time for me to send y'all." ²² Then he breathed the Holy Spirit, the Trail Guide, into them saying, ²³ "If you forgive, they are forgiven. If not, then they are not."

Jesus Shows Himself to Tom

²⁴ One of the cowboys, Tom (nicknamed the Twin), had not been there when Jesus showed up. ²⁵ They told him, "The Lord was here!"

But Tom said, "I won't believe a word of it until I put my fingers in the nail holes and place my hand in his side."

²⁶ About a week later, all the cowboys were together—including Tom. The doors were locked and all of a sudden, Jesus was there with them. Jesus said, "Peace be with y'all!" ²⁷ Then he turned to Tom and said, "Put your finger in the nail holes. Place your hand in my side. Stop doubting and just believe."

²⁸ Tom bowed his head and said, "My Lord and my God!"

²⁹ Jesus replied, "You say that now that you've seen me. Better blessings await the cowboy who believes without seeing."

John's Reason for Writing His Book

³⁰ Jesus did a whole bunch of other things while he was with his cowboys. Things that are not recorded in this book. ³¹ But I've written these things down that you may believe that Jesus was the Son of God, the Messiah, the Top Hand, and that by believing these things, you would have eternal life.