John 20:20 Meaning: Hands and Side

The word translated “showed” (edeixen) means to expose something to the eyes deliberately, to give evidence. Jesus does not simply appear; he presents the marks of his suffering as proof. The word for “side” (pleura) is the exact term John used earlier when the soldier pierced Jesus with a spear (John 19:34). It was a deep, certain wound, not a scratch. And the disciples’ gladness is not a passing happiness. The Greek verb echarēsan (from chairō) means to rejoice deeply, the kind of joy that stands up against grief. Jesus had promised them that their sorrow would turn to joy (John 16:20). Now they are living it. The marks that once meant death now mean life.

Most Christian traditions agree that Jesus showed his wounds to give the disciples unmistakable proof of his resurrection. Calvin wrote that the use of the wounds was temporary, until the apostles were fully convinced. He called it “absurd” to think Jesus still bears the marks in his heavenly glory. Others, like the Baptist commentator Gill, noted that the wounds could remain until the final judgment, when those who pierced him will see them and mourn. The Anglican Cambridge Bible points out that the disciples’ joy was so strong it initially made them doubt its reality (Luke 24:41). Across these readings, one note sounds clearly: the wounds served love, not shame. They are evidence for us, not a burden for him.

A common misreading is that the disciples were glad because they saw the wounds themselves. In fact, the text says they were glad “when they saw the Lord.” The wounds confirmed his identity, but the joy came from seeing him alive. Their relief was not a fascination with scars. It was the sound of hope returning.

When you doubt whether God really sees you or remembers you, the risen Christ still has scars. He does not hide them. He shows them, gently, the way a friend shows a healed wound to prove he survived. This week, when you feel locked in by fear or loss, you can ask him to show you his hands and side again. Not with your eyes, but with your heart. He is the same Lord who came through locked doors. He can come through yours. And when you see him, even by faith, the grief that held you will begin to loosen.