John 20:13

John 20:13 is the thirteenth verse of the twentieth chapter of the Gospel of John in the Bible. This verse occurs after Mary Magdalene has found Jesus' tomb empty, except for two angels.

In this passage the angels ask Mary why she is crying, the King James Version of the Bible stating:

And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my lord, and I know not where they have laid him

Mary's statement echoes her earlier words to Apostle Peter in John 20:2: "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we know not where they have laid him", signifying that she was unaware of the resurrection. This is confirmed a third time immediately thereafter in John 20:14-15, when she turns back and sees Jesus without recognizing him, and assumes him to be the gardener.

James L. Resseguie has stated that the conversation between Mary and the angels is characteristic of the underlying theme of the episode, i.e. a theme of "discovery and awakening" in which Mary and then the disciples are awakened to something they could not have foreseen beforehand.

The contrast between Mary's bewilderment in this episode and the dramatic change that takes place immediately thereafter is also reflected in the iconography of the corresponding scenes. The depiction of Mary's confusion in her encounter with the angels is often attributed to Matthew 28:13 in which the guards are paid to say that the body had been stolen. The somewhat bleak iconography of this scene is then often contrasted with the brilliant lights that shine from a resurrected Jesus after he has been recognized.

The role of the angels presented in the Gospel of John during the resurrection narrative is far less than in the synoptic gospels, with John placing much of the weight on the following encounter between Mary and a resurrected Jesus.