John 20:4
“So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The beloved disciple runs faster than Peter and reaches the tomb first.
Context
Both disciples are now running toward the sepulchre in response to Mary's report of the empty tomb.
What Does John 20:4 Mean?
They ran together, and the beloved disciple outruns Peter. This small detail—John arriving first—is woven into the Gospel with such care that we might miss its tenderness. The beloved disciple, the younger perhaps, the one Jesus had leaned upon at the last supper, arrives first and sees the sepulchre. In Matthew's account it is the women who find the tomb; in John, the disciple whom Jesus loved is the first to reach it. The Gospel is not simply reporting a fact; it is honoring the love between the Lord and this disciple.
Peter follows, Peter who denied him, who is not first but comes behind. Yet both run. Both are driven by love and confusion and the need to understand. The race itself speaks volumes: there is urgency, there is vigor, there is the energy of men who have not settled into despair but are still searching, still moving, still reaching for some explanation of what has happened.
Application
We each draw near to Christ at our own pace, by our own path. There is no shame in arriving second, in following, in being behind. What matters is that we run toward him.