Why Does John Mention That He Outran Peter to Jesus’ Tomb?

In recent years, I’ve heard increasing references to the apostle John’s comments that he outran Peter as they ran to see what had happened at Jesus’ tomb (John 20:3-6). Often, these comments are focusing on the potential humor in that John, now writing as an old man, still seems to point out that he really was faster than Peter – even when Peter had a head start. If true, there is a relatable humanity in this that is, in fact, funny. It seems to remind us that John was a dude just like the rest of us who enjoyed some good competition. But one preacher I heard a few years ago went as far as to say that John was actually sinning here in pridefully inserting these lines into his account. I was taken aback by this suggestion made from the stage to a megachurch of several thousand. Did this preacher really believe that inspired scripture contains a narrator making comments of sinful and petty one-upmanship?

As I’ve chewed on these brief details included in John’s Gospel, I think we have an explanation that makes a lot more sense than either of the above. See, the gospel of John was written much later than the other three gospels, even decades later. Because of this timing, it is apparent that some of what John is doing in his different accounts is clearing up misunderstandings that had taken root in the early church in the decades following Jesus’ ascension.

Consider John 21:20-23:

Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”

In this account of Jesus’ post-fish-breakfast conversation with Peter, John gives us details that are not included in any of the other gospels. Why? Well, his overall purpose of the book is evangelism and assurance. He wants his unbelieving readers to know that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, so that they will have faith in his name (John 20:30). Likewise, he wants his believing readers to be strengthened in their confidence in this gospel. But in this passage from John 21, we also see one of John’s other purposes in writing. People in the early church were saying stuff that wasn’t accurate. So, John was out to clear things up. The Christians of John’s day commonly believed that Jesus had said John wouldn’t die. John wants us to know that this is not an accurate understanding of what Jesus actually said.

This brings us back to the curious details that John includes regarding his footrace with Peter to the empty tomb. Given that the resurrection of Jesus is the absolute center of the faith, a core component of the gospel itself, without which everything falls apart, it makes sense that the early believers would want to know with confidence the play-by-play details of its earliest witnesses. Now, it’s clear that some of the believing women, like Mary Magdalene, were the first witnesses. But which apostle, which of the twelve, was the first one to witness the empty tomb?

What if a disagreement existed in the early church based on different oral traditions, with some insisting that it was John and others insisting that it was Peter who first saw that the body of Jesus was missing? In this case, this is where John helpfully steps in and provides the needed clarification. Was John first, or was Peter first? Yes.

John outran Peter. So, he technically made it to the tomb first. However, for whatever reason, he did not go inside. Instead, Peter, true to form, charged right in. So John was first to the tomb. But Peter was first inside the tomb. Both oral traditions would have been true when understood correctly.

If there were indeed dueling ancient accounts about which apostle was the first witness to the empty tomb, this account would have cleared all that up. And this motive for including these details, to me, seems to fit much better with the rest of the book of John, where John seems extra careful to not draw attention to himself. For example, John refers to himself in the third person as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” rather than simply using “I” or even his own name.

Why does this matter? Well, even though it may cause us to chuckle to imagine John getting in one last dig at Peter, that kind of view doesn’t fit very well with a high view of scripture. If John did this, it would not be him writing honestly and repentantly about things he had done wrong in the past, like Peter writing through Mark about his denial of Jesus. Rather, it would be him somehow gloating while writing inspired scripture. As if while being carried along by the Holy Spirit, he would have been able to write, “Ahem, I just want you to know that I was really the faster man.”

No, in my opinion, this kind of interpretation of these details says far more about our own age and how we read ourselves into the text than it tells us about John’s actual purpose and context. Instead of this, I suggest that we consider this passage to be one of several where John intentionally includes details that helpfully clear up things that in his day were becoming muddled among the believing community.

Thankfully, whatever John’s original intention in including these details, the overall point of the passage couldn’t be more clear. The tomb was empty. Jesus had risen. Nothing would ever be the same.

Today, we celebrated that truth at a mountainside picnic service with dozens of Central Asian believers. They sang, preached, prayed, and danced, proclaiming that the resurrection has made them new – made them members of God’s forever household. Mary, John, and Peter’s surprising message is still spreading 2,000 years later, still transforming all who believe it. Even in the Islam-dominated mountains of Central Asia.

Happy Easter, dear friends. He is risen.

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