“Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed.”
Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead — this is John's crucial moment: the beloved disciple 'saw and believed' (hōraka kai pepisteuka) without encountering the risen Jesus directly. His belief arises from the material evidence (empty tomb, ordered grave clothes) interpreted through faith, not from resurrection encounter. The parenthetical note about scriptural understanding indicates post-Easter faith precedes post-Easter comprehension of OT typology.
Church Fathers on John 20:8
The Sabbath being now over, during which it was unlawful to be there, Mary Magdalene could rest no longer, but came very early in the morning, to seek consolation at the grave: The first day of the week comes Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, to the sepulcher.
Mary Magdalene, undoubtedly the most fervent in love, of all the women that ministered to our Lord; so that John deservedly mentions her only, and says nothing of the others who were with her, as we know from the other Evangelists.
Una sabbati, i.e. one day after the sabbath.
Read all 21 entries in the readerCatena Aurea · St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. J. H. Newman · public domain
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