John 20:19-23

¹⁹On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" ²⁰After He said this, He showed them His hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. ²¹Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent Me, I am sending you." ²²And with that He breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."

The disciples reveal some faith, though mingled with fear, by their togetherness. Jesus came to them that night and blessed them with peace. He takes this moment to link His death and resurrection with the outpouring of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, some six weeks from now. He shows them His wounds to confirm that He had truly risen from the dead, and He breathes on them, just as God, back in the Garden of Eden, had breathed into man and formed him into a living being. In a sense, Jesus is saying, “The Spirit will come and will breathe into you.” Jesus signified His constant presence to His disciples as well, when He breathed on them, saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Jesus, now risen, had fulfilled His promise to give the Spirit to His disciples; and how grateful we should be, for by the power of the Spirit who was now dwelling within them, and who would soon be poured out in even greater measure at Pentecost – by Him, the apostles’ witness would also be powerful, bringing men to true faith in Jesus. They had a message by which they could proclaim the forgiveness of sins (2 Corinthians 5:20), and they had the Spirit to enable them to join the power of God to the word of God, so that those whom they forgave would be forgiven indeed (Jesus alone forgives sins). Let us rejoice, for if Jesus had not given the disciples His Spirit, we would not belong to Jesus today. But now we belong to Him, indwelled by His Spirit, who reveals Him to us more clearly every day, as we seek Him in His word.