"On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” John 20:19-23
That evening He had told them that after a little while they would see him no more, but after a little while longer they would see him again. He also told them that the events to come would cause them grief, but that their sorrow would be turned into joy. On this evening they are scared out of their minds. They have just witnessed what the Jews have done to Jesus, through the trials and beatings and culminating with Jesus’ death. They worry that they might be next. They also have the words of Mary Magdalene who spoke with the Lord earlier that day. They have heard that He is alive, but to this point none of them have actually seen him. And while they are gathered there, suddenly Jesus is standing in their midst. “Peace be with you,” he says. While this was a common Eastern greeting, these words meant so much more than they ever had before. For here in their midst stood the one they have loved and followed for the past three years. Just 2 days earlier their worlds had come crashing down as they saw Jesus crucified. He had told them that he would have to die and that on the third day he would be raised from the dead. But had they really understood what he meant? In these moments, they did indeed have their darkest sorrows turned into the brightest joy.
But Jesus doesn’t stop with a greeting of peace. He shows them his wounds and continues by telling them that just as God the Father had sent Him to earth to bring the Good News of Salvation, so now Jesus is sending out the disciples to continue the task of proclaiming this message. Then he does something rather interesting. He breathes on them and tells them to receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is something that Jesus has been telling them about for some time. He talked about the Holy Spirit several times in the Farewell discourse that we spoke of earlier. The Holy Spirit would be there to guide them in truth and continue to teach them in Jesus’ absence. The fact that he breathes the Spirit on them no doubt takes them back to the very first chapters in Genesis where God created humankind. He formed Adam from the dust of the ground and then he breathed life into him. That was the first creation. Now it is as if Jesus is telling them what the Apostle Paul will proclaim later in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, the new creation is come: the old has gone, the new is here! (TNIV).” Indeed, just as sin tarnished God’s original creation, Jesus’ death has made it new again. Those who believe in Christ are recreated and restored to a right fellowship with the Creator. This is the message the disciples are challenged to go and share.
Jesus tells the disciples that with the help of the Holy Spirit, they will preach the Good News of forgiveness of sins. This passage may be a bit confusing at first glace. Is Jesus really giving the disciples the authority to decide whose sins to forgive and whose sins not to forgive? I don’t think so. What Jesus is telling them is that when they share this truth, some will believe. And those who believe will experience forgiveness of sins. Unfortunately, some will not believe. And those people will not experience the forgiveness that Christ has to offer. It is not that the disciples themselves have the authority to decide who to forgive and who not to forgive. They simply take the message, and it is up to the hearer to respond. To those who respond by believing, the disciples can pronounce them forgiven through the work of Christ.
Jesus gives them these instructions, then apparently He leaves them. Can you imagine the conversation that must have taken place in that room after Jesus left? I imagine that there was more than one shout of joy shared among the followers. Whatever their reactions, I am sure that they continued to recount this story among themselves time and time again. Perhaps because they were so excited that they couldn't help but speak of it and perhaps because at times it seemed to good to be true. But one thing is certain: they didn't keep this news to themselves. They followed Jesus' instructions and shared it with the world. And now we are are called to do the same.
The Good News of the Resurrected Christ brings with it the responsibility to go and tell. To proclaim that salvation has come to all through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. So what are you waiting for? You have a story to tell. Who do you know that needs to hear?
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