The Breath of Christ - John 20:19-23

Last week we looked at John’s account of the resurrection, where Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene and we know from the other gospel accounts that others were there, but Jesus tells her to go and proclaim that she has seen the risen Lord.

In the passage that we’re looking at this morning, it’s still Easter Sunday, but now it’s late at night. And Jesus’ disciples and other close followers are hiding out in a locked room.

Honestly, this is a perplexing passage isn’t it? Not only does Jesus appear to his disciples, he then does and says some confusing things: He breathes on them and then says that whoever they forgive is forgiven but whoever they do not forgive is not forgiven.

But what I think is important for all of us to see this morning is that in the midst of the concern, fear, and sadness that was certainly in that locked room on Easter evening - Jesus met with them. And of course, Jesus doesn’t just appear and then disappear as quickly as he showed up. He ministered to them in the same way he ministers to us today.

Our risen Savior meets with us to give us his peace, mission, and Spirit.

Meets with Us (v. 19)

This passage begins with a miracle. John tells us, “the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them…”

It was Easter night and boom, miraculously Jesus appeared in the midst of his people. You know there’s been a lot of speculation over how he did it. Sometimes you’ll hear folks reference verse 19 and say that the resurrected Jesus was able to pass through doors and walls.

John Calvin taught the miracle of this passage was that Jesus was able to miraculously unlock a locked door.

But the reality is, we’re not told how it happened, just that it did happen. Miraculously, Jesus who wasn’t in that locked room suddenly appeared in that locked room.

But what I want to draw your attention to is when it happened: all of this took place on Easter Sunday.

And it’s pretty obvious why his disciples and followers had gathered together in that locked room - they were there to talk about Jesus and the uncertainty of the future. Were their lives in danger too? If the Jews had killed Jesus would they kill them too? You can pretty quickly see why they would have called a meeting to begin with, right?

And in the midst of all of their fear and uncertainty Jesus appeared to them. What a comfort and wonderful reminder that when the Lord’s people gather together in his name He shows up! Even now, the Lord shows up!

There is a real tendency to downplay the significance of not only the church, but corporate worship. It’s common to be told that all of life is worship, which is of course, true, but God in his providence has ordained one day in seven to be a time of focused corporate worship. Because if everything is worship, then what’s the point in going to church?

There are a lot of ways you can address that, but I think one of the simplest ways of addressing that particular question is by pointing people to this passage. Jesus makes it a point to be with his people on the first day of the week. And you may think, well Jake, it’s still Easter! Jesus had just risen from the dead so of course he made it a point to appear to his people, which is true.

But it doesn’t just happen on Easter Sunday.

I’m probably stealing some of my thunder, because I will probably make this point again next week, but right after this, Jesus meets with doubting Thomas and John tells us that it’s eight days later, which is of course another way of saying that Jesus met with his people the following Sunday or Lord’s Day.

We don’t gather on Sunday or as the New Testament calls it, the Lord’s Day to inconvenience your weekend or cramp your style. The Lord calls us to gather on the Lord’s Day in order to minister to us.

He wants to do for you what he did for his disciples and followers in this passage: He wants to give you peace.

Gives Us His Peace (vv. 19-20)

After all, who doesn’t need more peace in their life? Only psychopaths want more drama in their life, right? Because the truth is, our personal lives already feel chaotic between work and family. That generally supplies enough stress right there, but then you add in everything that’s going on in the world: There’s a war in Israel, there’s a war in Ukraine, and we’re gearing up for another Presidential election. Those are just the first things that popped into my mind.

I’ll go out on a limb and say that most of us have pretty stressful lives. Don’t you need peace? Don’t you need to pause for a moment to reflect upon eternal matters?

And that’s exactly what’s going on in our passage.

The disciples are holed up in this room with the doors locked because they’re afraid. They’re wondering if Jesus is really alive and if the Jews discover where they are if they’re going to be killed too!

So they lock the doors. Which is something that we all do to feel safe, right? We lock our doors to protect ourselves from whoever or whatever might be outside. But there is an element of futility to it all because if someone really meant to do you harm - a locked door isn’t going to stop them.

If a group of people like the Jews are hunting you down, is locking the doors really going to stop them? But of course, the people that were in that room were terrified! They didn’t know what the future would hold for them.

They needed peace didn’t they? You and I need peace too, amen?

And that’s exactly what Jesus did when he appeared to them, he said, “peace be with you.” Notice that he actually says, “peace be with you” twice.

The first time he said it right after he appeared amongst his people, which of course, was a common greeting among the Jewish people: “Shalom aleichem.” “Peace be with you.”

And typically, you probably wouldn’t give a greeting like that much thought, but the fact that he says it twice should make your ears and my ears perk up.

After he said, “Peace be with you” the first time, he showed his followers his hands and side. Then after showing his hands and side said again, “Peace be with you.”

And of course, he showed them his hands and his side as a way of saying, “it’s really me. I have truly risen from the grave.”

The mere fact that Jesus had risen from the grave was glorious good news in and of itself! In fact, John tells us, “Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.” They’re sadness, grief, and confusion suddenly turned into joy!

It’s almost funny because the way the ESV describes the disciples' reaction makes it sound quite muted doesn’t it? It’s like describing kids on Christmas morning as “glad.” It doesn’t really do it justice does it? Kids aren’t just ‘glad’ on Christmas morning - they’re ecstatic. They’re overjoyed!

Obviously there is a translation issue going on here because the word for “glad” in the Greek can be translated as “rejoice, be delighted, or full of joy” which seems to better capture what’s going on. “Then the disciples [rejoiced or were full of joy] when they saw the Lord.” I think that probably captures how they would have reacted a little bit better.

There was a happy reunion! It reminds me of the third stanza Charles Wesley’s hymn “Arise My Soul Arise,”

“Five bleeding wounds He bears, received on Calvary; they pour effectual prayers, they strongly plead for me. "Forgive him, O, forgive," they cry, "Forgive him, O, forgive," they cry, "Nor let that ransomed sinner die!"”

Of course it’s true that the cross brought peace and reconciliation for all who believe in him. But Jesus is also instructing all those that are in that room to no longer be afraid. Now they can have contentment, joy, and peace because Jesus is alive.

Maybe you saw the 2001 movie Behind Enemy Lines. In that movie a naval flight officer is shot down over Bosnia. The whole movie, Owen Wilson is trying to evade Serbs who are looking for him, while he tries to get rescued from behind enemy lines. As you're watching it, you don’t really feel comfortable until the Apache helicopter arrives and saves him.

In a similar way, everyone who was in that room was sad, afraid, and uncertain over the future. They didn’t know if the Jews were going to hunt them down and kill them too - but once Jesus arrived everything was immediately better. He brought them not only peace with God, but true inner peace as well.

The peace that Jesus is speaking about here is the same peace he spoke of in chapter 14: “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

Jesus calmed their fears with his presence. It’s not a false peace, but a true, genuine inner peace, because he’s alive!

Isn’t that true for us as well? The fact that Jesus is alive should bring you and me peace too. Even in the midst of the chaos of work, family, health concerns and a world that seems to be falling apart all around you - you can still have inner peace.

But of course finding your peace in Christ is often easier said than done. Because there are so many things in this world that want to convince you that if you just do this one thing then you’ll finally find contentment, happiness and peace.

Social media certainly does that - it’s just curated pictures of everyone’s perfect lives, except they’re not perfect at all. But they want to convince you, if you live this lifestyle, have someone that looks a certain way by your side, then you’ll finally find peace.

But it’s not just social media is it? There are all sorts of lies that the world wants you to believe will bring you peace and happiness. Early retirement, financial success, comfort, convenience, a relationship, fill in the blank.

Each of us have to regularly ask ourselves if we truly believe that Jesus is enough? Is he truly sufficient? Is he actually the source of my peace?

Gives Us His Mission (v. 21)

And if he is your peace, then no one can take that away from you. There’s absolutely nothing to be afraid of is there? So go ahead and leave your doors unlocked tonight. I’m just kidding, you’re going to want to lock your doors tonight too.

But in the grand scheme of things, if Christ is your peace there really isn’t anything for you and I to be afraid of, not even death. If that’s your mentality and my mentality then the mission Christ sends us out on should not be intimidating.

Look at the end of verse 21, “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”

You might read this and initially think, “wait a second, is Jesus telling his disciples, and by extension us as well, that we are supposed to do exactly what he has done?”

Of course not! We cannot do exactly what he has done! We’re not the incarnate Son of God who came to die for the sins of the world. We cannot do that!

Rather, just as Jesus was sent into the world to proclaim a message, so he is sending his disciples out to proclaim a message. Jesus is calling his disciples to go preach the gospel. And it would be upon the foundation of the gospel that the Lord, through the ministry of these disciples, would build his church.

But pull back for just a second and notice what’s going on: Jesus is sending out this group of terrified, fearful people out. Eventually they’re going to have to unlock those doors and walk outside and proclaim their faith to the world!

I like how one commentator described this verse as “John’s version of the great commission.” Because just like the great commission, Jesus is giving marching orders to just his disciples but to every Christian!

After all, the whole church, the universal church is supposed to spread the gospel to the ends of the earth.

But sharing the gospel and openly telling others about the hope that is within you is never as easy as it seems. Following Christ might cost you something. Your faith in him could potentially ruin everything from your career to relationships in your family. That sort of thing happens all the time, doesn’t it?

But remember our text. Jesus didn’t send his followers out without first promising what? Peace. Not only does he give all of us spiritual peace with God through the cross, but he gives real inner peace even in the midst of difficult circumstances!

After all, his followers thought their lives were in danger!

Sharing the gospel with your friends, family, and coworkers is intimidating, but never forget that Jesus gives you his peace and Spirit.

Gives Us His Spirit (vv. 22-23)

In fact, we’re told that Jesus “breathed” on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Isn’t that interesting? It’s a little unusual, isn’t it? After all, who likes to be breathed on?

There’s a great scene from the show The Office where the main character Michael is preparing to go to an office party and tries to recruit someone to smell his breath. Maybe someone you have seen it. Eventually, Dwight volunteers and Michael breathes right in his face and Dwight tells him his breath is “good not great.”

But obviously, Jesus wasn’t joking! He was communicating a significant spiritual truth. But I’m sure John 20 isn’t the first place your mind goes to whenever you think about the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2, the day of Pentecost, is the text most of our minds jump to whenever we think about the Holy Spirit descending upon the people of God.

So what exactly is Jesus doing here? There are several different ways folks have understood what Jesus is doing here. I think that it was primarily symbolic in nature.

D.A. Carson makes the point that the word “them” is not in the original Greek text. Literally, the Greek reads in verse 22, “Jesus breathed on, and said to them “Receive the Holy Spirit.”In other words, Jesus breathed a promise that they will receive the Holy Spirit soon.

But it was John Calvin’s view that this was a mini Pentecost. He thought that Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit upon his disciples first. So it was a foretaste of what was to come at Pentecost.

I’m certainly not dogmatic one way or the other, and I’m not even entirely convinced they're mutually exclusive.

But these are the sorts of details you, or maybe I can get lost in and fail to miss the bigger point: his disciples and followers needed the ministry of the Holy Spirit in order to take the gospel to the nations!

In many ways, whether they officially received the Holy Spirit in verse 22 is a mute point because regardless they were going to need Him in order to fulfill Christ’s mission.

The ministry of the Holy Spirit would be absolutely necessary to take the gospel to the nations. Remember, Jesus would soon ascend to heaven. Jesus would soon leave them and the New Testament didn’t even exist at this point - they were going to be utterly dependent upon the Spirit. He would show them where to go, who to talk to, how to handle controversies and so on. They were going to be led by the Holy Spirit.

When you think about Jesus breathing upon his disciples you can’t help but think about God breathing the breath of life into Adam in Genesis 2. Of course, God gave Adam physical life, but Jesus Christ’s breath gives spiritual life.

After all, that was the mission Jesus was sending them on - to proclaim his life-giving message! They will proclaim the words of life in the gospel. Which helps us understand another not-so-straightforward verse.

Look at verse 23 with me: “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

You may read that and think on the surface that Jesus is giving his disciples the spiritual authority to forgive or withhold the forgiveness of sins. But not only is that not true, it doesn’t fit the context of the passage. Only God has the authority to forgive sins and the context of the passage is really centered around proclaiming the gospel.

The language of verse 23 is a lot like what Jesus says to Peter in Matthew 16, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Again, Jesus didn’t give Peter the ability to save anyone, rather, he gave Peter the message that will save someone. Which of course, makes sense in this passage as well. You and I don’t have the ability to forgive sins, but if someone puts their faith in Christ upon hearing the gospel, then their sins are forgiven in Christ. Likewise, if someone hears the gospel and rejects the gospel, then forgiveness will be withheld.

No human has the authority to absolve sins. Me telling you that your sins are forgiven has no standing in heaven. However, if I proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to someone and they put their faith in him, then their sins will be forgiven.

The Apostles and by extension the church has a declarative role. That is, we declare the truth of God’s Word that there is only forgiveness of sins in Jesus Christ. We don’t forgive sins, rather we point people to where they have their sins forgiven.

Undoubtedly, this is the message of hope that our world needs to hear!

This whole passage is about going out and talking about Jesus. The resurrection requires you and I to speak about it. It demands that we share it.

When you’re trusting in the risen Savior, and you’re full of His Spirit and peace, you’ll have to tell someone. And that’s what happened after Jesus rose from the dead. People were compelled and instructed to talk about it. Mary had to tell everyone, and then Jesus appeared and told everyone that they’re going to have to proclaim the gospel to the world.

You can’t sit back idly. You can’t stay locked in your room. You can’t let fear cripple you, because Christ has given you his peace and Spirit. What else do you need?

Let’s pray together.