Do you recall the last time we talked it was about how when Mary met the Lord, she knew who he was when she listened to him say her name? Today we read from John 20:19-23.
19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”
Looking at Scripture
It’s Monday evening, scared disciples were sitting in a room with the doors locked. Their concern : fear of the Jews. On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews,
Suddenly Jesus was there, standing among them, wishing them peace. Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
He then proved who he was, showing them his hands and side. They would have known how he was injured during his crucifixion. When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
Not so amazingly, the disciples were thrilled. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
The Lord Jesus wished them peace again and then said “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”
He was going to send them out in the world, just as he was sent. As the Father sent, so Jesus sends.
When he said that, he breathed on them, saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”
Questions and Ponderings
In Acts we are told how the disciples received the Holy Spirit. They were in a room, breaths of fire came upon them, and they were so filled, ended up presenting the gospel to 1000’s of people. Yet here we find Jesus breathing on the disciples in a closed room telling them to receive the Holy Spirit.
I find it interesting that they are two different events. But I’m kinda thinking that one bleeds into the next. Receiving the Holy Spirit as a breathe from Jesus, and then later, having that rush of the Holy Spirit blazingly active.
Thrills and Steps-Forward
Can you imagine it? The disciples, sitting all scared in a locked room. And suddenly JESUS is there! Can you imagine their excitement? How thrilling it would be to have their loved one among them again. This thrill is part of the hope Christians have. Knowing that someday we will see our loved one. He’ll come back.
I wonder if Jesus threw them for a loop a bit though, telling them he was sending them out just as the Father sent him out. Then I wonder if they really understood what was going on there. He twice told them to be at peace… which to me implies excitement or fear. Peace to you (in my ears) is like saying settle down now, just settle down.
He was sending them out… Jesus their loved one, suddenly appearing, and telling them he was sending them out. Telling them to receive the Holy Spirit, breathing upon them. Then telling them they have the power to forgive (or not).
I don’t know… I feel confused by this passage in the end. Is this passage saying that WE as believers have the power to forgive and if we refuse to forgive that it’s never going to be? “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” Doesn’t that sound like a heavy load? And yet, if we have the Holy Spirit and are living by him, perhaps we would know what needs to be forgiving and what doesn’t? They are linked in this verse, so before we forgive we aught to be talking to God about it, and then following the leading of the Holy Spirit in regards to forgiveness.
At least that’s what I think makes sense. I wouldn’t want to be responsible for declaring something unforgiveable.
What do you think?
I have not thought about the Holy Spirit here and in Acts. I want to read more in both of these and think on it. You have an interesting thought about the receipt of it here but it becoming “blazingly active” in Acts. Something to read more about.
And a thought about the forgiveness – we are His priests (Hebrews tells us this) and His hands and feet on this earth but I don’t think that means we have the same power He gave to the apostles. What He gave to the apostles was for a specific time period when they were going to need powers and abilities due to what they would face and the newness of The Way. I, in no way, think that I have been given the power to forgive sins. That forgiveness comes only through the blood of Christ and his death, burial, and resurrection. We come in contact with that forgiveness in baptism for the remission of our sins. Without that, we are still guilty in our sins and that guilt leads to eternal death.
i found this a hard passage, like I didn’t really understand it all. Even going to commentaries didn’t seem to really help. I will be needing to read through it again to gain more insight, perhaps talk with my hubby too.
I have gone back to these two passages a couple of times recently. I have come to the conclusion, as I often do about scripture, that I don’t have to fully understand it. I do believe that the passage in John is not clearly the receipt of the Holy Spirit, though it could be interpreted that way. Additionally, in Acts, it could be not the receipt of the Holy Spirit but rather an act of the Holy Spirit causing their speaking in tongues. They could already have received the Holy Spirit and the Acts passage is just a specific action in relation to it. I have found great comfort in pondering these passages for a couple of weeks, though. Thank you for giving me reason to ponder another aspect of God’s word.
I think I’m like you here, I’m just not really sure. It’s good to ponder passages though, trying to sort out what is so. I don’t like it when I’m not SURE though, you know what I mean?