Commissioning, John 20:19-23, 10 November 2013
Big Idea: We have been given authority. We have the Holy Spirit. We have been commissioned to make disciples.
Jesus has risen and appeared first to Mary Magdalene. Now He appears to ten disciples.
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!” (19)
This is Sunday night. The disciples are behind locked doors, bolted to keep out the Jewish leaders. The Feast of Unleavened Bread is still underway so they are still in Jerusalem, unable to leave for home in Galilee.
Suddenly Jesus appears! What do we know about our future, glorified bodies? They are not subject to the laws of the material universe.
His greeting is the standard Jewish greeting, meant to communicate peace, similar to “God bless you” today. Even today it is common for a Jew to say to his friend, "Shalom aleichem," or "Peace be upon you," and the other will respond, `Aleichem shalom," or "Upon you be peace.” This is the peace of deity touching humanity. As we will see, He offers more than a greeting, but He fulfills the promises in John 14:27 and 16:33 to deliver peace.
After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. (20)
They knew Jesus. They saw His hands—including his wrists where the spikes were driven—and side.
His scars were for us.
The disciples are thrilled. They are rejoicing. Wouldn’t you?
Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” (21)
Jesus repeats His greeting of peace. This may be a different peace than in verse nineteen. This is the peace of those in the will of God and are doing His will.
In Jewish tradition prophets often appointed their successors. Jesus is passing the baton.
One of the exciting things about being a part of the Christian & Missionary Alliance is the connection to previous generations leading back to the apostles. I’m not suggesting that John or James were Alliance members, of course, but our church is not an upstart organization someone created independently. To some extent, our history goes back to John 20:21. The Father sent Jesus. Jesus sent the eleven (actually ten here). They made disciples who made disciples who made disciples who…eventually disciples A.B. Simpson in New York City who eventually developed a global movement we now know as the Christian & Missionary Alliance.
What about you? What will do? Are you making disciples? The next generation is desperately in need of hope, joy, love, and life. It might begin with a simple conversation.
Jesus has sent us to make disciples…our our children, friends, neighbors, co-workers…
You may be thinking, “How do I begin?” First, realize you can’t. You can’t save anyone. You can’t even save yourself, but you can serve others and you can share your story. You can also pray…that the Holy Spirit would show you opportunities, provide you with words, and prepare others to surrender to Jesus. It’s a God thing!
And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. (22)
This is the climax of the entire Gospel of John. The promised Spirit is given to the disciples.
This is between the resurrection and Pentecost when the Holy Spirit is unleashed on believers worldwide.
This simple sentence is one of the most controversial in the Gospel. Here are three views, according to Dr. Gary Burge:
- a symbol: the disciples did not receive the Holy Spirit here, but rather a symbol of what it would be like in Acts 2
- a partial anointing: this view is that a partial gift of the Holy Spirit occurred here, but it will be completed at Pentecost as if this is an embryonic Paraclete or Holy Spirit
- a genuine anointing: John makes no mention of something to come and Easter Sunday; “that they would be empowered again, in a different way, on Pentecost does not eliminate the possibility that they were filled earlier.”
The disciples never asked for the Holy Spirit, but in Acts 2 the Comforter arrives.
The Church came into existence on Acts 2.
Jesus breathed on them. This expression appears nowhere else in the New Testament. Only when God breathed into Adam in Genesis 2:7 of the Greek Old Testament, the Septuagint, do we see this phrase.
(Gen. 2:7 Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. )
It is interesting to note that the Hebrew word for “spirit,” ruach, is also “breath” or “wind.”
If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” (23)
Wow! Does this mean the disciples forgive sins? No. They proclaim the forgiveness of sins. God is going to forgive sins through them. Remember, they were just given the Holy Spirit.
What forgives sins? The blood of Jesus. Until Jesus died, God couldn’t arbitrarily forgive. J. Vernon McGee says in the Old Testament God saved on credit, looking forward to the Messiah. Now we live with both the crucifixion and resurrection in the rear view mirror. Notice that Jesus states this in both positive and negative light. The disciples are given the other to forgive and also to not forgive. The death of Jesus provides both salvation and judgment to the world.
Salvation has come from the Jews and will extend to the Gentiles, including us! Jesus passes the baton to His disciples. They will do in and for the whole world what Jesus did in Israel. They will do what Jesus did…and so are we.
Just as Jesus followed the Father, so we are to follow Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
When we proclaim the Gospel, we act as God’s agents. We have been given authority. In fact, Jesus said to His disciples,
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
We cannot change the world, but we have been sent to make disciples of all nations in the power of the Spirt. We have been given authority. We have been commissioned.
Let’s go!!!
You can listen to this message and others at the Scio podcast here. You can also subscribe to our podcast here.
Jesus has risen and appeared first to Mary Magdalene. Now He appears to ten disciples.
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!” (19)
This is Sunday night. The disciples are behind locked doors, bolted to keep out the Jewish leaders. The Feast of Unleavened Bread is still underway so they are still in Jerusalem, unable to leave for home in Galilee.
Suddenly Jesus appears! What do we know about our future, glorified bodies? They are not subject to the laws of the material universe.
His greeting is the standard Jewish greeting, meant to communicate peace, similar to “God bless you” today. Even today it is common for a Jew to say to his friend, "Shalom aleichem," or "Peace be upon you," and the other will respond, `Aleichem shalom," or "Upon you be peace.” This is the peace of deity touching humanity. As we will see, He offers more than a greeting, but He fulfills the promises in John 14:27 and 16:33 to deliver peace.
After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. (20)
They knew Jesus. They saw His hands—including his wrists where the spikes were driven—and side.
His scars were for us.
The disciples are thrilled. They are rejoicing. Wouldn’t you?
Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” (21)
Jesus repeats His greeting of peace. This may be a different peace than in verse nineteen. This is the peace of those in the will of God and are doing His will.
In Jewish tradition prophets often appointed their successors. Jesus is passing the baton.
One of the exciting things about being a part of the Christian & Missionary Alliance is the connection to previous generations leading back to the apostles. I’m not suggesting that John or James were Alliance members, of course, but our church is not an upstart organization someone created independently. To some extent, our history goes back to John 20:21. The Father sent Jesus. Jesus sent the eleven (actually ten here). They made disciples who made disciples who made disciples who…eventually disciples A.B. Simpson in New York City who eventually developed a global movement we now know as the Christian & Missionary Alliance.
What about you? What will do? Are you making disciples? The next generation is desperately in need of hope, joy, love, and life. It might begin with a simple conversation.
Jesus has sent us to make disciples…our our children, friends, neighbors, co-workers…
You may be thinking, “How do I begin?” First, realize you can’t. You can’t save anyone. You can’t even save yourself, but you can serve others and you can share your story. You can also pray…that the Holy Spirit would show you opportunities, provide you with words, and prepare others to surrender to Jesus. It’s a God thing!
And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. (22)
This is the climax of the entire Gospel of John. The promised Spirit is given to the disciples.
This is between the resurrection and Pentecost when the Holy Spirit is unleashed on believers worldwide.
This simple sentence is one of the most controversial in the Gospel. Here are three views, according to Dr. Gary Burge:
- a symbol: the disciples did not receive the Holy Spirit here, but rather a symbol of what it would be like in Acts 2
- a partial anointing: this view is that a partial gift of the Holy Spirit occurred here, but it will be completed at Pentecost as if this is an embryonic Paraclete or Holy Spirit
- a genuine anointing: John makes no mention of something to come and Easter Sunday; “that they would be empowered again, in a different way, on Pentecost does not eliminate the possibility that they were filled earlier.”
The disciples never asked for the Holy Spirit, but in Acts 2 the Comforter arrives.
The Church came into existence on Acts 2.
Jesus breathed on them. This expression appears nowhere else in the New Testament. Only when God breathed into Adam in Genesis 2:7 of the Greek Old Testament, the Septuagint, do we see this phrase.
(Gen. 2:7 Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. )
It is interesting to note that the Hebrew word for “spirit,” ruach, is also “breath” or “wind.”
If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” (23)
Wow! Does this mean the disciples forgive sins? No. They proclaim the forgiveness of sins. God is going to forgive sins through them. Remember, they were just given the Holy Spirit.
What forgives sins? The blood of Jesus. Until Jesus died, God couldn’t arbitrarily forgive. J. Vernon McGee says in the Old Testament God saved on credit, looking forward to the Messiah. Now we live with both the crucifixion and resurrection in the rear view mirror. Notice that Jesus states this in both positive and negative light. The disciples are given the other to forgive and also to not forgive. The death of Jesus provides both salvation and judgment to the world.
Salvation has come from the Jews and will extend to the Gentiles, including us! Jesus passes the baton to His disciples. They will do in and for the whole world what Jesus did in Israel. They will do what Jesus did…and so are we.
Just as Jesus followed the Father, so we are to follow Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
When we proclaim the Gospel, we act as God’s agents. We have been given authority. In fact, Jesus said to His disciples,
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
We cannot change the world, but we have been sent to make disciples of all nations in the power of the Spirt. We have been given authority. We have been commissioned.
Let’s go!!!
You can listen to this message and others at the Scio podcast here. You can also subscribe to our podcast here.