Introduction
The Gospel of John chapter 20 presents the bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus and His appearances to Mary Magdalene and the disciples, strengthening their faith in the work of the gospel. Specifically, the Lord Jesus appeared to the disciples, showed them His hands and His side, and gave them the Holy Spirit, providing a spiritually renewing presence and blessing. However, in John 20:24, we read that “Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when the Lord Jesus came.” The Bible doesn’t tell us why Thomas was not present to receive upon him the breath of the resurrected Lord Jesus. However, we can see that, at least by missing this significant event, Thomas went through some difficult times, and doubt controlled his heart until later, when the Lord Jesus appeared again to the disciples and helped Thomas overcome his doubts (John 20:25-28). In John 20:28, we see Thomas declare, “My Lord and my God,” indicating he has triumphed over his doubts and accepted the Lord Jesus as both his Lord and his God. This victory over doubt later enabled him to be part of the Holy Spirit baptism on Pentecost, as described in the Book of Acts.
Similarly, as Thomas ultimately believed in the resurrected Lord Jesus, if we do not doubt the Word of God and believe that the Son of God has been resurrected and holds the authority to baptize with the Holy Spirit, we too will be blessed with the Holy Spirit’s baptism, just as the apostles were at Pentecost. In this blog article, we will explore the passage in John 20:19-24 to understand the significance of the Lord Jesus’ breath for the disciples and encourage everyone to seek that precious breath of the resurrected Lord Jesus, who promised the baptism in the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49). If we truly believe in our hearts that the Lord Jesus rose from the dead in the flesh and that He is the living Lord seated at the right hand of the Father, then the breath of the resurrected Lord Jesus will fill our hearts and souls. We will be ready to receive the miraculous blessing of the Holy Spirit baptism, evidenced by speaking in other tongues (see Acts 2).
The Lord Jesus Breathed and Says, “Receive the Holy Spirit”
As followers of the Lord Jesus, we must believe in the accounts of the Gospel concerning His birth, crucifixion, death, and resurrection. The resurrection of the Lord Jesus is fundamental to our hope for eternal life, for if Christ has not been raised, our faith is in vain, and we remain in our sins (1 Corinthians 15:17). Furthermore, “if we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all people most to be pitied” (1 Corinthians 15:19). However, the Lord Jesus Christ has indeed risen in flesh! He is the living Son of God and the Son of Man, seated at the right hand of the Father, and He will return to earth in glory on the clouds to judge the living and the dead. In this section, we present the account of the resurrected Lord Jesus’ appearance to the eleven disciples as given in John 20:19-25.
John 20:19 It being, therefore, evening, on that day, the first after Sabbath, and the doors having been shut where the disciples were because of fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and says to them, Peace to you.
Comments John 20:19. “It being, therefore, evening, on that day, … because of fear of the Jews.” The life of the disciples at that time was not easy for all of them because of the good news they had been spreading regarding the beloved Son of God, which was against the majority of people’s beliefs. The disciples believed that the beloved Son of God, in human form, is also truly the Son of God, even though He is a human walking with them. God has become a Man and dwelt with humans; therefore, He is the Son of God and the Son of Man at the same time.
“Jesus came and stood in the midst, and says to them, Peace to you.” The beloved Son of God was concerned about the disciples because what they would face was not easy for any human. So, when He appeared to them, the term, He said to them, “Peace to you,” would give them peace in their hearts. And He, by doing this, made their faith also grow. They have seen and heard the word of the beloved Son of God, which would also give them a positive feeling, and their strength would grow.
“And the doors having been shut … Jesus came and stood in the midst.” The Lord Jesus resurrected in the body, and it is important here to meditate on how He could appear to them. The beloved Son of God is a hundred percent human and a hundred percent God, simultaneously. The resurrected Lord has conquered all. He conquered the living and the death; nothing can block Him anymore. Even though He is in human form, He can go through all things; nothing can block His way anymore. After the beloved Son of God was resurrected from death, His human form and the heavenly form were joined, not just covered any longer. The human form of the beloved Son of God now has the same power as the heavenly form, because He has conquered all. We should not think that the Lord Jesus’ human body was transformed at the resurrection; rather, we must think that His resurrected human body has joined His heavenly body. If the human body is transformed, then it will change. However, when they are joined, the two will cover each other, become one, and the beloved Son of God continues to have both forms: the human and the heavenly. Furthermore, we cannot think that the human body of the Lord Jesus is being preserved through the heavenly body; rather, we must believe that His human body came to life and is alive as a human body, which has joined with the heavenly body. The heavenly form has given life to the human form; in the human form, the beloved Son of God now has blood and water from the heavenly form to replace all that He has lost on the cross. After humans have crucified the beloved Son of God on the cross, the heavenly form has given all the life back to the human body. Now that the beloved Son of God has a complete human life and body in Him, and He has joined with the heavenly form, the beloved Son of God continues to be one hundred percent of both forms in One. All the food and every nutrition for His human body are received through His own heavenly form. He does not need human food, but all the food that His human body needs, the heavenly form gives it to Him.
Only the beloved Son of God will have a human form in the new world. He will be the only true human left.
20 And having said this, He showed both His hands and His side to them. The disciples then rejoiced, having seen the Lord.
Comments John 20:20. “And having said this, He showed both His hands and His side to them.” Then, to make sure the disciples recognized what they were doing in their hearts, the beloved Son of God showed them all the injuries He had received at the hands of humans. Therefore, the disciples will always remember that their own Master had been killed by them as well, not only by the hands of the outsiders who had harmed the beloved Son of God. When their eyes have seen His wounds, the pain has grieved their hearts. The scars on His body also have talked to their hearts about why it happened, and then the guilt will also come to them. They all have fled away from their Master and have let their Master suffer alone; they will feel in their hearts that their own actions have surrendered their Master to be crucified, and that is the guilt they will have.
“The disciples then rejoiced, having seen the Lord.” So, when the beloved Son of God appeared in front of them, their eyes saw the resurrected Lord of life, and their hearts rejoiced because their Master was living again. So now, their faith has been strengthened, and the peace has come to their hearts that the Master of their life truly has returned to them again. The loss they have felt in their hearts has been eliminated when they have seen the resurrected Lord again.
21 Then Jesus said to them again, Peace to you; just as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.
Comments John 20:21. “Then Jesus said to them again, Peace to you.” The disciples wanted to hear this saying from the Lord with their own ears. The beloved Son of God has given them His peace, and that peace has given them strength to do the work as well. The peace of the soul, not only the peace of the heart, has now covered all their fears and also has given them hope in serving the true Master of life. The Lord Jesus has come back to them, and the death on the cross of their Master has turned to joy for them because in their hearts, now they have understood that the resurrected Lord has conquered all, even death.
“Just as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” At this point, the beloved Son of God has told them that the Father has sent Him to earth, and now the beloved Son of God will also send them out to tell the whole world what He, the beloved Son of God, has done for humans.
22 And this having said, He breathed into, and He says to them, Receive the Holy Spirit;
Comments John 20:22. “And this having said, He breathed into.” The breath of the beloved Son of God has power in it. Therefore, if He breathes on anyone, that person also will inhale the breath from the beloved Son of God; thus, in that person, that breath will also clean the soul and wipe off the dark part of the mind that still clings to the person. When that dark part has fallen off, the person’s heart will be ready and willing to receive the teaching; the willingness without forcing will come to the person’s heart. This breath is also a blessing from the beloved Son of God in preparing the heart to be clean and ready to receive the gift from the beloved Son of God, which He will give to all who have opened their hearts to accept and glorify Him. This also applies now to all the disciples who are in front of Him and open their hearts; those hearts will be ready and capable of receiving the magnificent gift, the Holy Spirit, from the beloved Son of God.
“And He says to them, Receive the Holy Spirit.” The beloved Son of God has authority in giving the Holy Spirit because the beloved Son of God and the Father are One, and the Holy Spirit will be given through the beloved Son of God. When the beloved Son of God has cleared the person’s heart, that person will be ready to receive the Holy Spirit.
23 if of any, you may forgive the sins, they are forgiven to them; if of any, you may retain, they are retained.
Comments John 20:23. “If of any, you may forgive the sins.” So, the disciples have received the Holy Spirit through the beloved Son of God’s breath of life; the breath of the beloved Son has power and has retained all the spirits of the disciples as well. Therefore, when the Holy Spirit has told their souls that this person’s sin is forgiven, that sin of the person has been forgiven not because of the disciples themselves, but the will of the Holy Spirit that wants to forgive. Also, the breath of the beloved Son of God is the same breath as the Holy Spirit; therefore, the disciples have received in the same time two Spirits, the Spirit of Christ and the Holy Spirit, so in their hearts they will have the ear to hear which is different than the rest of the people.
“They are forgiven to them.” However, to forgive the sins, one must consider why and what that sin is and against whom. The Holy Spirit Himself also knows the true meaning of the sin the person has committed, and each sin has its own consequences.
“If of any, you may retain.” In this place, “the retain,” give attention to the meaning: it is because of the human feeling of dislike, or because the Holy Spirit in the disciple wishes to retain it. “The retain” feeling against someone must not be the feeling of a human. When the Holy Spirit retains forgiveness of sin from someone, He also gives the disciple a feeling, and it is done for that person; there is no longer a need to have anything to do with that person, but the disciple must retain the love for that person as well, because it is not the disciple’s decision to retain or not retain. Here, when we talk about “retain,” we mean retaining the forgiveness of sin.
“They are retained.” When the Holy Spirit makes the decision to retain sin on anyone, that person can no longer receive any forgiveness again. Whatever that person will do, it is no longer under the protection of the Holy Spirit, and the soul of that person will be punished for eternity.
24 However, Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
25 Then the other disciples said to him, We have seen the Lord! But he said to them, Unless I see in His hands the mark of the nails, and put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.
Comments John 20:25. This mindset is a general human mind. When humans have only been told, all would be the same as Thomas; all would wish to have a chance to see not just with the eyes but also to touch with the hands. Thomas, to prove what is real, wants to touch. He does not believe his own fellow disciples who have met the beloved Son of God after the resurrection. Doubtful human mind happens even among His own disciples themselves. Doubt will come to their minds as well; they do not need to face challenges, but the doubt arises even when they are just told.
“Put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into His side.” The nails in the Lord Jesus’s body when He was crucified were put through the wrists and through the feet. The piercing of the spear was an extensive piercing going through the side of the rib cage of His body; the side of the beloved Son of God was ripped open.
Conclusions
In conclusion, as followers of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, we must believe in the bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus to receive the blessing of baptism in the Holy Spirit. We cannot doubt who the Lord Jesus is: specifically, He is both the Son of God and the Son of Man. The resurrected Lord Jesus promised that He would ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit to all those who believe in Him and who truly seek to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit. If we truly believe in our hearts that the Lord Jesus rose from the dead in the flesh and is the living Lord seated at the right hand of the Father, and that He is the One who gives the Holy Spirit, then the breath of the resurrected Lord Jesus—the breath of His Spirit—will fill our hearts. And we will be prepared to receive the miraculous blessing of the Holy Spirit baptism, which is evidenced by speaking in other tongues (see Acts 2).
Reflecting on the Bible passage (John 20:19-25) shared above, along with the comments posted, one may question the distinction between the giving of the Holy Spirit to the disciples in this context and the baptism in the Holy Spirit referenced in the book of Acts. The truth is that while there is no difference in the essence of receiving the Holy Spirit, there is a difference in the manner of receiving. When received straight from the beloved Son of God, the Holy Spirit has come in straight, deep into the soul through the beloved Son of God’s will. Still, when the Holy Spirit baptism occurs as described in the book of Acts, the person’s heart has invited the Holy Spirit straight and has put their trust in the beloved Son of God’s mercy. This is because the beloved Son of God has been the One who told all humans that when He departs from the earth, He will send the Holy Spirit to everyone, and the heart that believes in the beloved Son of God’s works will receive the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49). Therefore, when a person is ready to receive the Holy Spirit, if they are willing to obey the voice of the Holy Spirit’s teaching and will keep meditating on the Holy Word and use the Holy Word to feed their soul, they will receive the Holy Spirit baptism.
Meditation Tasks
- We encourage all readers to take the time to read the entire chapter of John 20 and reflect on the significance of the Lord Jesus’ bodily resurrection for the life of His followers. Additionally, we recommend visiting our blog titled “The Bodily Resurrection of the Lord Jesus” for further insights.
- We recommend that all readers also consult our articles, “Holy Spirit Proceeding” and “The Baptism in the Holy Spirit,” and seek to be baptized in the Holy Spirit.