John 20:22 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

NIV: And with that he breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.

NASB: And when He had said this, He breathed on them and *said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.

CSB: After saying this, he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit.

NLT: Then he breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.

KJV: And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:

NKJV: And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

After Jesus' death and burial, His tomb was found open and empty (John 20:1–2). Despite being told that Jesus had appeared alive (John 20:17–18), the disciples were still hiding in fear when Jesus suddenly appeared to them (John 20:19). His first comments to them repeated the idea of His peace (John 20:21), echoing His earlier reassurance (John 14:25–27). Jesus had also noted that He was now sending them to continue His teaching, just as God the Father had sent Him (John 12:48–50; 13:20; 20:21).

When God created man, He "breathed" a spirit into Adam (Genesis 2:7). The Greek term for "spirit" can also be used to refer to wind or breath. Jesus' action here evokes the original creation of humanity and fulfils part of His promise to send the Holy Spirit (John 15:26–27). This will be crucial to their mission, though the full indwelling of the Spirit will not happen until Pentecost (Acts 2:1–4).

The primary role of the Holy Spirit is guidance (John 14:26). That especially involves matters of Jesus' teaching (John 16:13; Luke 12:12). That is one reason Jesus' references to the Spirit are often tied to the idea of "peace." This context is also extremely important for understanding Jesus' next remark, about the forgiveness of sins (John 20:23).

John 20:19–23 is the first time Jesus appears to His disciples after being raised from death. They are hiding behind a locked door in fear when Jesus appears to speak with them. Jesus shows physical evidence of His crucifixion, then gives the men a partial measure of the Holy Spirit. This validates the earlier testimony of Mary Magdalene. Thomas is the only disciple not present, and the next passage shows his resistance to believe what has happened.

Peter and John get a report from Mary Magdalene that Jesus' body is gone. They arrive to find an open grave, and empty grave clothes, along with a folded face cloth. When the two men leave, Mary remains and suddenly encounters a resurrected Jesus. Though she tells the others, they resist believing until they see Jesus in person. Thomas is especially stubborn, and Jesus remarks on how blessed they are to have been given so much proof. John points out that his writing is meant to prove that Jesus is the Messiah, arranged to encourage those who read to come to faith.

Most of Jesus' disciples scattered and hid when He was arrested (Matthew 26:56). Only John and some women were present to see His death and burial (John 19:26–30, 41–42; Matthew 27:60–61). When Jesus' tomb is seen empty, there is further confusion. Jesus appears to His followers, proving that He is alive, and remarking that they are blessed to have so much proof. John will complete his account in the next chapter with another encounter and more reminders about the nature of his writing.

The gospel of John was written by the disciple John, decades later than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls “signs”—in order to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.