THE HOLY SPIRIT

THE HELPER

The Gospel according to John (King James Version) B. Event 2: The Great Recognition—Jesus Appears to Mary, 20:11–18

C. Event 3: The Great Charter of the Church—

The Gospel according to John (King James Version) (B. Event 2: The Great Recognition—Jesus Appears to Mary, 20:11–18) 19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. a. His message: Peace b. His wounds: Evidence c. His effect: Unbelievable joy when they saw Him2, 3 20 And when he had so said, he showed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. 3. The risen Lord assigned the great commission to His disciples 21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. 4. The risen Lord breathed the Holy Spirit into the disciples a. The endowment or giving of the Spirit4 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: b. The authority given5 23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. C. Event 3: The Great Charter of the Church—Jesus Appears to the Disciples, 20:19–23 (20:19–23) Introduction: this was the first appearance of Jesus to His disciples as a group after His resurrection.

What would He say and talk about?

What would be the topic of conversation and the subjects covered?

Whatever He chose to say would be of critical importance.

It is this that John focuses upon:

the subjects and the topics discussed when Jesus first appeared to the disciples.

1. The disciples were hiding in fear (v.19). 2. The risen Lord, His presence was very real (vv.19–20). 3. The risen Lord assigned the great commission to His disciples (v.21). 4. The risen Lord breathed the Holy Spirit into the disciples (vv.22–23).

1 (20:19) Disciples, Fear of—Jesus Christ, Resurrection: the disciples were hiding for fear of the Jews.

They were behind locked doors,

probably in the upper room of the same house where Jesus had met with them just a few days earlier.

They were scared and fearful of the authorities who had vented so much wrath and vengeance upon their Lord.

There was the imminent danger they could be arrested and imprisoned or executed as revolutionaries just as Jesus had been.

Note that it was Sunday, the very day that Jesus had arisen, and it was nighttime.

Luke tells us there were numerous reports that Jesus had been raised from the dead. (See DEEPER STUDY # 1—Jn. 20:19.)

Remember: the doors were locked. Suddenly, unexpectedly, Jesus stood before them—right in their midst.

He immediately began to discuss the three subjects of the outline.

DEEPER STUDY # 1 (20:19) Jesus’ Resurrection—Reports: the reports would be about the empty tomb and linen clothes discovered by Peter and John (Jn. 20:6f), the appearances to Mary Magdalene (Jn. 20:14f), Peter (1 Co. 15:4), the women (Mt. 28:1; Mk. 16:1f), and the two walking to Emmaus (Lu. 24:1).

2 (20:19–20) Jesus Christ, Resurrection: the first subject was the risen Lord Himself. His presence was very real. His sudden appearance shook and frightened the disciples. They thought they were seeing a vision or a spirit (Lu. 24:36–37). The first thing Jesus did was prove that it was really He. He did this by doing two things. (Also see DEEPER STUDY # 1—Jn. 21:1 for more discussion.)

a. He used the simple day-to-day greeting that was common among Jews, “Peace be unto you.” Using the greeting so familiar to the disciples would help to put them at ease. The fact that He spoke just as He had always spoken would give them some indication that it was really He and not just a vision or a spirit.

“But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us” (Ep. 2:13–14).

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (Jn. 14:27).

“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (Jn. 16:33).

b. He showed them His wounds. This must have been a dramatic and touching moment, a moment that just exploded the minds of the disciples. Jesus probably moved around to each of them, allowing each one to see the wounds. This convinced the disciples. They knew for sure … • that they were not seeing a vision or a spirit • that this was His body, the body of their wonderful Lord, the very same Jesus whom they had known before His crucifixion c. The effect upon the disciples was unbelievable joy and gladness (see Lu. 24:41). Their spirits and attitudes were charged with joy and were transformed from the lowest point of dejection to the highest point of triumphant conviction. They now knew what Jesus meant, that He was truly … • the Way to God • the Truth of God • the Life of God In Him was life—His words were literally true. He had meant exactly what He had said. They had just spiritualized His words, twisted them to mean what they had wanted. But now they knew. ⇒ When He had said that He was going to die, He meant He was going to die. ⇒ When He had said that He was going to arise, He meant He was going to arise. And here He was standing before them, revealing the most glorious truth in all the universe. Man could now conquer sin and death and live forever. He had actually come “that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (Jn. 10:10. See Jn. 10:38.) They now saw and understood (see DEEPER STUDY # 2, See—Jn. 20:20).

3 (20:21) Commission—Witnessing: the second subject was the great commission. Note two critical points.

a. There is one great qualification for being commissioned: receiving, possessing, and knowing the peace of Christ (see note—Jn. 14:27).

Unless a person has been reconciled to God by Christ, unless he has really made peace with God, he cannot represent God before the world.

b. There is the great link between the mission of Christ and the disciple. The disciple is sent on the very same mission as Christ. ⇒ God sent Christ on a specific mission. ⇒ Christ sends His disciple on the very same mission.

What is the mission? “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (Jn. 3:17).

“I am come … that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (Jn. 10:10). “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you” (Jn. 15:16). 4 (20:22–23) Holy Spirit: the third subject was the Holy Spirit.

Christ had just commissioned His disciples.

He now gave them the power to carry out His orders.

a. There was the endument or giving of the Spirit (see DEEPER STUDY # 4, Holy Spirit—Jn. 20:22).

b. There was the authority (see DEEPER STUDY # 5—Jn. 20:23).

DEEPER STUDY # 4

(20:22) Holy Spirit, Coming: Jesus’ breathing on the disciples

was a prophetic sign of the Spirit’s coming and a spiritual quickening for the disciples.

It was both a symbolic and a spiritual preparation.

Jesus was showing His followers that the Spirit’s

very special presence and power was to indwell both believers and the church as the temple of God.

The Spirit, of course, was not to come until Christ’s ascension. (See notes—Jn. 14:28–29; 16:7; DEEPER STUDY # 1—Ac. 2:1–4; DEEPER STUDY # 2—8:14–17; note—10:44–48.) Note several things.

1. Christ breathed on each individual.

He was symbolizing that the Holy Spirit was to indwell each believer in a very special way.

“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you” (Jn. 14:16–18). . “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God” (1 Co. 2:12).

2. Christ breathed on the whole group—“on them all.”

He was symbolizing that the Holy Spirit was to indwell the corporate body, the church as a whole in a very special way.

“Ye [the church] are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you” (1 Co. 3:16).

“And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Ac. 2:4).