Exegetical Paper

Research paper on :

19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 [Jesus] said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the holy Spirit. 23 n Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” (1)

(1)New American Bible. (2011). (Revised Edition, ). Washington, DC: The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Although I am using five verses (which seems to be too long for this paper), the main focus of the essay will be on the “Peace be with you” of Jesus. I will compare and contrast the Old and New Testament understanding of peace and how these understandings are so important no only for us as individuals but also of fundamental in the life of the Church (2) The Church only advanced after the disciples were full of peace the that came from the Holy Spirit. “‘Peace to you;’ reflects a Johannine theological motif, as we shall see”(3) in this essay. Every word that Our Lord spoke was important. But his last words on the cross and his first words after the resurrection are of extreme importance. “Peace be with you” were Jesus’ first words after the resurrection. For reasons that we will se in the essay, peace became the footstool for the Mission of the Church (verse 21), for the reception of the Holy Spirit with his regeneration power (4) (5) (verse 22), and also for the forgiveness of sins (verse 23). Peace is so important that in the liturgical celebrations of the Eucharist and also Confirmation. In the Glory we say: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will.” Right before we receive Holy Communion, we offer each other the sign of peace. Then, we supplicate: Lamb of God who takes way the sins of the world have mercy on us… Lamb of God who takes…grant us peace. Then the priest says: “ The peace of the Lord be with you always.”

The peace of the Lord be with you always.

Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace to people of good will.

Paper outline:

Introduction ,

Historical Context

Literary Context

Commentary

Pastoral Application

“Peace be with you”

“Peace to you” reflects a Johannine theological motif, as we shall see.

The Gospel of John Notes

the gift of the Spirit the beginning of the new creation.

The Gospel according to John (XIII–XXI): Introduction, Translation and Notes Notes

Peace to you

St. John’s Gospel: A Bible Study Guide and Commentary John 20:19–31: Jesus Appears to the Disciples

the breath of the Risen Christ with all of its regenerative power.”

(1)New American Bible. (2011). (Revised Edition, ). Washington, DC: The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

(2) The Gospel according to John (XIII-XXI): Introduction, Translation, and Notes (Verbum).

(3)Brown, R. E. (2008). The Gospel according to John (XIII-XXI): Introduction, translation, and notes (Vol. 29A, p. 1028). New Haven; London: Yale University Press\

(4) Ray Stephen K, St. Johns’s Gospel: A Bible Study Guide and Commentary . (Verbum)

(5) Sacra Pagina, The Gospel of John. (Verbum)