John 20:22-25
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vv 22-23
vv 22-23
[22] This might be the most difficult verses in the entire Gospel. We read that Jesus breathed on the disciples and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” The difficulty is that the Holy Spirit was not given until later, on the day of Pentecost. Yet what is going on here.
Some suggest that the Lord was simply making a promise of what they would receive on the day of Pentecost. This is hardly an adequate explanation.
Some point out that what the Savior actually said was, “Receive Holy Spirit,” rather than “Receive the Holy Spirit.” They conclude from this that the disciples did not receive the Holy Spirit in all His fullness at this time, but only some ministry of the Spirit, such as a greater knowledge of the truth, or power and guidance for their mission. Claiming that the disciples received a guarantee or a foretaste of the Holy Spirit.
Others believe that there was a full outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples at this time.
My opinion is the second view rather than the third. The third view seems unlikely in view of such statements as: Luke 24:49
49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Where the coming of the Holy Spirit was still spoken of as future. It is clear from John 7:39
39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
that the Spirit could not come in His fullness until Jesus was glorified, that is, until He had gone back to heaven.
[23] This is another difficult verse, about which there has been a great deal of controversy.
One view is that Jesus actually gave His apostles and their supposed successors the power to forgive sins or to retain sins.
The power promised and authority given is in connection with the preaching of the Gospel, announcing on what terms sins would be forgiven, and if these terms are not accepted, sins would be retained.
The third view which is similar to the second, is that the disciples were given the right to declare sins forgiven.
What i mean by this is that the disciples go out and are preaching the gospel. While people are hearing it they repent of their sins and receive Jesus Christ. The disciples are authorized to tell them that their sins have been forgiven.
While others refuse to repent and will not believe on Christ. The disciples tell them that they are still in their sins, and that if they die, they will perish eternally.
We can easily rule out the first view. There are two things we know for sure: No man can forgive another man’s sin and believers can proclaim that a person’s sins are forgiven if they receive Christ. In addition, believers can also proclaim that a man’s sins are not forgiven if he does not receive Christ.
My personal opinion falls somewhere between the second and third views. That this passage is probably encouraging the disciples to proclaim once a person accepts Jesus as being forgiven.
We understand that there is only one Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus as 1 Timothy 2:5-6 tells us. No other man has ever been worthy to give His life as a ransom for others. No other ransom would be acceptable to God either. Christ alone is worthy and acceptable to die as a ransom for someone else.
Only Christ can forgive and judge sins:
22 For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son,
27 And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.
48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.
8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:
vv 24-29) Thomas’ confession
vv 24-29) Thomas’ confession
When dealing with Thomas’ confession this is an excellent glimpse into conviction and confession.
[24-25] Thomas had not been with the disciples when Jesus first appeared to them.
why?
Ultimately it doesn’t matter because Thomas’ is never blamed for not being there when Jesus showed up. However Thomas’ attitude was wrong. Like many today, Thomas staunchly refused to believe the glorious truth that Jesus had actually risen from the dead.
The Greek implies that they “kept on telling him,” but Thomas was stiffnecked and obstinate in his unbelief. Even arguing against their testimony, and with an intensity.
It seems that he was deeply aggravated and frustrated. I wonder if this is because he felt disappointment or perhaps guilt.
The fact that He had forsaken the Lord, might be the cause of his outburst.
He could have also withdrawn from the disciples; consequently, he was not present when the Lord first appeared.
What might the application here be?
My thought is that guilt, frustration, disappointment, and exclusion often result in a haughty spirit. reaction, denial and outburst.
Let’s look at these verse in a different light. Misconceptions.
How might misconceptions lead to Thomas’ outburst?
He had always thought in terms of an earthy Messiah or Savior who would make things better upon this earth and in this life. He like other disciples had become a follower of Jesus thinking that an earthly kingdom was to be set up and that he was to be a leader in that kingdom.
How does a false picture of Jesus lead to unbelief?
Jesus is more than a great teacher, a great prophet, a great man, or a great founder of a religion. He is even more than the greatest man who ever lived. All such beliefs- no matter how highly they esteem Jesus- are false, for they only see the man.
Why does mankind prefer to see Jesus as only a man?
It probably starts with bringing Him down to their level.
What are some of the problems with that view?
They make Him less than Lord.
They believe it means that man is not totally depraved, not wicked through and through; that man is not so bad that Jesus had to sacrifice His life for them.
That man can do what Jesus did, the best he can, and God will accept him.
That man does not have to follow Jesus in every little detail and teaching.
13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.
21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”