The Breath of New Life

John 20:19-23 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so I send you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

NOW it’s time for the risen Lord to change the disciples’ disbelief into a devoted, worshipful faith. Several times Jesus had told his disciples, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.” (Luke 18:31-33)
    Jesus’ words of his suffering and death proved painfully true. But still the disciples did not expect he will rise again would really happen! Do you think they should all have quickly gone to the tomb on the morning of the third day? Wouldn’t they have wanted to witness the Son of Man’s return to life? Death’s darkness had completely blocked their spiritual vision.
    Thankfully, Jesus did not let them remain in the darkness. He walked through the locked doors to unlock their faith. The incarnate God breathed on his chosen messengers to say, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”  
    God’s breath brings life to man. Recall God's creative work over Adam: Genesis 2:7 The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Now the risen Savior’s breath illustrates life in Jesus new creation: Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. How precious to know we are created in Christ Jesus – formed in the image of God to reveal God to his world.
    Jesus endowed the disciples with the Holy Spirit. With the same power that created the world, God re-created these chosen men into his anointed, life-giving apostles. In 50 days they would receive the Spirit’s additional power to speak the gospel and perform miracles, signs and wonders.
    God’s grace to forgive our sins is the essential point of our salvation. To forgive others is also essential for all Christians, new in Christ. We can imagine the apostles would see many people as enemies. Jesus wanted to emphasize he called them to see all as people who needed to know Jesus’ resurrection into is the assurance of eternal life. The apostles had Jesus’ commands and a Great Commission to obey. They needed the Spirit’s power and the Son’s leading to fulfill their destiny.
      
Resurrection Truth: 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!