Jn.20:19-23 – Now when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were together due to fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst, and *said to them, “Peace be to you.” And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be to you; just as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them and *said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.”
It had been quite a day! It started with an earthquake followed by a knock at the door; “Peter! John! Get up, the tomb is empty and we saw some angels!” Several women were knocking on the door where the disciples had slept that night, they were crying out not knowing what to make of the scene. Then there was the run to the tomb where they found it empty like the women said, Jesus was alive! The disciples were flooded with emotions of joy and fear as their minds were hounded by the questions, “What does this all mean?” And then “what are we supposed to do?”
All of those questions began to be answered that night when the disciples had gathered together, shut the doors and windows tight wondering if the soldiers would be coming for them, and began dealing with their questions and emotions that they were all dealing with. That’s when Jesus came walking right into the room. It wasn’t a vision, a dream, or spirit; Jesus was alive and He was standing in the room with them. That’s when it happened, He breathed on them and they were all flooded with life. The same Spirit that had raised Jesus from the dead had entered them, they had been born again. Peter held this truth the rest of his life evidenced by his opening comments in his first epistle, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…”. That was what His death had been all about, He had borne their sin so that they could be filled with His Spirit. Now their job was becoming more clear, they were to preach this message of forgiveness of sin so that the nations could taste what it means to be born again.
Amen
Yess.
I know He saved me from my sin so I can live free from sin. Free from shame. Free from any lie about me. Free from any bondage in my life. And healing if any inner brokenness or physical issues I have. But this freedom He has given me is just the beginning. It’s us to share with others so they can experience the joy Jesus gave us because of His death on the cross. It is an inward calling to tell others of the Good News. 🙌
It saddens me that so many within the Church today have forgotten that truth. Many have had that experience when one day Jesus walked into their life, and said “look here, I’m alive” and breathed life into them. But overtime they have forgotten. A day doesn’t go by that I recall July 11, 1986 in the suite of the Landmark Hotel, Jesus walked through the locked doors of my heart, breathed life into me, and raised me from the dead. 38 years later I’m still in AWE that He would chose me and forgive me. He loved me when I was unlovable, He loved me when I didn’t even love myself and He has been faithful and proven over and over His Word is true.
I remember that it was such a cleansing of my soul when I go born again. Thinking back, it was I totally became a new person! The knowledge of how much God loves me blew me away🥳And still does for all eternity