John 20 Verses 19-23

John 20:19 “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. 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. 21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: 23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.”   

“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.”  The resurrected body of Jesus defied the physical laws of nature.  This should not be a surprise to anyone as it was he would made nature and he would know perfectly how to overcome nature.  Jesus had ascended to the Father and descended back to earth and then came into the midst of the disciples without any door being opened.  The disciples were said to fear the Jews.  The hatred of Jesus by the Jews also extended to hatred for the disciples of Jesus.  Jesus came into the midst of the disciples and said unto them, “peace be unto you…”  After such turmoil and trouble in the hearts and minds of the disciples, seeing Jesus after his resurrection must have brought great peace to their troubled hearts and minds.  Moreover, Jesus proved to them that it was he as he showed them his nailed pierced hands and spear pierced side.   

“Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.”  I suspect this was one of the great understatements of the bible that the disciples were “glad.” I suspect they were ecstatically glad. 

“Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.”  The Lord was giving the disciples their marching orders.  Just as the Father had sent Jesus, now the disciples are being sent forth.  “And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:” As the Lord had promised in chapter 14, He now was sending the promised other Comforter.  All of the disciples had already been born of the Spirit, but now they have another guide, director, and teacher to direct their paths.   

“Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.”  This is not to say, that the ministry is to remove sin from people’s lives in eternal judgment, that was the work of Jesus and he finished the work.  Rather, through the preaching of the whole counsel of God, there would be those who would be pricked in their heart and would repent and begin to live godly lives.  This would remit sins in their lives.  In contrast, there would be those who heard the gospel, but would not obey the gospel and their sins would be retained in their lives. 

John 20 Verses 24-31 

John 20:24 “But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. 26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. 27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. 28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. 29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. 30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: 31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”   

“But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.  The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.”  This is where the term “doubting Thomas” comes from.  Thomas declared he would not believe unless he saw the evidence.  Though the other disciples bore witness to Thomas that they had seen the Lord, Thomas refused to accept their testimony.   

“And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.”  Just as the Lord had spoken peace to the disciples in his previous appearance, he once again speaks peace unto them.  Jesus is the one who has given us peace.  Our peace with God came through the atoning sacrifice of the Lord.  Moreover, peace in our lives comes from the assurances and presence of the Spirit in us.  The gospel, Jesus gave unto us, is said to be the gospel of peace.   

“Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.”  Thou Thomas had doubted, yet the Lord would not leave his disciple that way.  The evidence Thomas sought was manifest by the Lord to Thomas.  “And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.”  Upon seeing the evidence Thomas was convinced it was the Lord and owned him as his Lord and his God.  “Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”  In somewhat of a mild rebuke, the Lord compared Thomas having believed because he saw the Lord to those who believe who have not seen the Lord.  We are among those people today that have believed thou we have not seen his nail pierced hands or his spear pierced side. 

“And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”  While believing does not give us eternal life as John taught throughout the book of John, but it gives us the joy of the eternal life that God has given us.  Thus, through believing we are blessed to live the life that we have been given.