John 20: 21-23…“Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’” vss. 21-22
While the writers of the gospels were certainly aware that Jesus had entrusted his disciples with his message of love and forgiveness, they chose to describe that moment by recounting different stories. Here John combines Matthew’s Great Commission with Luke’s Pentecost account and tells us all we need to know about our mission and the work of the Holy Spirit.
When Jesus appeared to his disciples in the upper room he offered his peace, but he didn’t tell them to rest in it. Instead he commissions them to continue his work, saying, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And then he breathed on them, and gave them the Holy Spirit. What a powerful image! Picture Jesus standing with his disciples, pursing his lips, and then gently blowing his breath upon them. His respiration became theirs and they were inspired, and received all the motivation and power they would need to bring the gospel to the ends of the earth.
And that’s exactly how it continues to work. That same Spirit, the wind of God, unbridled and uncontained, has been breathed into countless people and made believers of them. And through them the good news of forgiveness and hope continues to bring restoration and healing to our broken world.
Thought for the Day: Where have I felt the Breath of God?
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