Sunday, March 21, 2021
John 20:19-31
“Believe and Be…”
Service Orientation: Jesus’ desire is that his people simply believe and follow him accordingly. And by believing we can have life in his name!
Memory Verse for the Week: “See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”
Hebrews 3:12-13 (NIV)
Background & Contextual Information:
- For a Jew to call another human associate “my Lord and my God” would be almost incredible. The Jewish law was strictly monotheistic; so the deification of any man would be regarded as blasphemy (10:33). Thomas, in the light of the Resurrection, applied to Jesus the titles of Lord (kyrios) and God (theos), both of which were titles of deity. (Frank E. Gæbelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 9, 195)
- In the Old Testament, peace is closely associated with the blessing of God, especially the salvation to be brought by the Messiah (cf. Ps 29:11; Is 9:6; 52:7; 55:12; Ezek 37:26; Zech 9:10; cf. Osborne 1984:166). Now indeed such peace has come, for “his ‘Shalom!’ on Easter evening is the complement of ‘It is finished!’ on the cross, for the peace of reconciliation and life from God is now imparted. (Whitacre, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: John, 479)
- Our Lord rested in the tomb on the Sabbath and arose from the dead on the first day of the week. Many people sincerely call Sunday “the Christian Sabbath,” but Sunday is not the Sabbath day. The seventh day of the week, the Sabbath, commemorates God’s finished work of creation (Gen. 2:1–3). The Lord’s Day commemorates Christ’s finished work of redemption, the “new creation.” God the Father worked for six days and then rested. God the Son suffered on the cross for six hours and then rested. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament, 313)
- The marks in His hands and side were shown to the disciples not only to establish His identity, not only as the trophies of His victorious fight, but principally to teach them, and us, that the basis of the “peace” He has made, and which He gives, is His death upon the cross. (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 923)
- Because the gospel message offers life to those already condemned to death, the gospel messengers play a role in the ultimate destiny of their listeners. Accordingly, every disciple wields heavenly power in proclaiming the gospel: If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven (20:23). It is not for a disciple to set terms for forgiveness case by case according to personal opinion, or to award forgiveness on the basis of a personal evaluation. Rather, the terms of forgiveness are everywhere the same and clearly announced: to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ (20:31). The disciple announces with complete certainty and authority that sins are forgiven only on the basis of this faith in Jesus, and that sins are retained in the face of unbelief. God himself stands behind the preaching of the disciples, granting or withholding forgiveness as persons respond to their message about Jesus. (Dongell, John, 240-241)
The question to be answered is…
What do we see Jesus at work to accomplish in this text?
Answer…
Jesus is at work to prepare and empower his disciples with essentials in carrying out his mission in the world; his peace, presence, and power.
The word of the day is… Prepare
How can we see Jesus at work preparing his disciples?
- As he instills in them his peace. (vv. 19, 21, 26)
(Is. 26:3; 41:10; 53:5; Mat. 11:28-30; John 14:27; 16:33; Rom.14:17; Gal. 5:22; Phil. 4:7)
Peace comes through His perfect work; joy is the result of being occupied with His blessed person. This is a precious secret for our hearts. There are many Christians who suppose that they cannot rejoice while they remain in circumstances of sorrow. What a mistake! Observe here that Christ did not change the circumstances of these disciples; they were still “shut in for fear of the Jews,” but He drew out their hearts unto Himself, and thus raised them above their circumstances! (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 923)
- As he offers them his presence. (22)
(Ps. 16:11; Ez. 36:27; Mat. 28:20; Acts 2:22-28; Romans 8:38-39; 1 John 1:3-4; 3:19-24)
It is no accident that this commission was immediately followed by talk of the Holy Spirit (20:22) The disciples could not carry out the assignment without the power and presence of Jesus as mediated to them by the Spirit. Had Jesus sent them without the Holy Spirit, He would have doomed them to failure and proven himself to be a cruel master. Only through the Spirit could their message persuade their listeners of its truth and urgency (16:8-11), and only through the Spirit could their listeners be born again through faith (3:5-8). (Dongell, John, 240)
As God had breathed His life into that first man and He became a living soul, so now His Son shares the intimacy of His own life with His disciples that they may be a new humanity, recreated and empowered for their mission. (Roger L. Fredrikson, The Communicator’s Commentary: John, 286)
- As he emboldens them for their new mission. (21)
(Pro. 19:21; Isaiah 55:11; Matthew 28:18-20; Ephesians 2:10; 2 Timothy 1:9; 1 Peter 2:9)
Not only did his appearance renew their devotion and their hopes, but it also renewed their commission as disciples. Had there been no Resurrection, there would have been little motive for them to undertake a mission in his name. But since he had risen, the old commitment was even more compelling. “As the Father has sent me,” he said, “I am sending you.” He had come into the world to fulfill the Father’s purpose and had completed his task. Now he expected them to continue his work in his absence. (Gæbelein, Vol. 9, 193)
Our Lord does not send us a-warring on our own charges, nor thrust us out to the service unequipped. Christ’s soldiers are never sent out inadequately provided for. (J.C. Macaulay, Expository Commentary on John, 269)
Conclusion…
When, and as we believe, what do we get to be as a result?
A. Forgiven, and agents of God’s forgiveness. (23)
(Ps. 103:10-14; Luke 15:10; Acts 2:38; Eph. 1:7; 4:32; Col. 3:13; James 5:16; 1 John 1:9)
While Christ enjoins the Apostles to forgive sins, he does not convey to them what is peculiar to himself. It belongs to him to forgive sins. This honor, so far as it belongs peculiarly to himself, he does not surrender to the Apostles, but enjoins them, in his name, to proclaim the forgiveness of sins, that through their agency he may reconcile men to God. (John Calvin, John: Vol. 2, 235)
The commission to forgive sins is phrased in an unusual construction. Literally, it is: “Those whose sins you forgive have already been forgiven; those whose sins you do not forgive have not been forgiven.” The first verbs in the two clauses are aorists, which imply the action of an instant; the second verbs are perfects, which imply an abiding state that began before the action of the first verbs. God does not forgive men’s sins because we decide to do so nor withhold forgiveness because we will not grant it. We announce it; we do not create it. This is the essence of salvation. And all who proclaim the gospel are in effect forgiving or not forgiving sins, depending on whether the hearer accepts or rejects the Lord Jesus as the Sin-Bearer. (Frank E. Gæbelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 9, 193)
B. At peace, and cultivators of Jesus’ peace in the world.
(Ps. 34:14; Pro. 12:20; 16:7; Mat. 5:9; Rom. 8:6; 12:18; Col. 3:15; Heb. 12:14; James 3:18)
His first word to them was the traditional greeting, “Shalom—peace!” He could have rebuked them for their unfaithfulness and cowardice the previous weekend, but He did not. “He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities” (Ps. 103:10). The work of the cross is peace (Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:14–17), and the message they would carry would be the gospel of peace (Rom. 10:15). Man had declared war on God (Ps. 2; Acts 4:23–30), but God would declare “Peace!” to those who would believe. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament, 313)
Thomas is a good warning to all of us not to miss meeting with God’s people on the Lord’s Day (Heb. 10:22–25). Because Thomas was not there, he missed seeing Jesus Christ, hearing His words of peace, and receiving His commission and gift of spiritual life. He had to endure a week of fear and unbelief when he could have been experiencing joy and peace! Remember Thomas when you are tempted to stay home from church. You never know what special blessing you might miss! (Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament, 315)
C. Recreated, indwelled, and alive like never before.
(John 10:10; 14:26; Acts 2:38; Romans 8:9, 11; 12:2; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Titus 3:5)
In Genesis 2:7 God breathed into human nostrils his own breath, the breath of life, and humankind became alive, alive with God’s life. Now, in the new creation, the restoring life of God is breathed out through Jesus, making new people of the disciples, and, through them, offering this new life to the world. (N.T. Wright, John for Everyone: Part 2, 150)
God’s first breath made man different from all other forms of creation. Here, through the breath of Jesus, God imparted eternal, spiritual life. With this breathing came the power to do God’s will on earth. (Barton, John, 395)
Gospel Application…
Believing Jesus brings life like never before; life to the full, and life more abundant and free than we can ever imagine.
(John 1:12; 10:10; Romans 6:23; 1 Corinthians 2:9; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Philippians 4:19)
Without the resurrection, Christianity preaches a prophet and teacher who taught us how to live. With the resurrection, Christianity preaches a Savior who comes to be our Lord. Only one has the power to change lives. (Polich, John, 121)
Jesus wasn’t hard on Thomas for his doubts. Despite his skepticism, Thomas was still loyal to the believers and to Jesus himself. Some people need to doubt before they believe. If doubt leads to questions, questions lead to answers, and the answers are accepted, then doubt has done good work. It is when doubt becomes stubbornness and stubbornness becomes a lifestyle that doubt harms faith. When you doubt, don’t stop there. Let your doubt deepen your faith as you continue to search for the answer. (Bruce B. Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary: John, 397)
The basis for all our peace is found in the person and work of Jesus Christ. He died for us, He arose from the dead in victory, and now He lives for us. In our fears, we cannot lock Him out! He comes to us in grace and reassures us through His Word. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament, 313)
Thomas may have been slow to believe, but he was not slow to grasp the implications of Christ’s resurrection. Jesus was not only his Lord but his God. The evidence was palpable, substantive, and clear. Thomas’s faith rested on solid rock. What about us? The evidence is still just as substantive, just as palpable, just as clear. “Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed’” (v. 29). We can be part of that blessed company. (R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word: John, 417)
Spiritual Challenge Questions…
Reflect on these questions in your time with the Lord this week, or discuss with a Christian family member or Life Group.
- In v. 29, Jesus says that those who believe without seeing are blessed. Why do you think he says this? Who would fall into this category?
- From this passage Thomas is often referred to as “Doubting Thomas.” Would you say you have more faith than Thomas? Or is your faith similar to his? What would it take for you to increase your faith?
- Whom does Jesus say is blessed in these verses? Do you think that includes you?
- How did our Lord transform His disciples’ fear into courage? How has he transformed your fear into courage?
- How are you challenged to live on mission with Jesus in light of this text?
Quotes to note…
How often the contemporary church finds itself behind closed doors, fearful and ineffectual, living on the wrong side of the resurrection. The problems are so vast and the enemy so overwhelming and all the talk about Jesus seems futile. What can be done but hide in the sanctuary discussing how desperate the situation is? (Roger L. Fredrikson, The Communicator’s Commentary: John, 286)
The resurrection is not an alien power breaking into God’s world; it is what happens when the creator himself comes to heal and restore his world, and bring it to its appointed goal. The resurrection is not only new creation; it is new creation. (N.T. Wright, John for Everyone: Part 2, 154)
There is no real safe place in the world without Jesus, but his presence makes the most dangerous places bearable. (Barton, John, 392)
Jesus gave the disciples their Spirit-powered and Spirit-guided mission—to preach the Good News about him so that people’s sins might be forgiven. The disciples did not have the power to forgive sins (only God can forgive sins), but Jesus gave them the privilege of telling new believers that their sins have been forgiven because they have accepted Jesus’ message. All believers have this same privilege. We can announce the forgiveness of sin with certainty when we ourselves repent and believe. Those who don’t believe will not experience the forgiveness of sins; their sins will be retained (i.e., not forgiven). (Bruce B. Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary: John, 395)
Thomas was not present that first Sunday. It must have been something of unusual importance that kept him from assembly that day of all days, when reports were multiplying of the empty tomb, the empty graveclothes, the angels, and even appearings of the Lord Himself! Or was he just stubborn in his grief, and sought neither to give nor to receive consolation? At any rate, his absence that day cost him a whole week of misery. Your absence from church is costing you far more than you know! (J.C. Macaulay, Commentary on John, 270)
Thomas’s words help us to understand the difference between doubt and unbelief. Doubt says, “I cannot believe! There are too many problems!” Unbelief says, “I will not believe unless you give me the evidence I ask for!” (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament, 315)
The state of Thomas’ soul coincided with his absence on that memorable evening. He resisted the blessedness of the resurrection, and therefore did not join his brethren, and thus share the joy of the Master’s presence in their midst. Slow of heart to believe, he remained for a whole week in darkness and gloom. One important lesson we may learn from this is, how much we lose by our failure to cultivate the fellowship of Christian brethren. “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is” (Heb. 10:25) is the word of Scripture. (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 931)
When Christians are in fellowship with Christ, they desire and seek the fellowship of His people; conversely, when they are out of fellowship with the Lord they have little or no desire for communion with believers. It was thus with Thomas. Out of fellowship with Christ, through unbelief, he forsook the assembly. And how much he lost! God’s blessing, Christ’s presence, the Holy Spirit’s power, joy of heart, and in addition, a whole week spent in despondency. What a warning for us! (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 931)
They had narrowly escaped arrest with Jesus in Gethsemane; they realized that as the disciples of one who was regarded as a dangerous agitator they would be under suspicion; and they were probably holding a consultation on the best method of withdrawing from the city without attracting the notice of the temple police or the Roman authorities. The doors were locked for fear that the Jews would send an arresting detachment for them as they had for Jesus. The appearance of Jesus in the room excited both amazement and fear. The implication is clear that Jesus was not impeded by locked doors. The resurrection body has properties different from the body of flesh; yet it is not ethereal. There was a definite continuity between the physical body of Jesus’ earthly career and the new body since his hands and side still showed the scars that identified him. (Frank E. Gæbelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 9, 192-193)
In spite of the repeated assurances of his colleagues that Jesus had risen (elegon, “they kept saying,” is the imperfect tense of repeated action), Thomas was obstinate. He was so certain of the death of Jesus that he would not credit the report of his reappearance and insisted that he would not believe unless he could actually touch Jesus’ body. Thomas would be satisfied by nothing less than material evidence. (Frank E. Gæbelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 9, 195)
27 Jesus’ appeal to Thomas shows that he knew what Thomas had said to his colleagues when they told him of the first appearance. Since Jesus had not been visibly present to hear his reaction to their report, Thomas must have been startled to hear Jesus quote his very words. (Frank E. Gæbelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 9, 195)
Thomas’s declaration is the last assertion of personal faith recorded in this Gospel. It marks the climax of the book because it presents Christ as the risen Lord, victorious over sin, sorrow, doubt, and death. It also presents the faith that accepts not only the truth of what Jesus said but also the actuality of what he was-the Son of God. (Frank E. Gæbelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 9, 195)
Wherever people were confronted with the reality of His resurrection, their lives were transformed. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament, 313)
There is no evidence in Scripture that God ever gave the original Sabbath command to the Gentiles, or that it was repeated for the church to obey. Nine of the Ten Commandments are repeated in the church epistles, but the Sabbath commandment is not repeated. However, Paul makes it clear that believers must not make “special days” a test of fellowship or spirituality (Rom. 14:5ff.; Col. 2:16–23). (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament, 313)
How did our Lord transform His disciples’ fear into courage? For one thing, He came to them. We do not know where these ten frightened men met behind locked doors, but Jesus came to them and reassured them. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament, 313)
This commission was not the “formal ordination” of a church order; rather, it was the dedication of His followers to the task of world evangelism. We are to take His place in this world (John 17:18). (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament, 314)
It must have given the men great joy to realize that, in spite of their many failures, their Lord was entrusting them with His Word and His work. They had forsaken Him and fled, but now He was sending them out to represent Him. Peter had denied Him three times, and yet in a few days, Peter would preach the Word (and accuse the Jews of denying Him—Acts 3:13–14!) and thousands would be saved. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament, 314)
John 20:23 must not be interpreted to mean that Jesus gave to a select body of people the right to forgive sins and let people into heaven. Jesus had spoken similar words before (Matt. 16:19), but He was not setting aside the disciples (and their successors) as a “spiritual elite” to deal with the sins of the world. Remember, there were others in the room besides the disciples, and Thomas was missing! A correct understanding of the Greek text helps us here. Some years ago, I corresponded with the eminent Greek scholar Dr. Julius R. Mantey (now deceased) about this verse, and he assured me that the correct translation both here and in Matthew 16:19 should be: “Whosoever sins you remit [forgive] shall have already been forgiven them, and whosoever sins you retain [do not forgive] shall have already not been forgiven them.” In other words, the disciples did not provide forgiveness; they proclaimed forgiveness on the basis of the message of the gospel. Another Greek scholar, Dr. Kenneth Wuest, translates it “they have been previously forgiven them.” As the early believers went forth into the world, they announced the good news of salvation. If sinners would repent and believe on Jesus Christ, their sins would be forgiven them! “Who can forgive sins but God only?” (Mark 2:7). All that the Christian can do is announce the message of forgiveness; God performs the miracle of forgiveness. If sinners will believe on Jesus Christ, we can authoritatively declare to them that their sins have been forgiven, but we are not the ones who provide the forgiveness. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament, 314)
There seems to have been a “pessimistic” outlook in Thomas. We call him “Doubting Thomas,” but Jesus did not rebuke him for his doubts. He rebuked him for unbelief: “Be not faithless, but believing.” Doubt is often an intellectual problem: we want to believe, but the faith is overwhelmed by problems and questions. Unbelief is a moral problem; we simply will not believe. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament, 314)
It is an encouragement to us to know that the Lord had a personal interest in and concern for “Doubting Thomas.” He wanted to strengthen his faith and include him in the blessings that lay in store for His followers. Thomas reminds us that unbelief robs us of blessings and opportunities. It may sound sophisticated and intellectual to question what Jesus did, but such questions are usually evidence of hard hearts, not of searching minds. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament, 315)
when a skeptic says, “I will not believe unless—” he is already admitting that he does believe! He believes in the validity of the test or experiment that he has devised! If he can have faith in his own “scientific approach,” why can he not have faith in what God has revealed? (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament, 315)
Everybody lives by faith. The difference is in the object of that faith. Christians put their faith in God and His Word, while unsaved people put their faith in themselves. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament, 315)
The signs that John selected and described in this book are proof of the deity of Christ. They are important. But sinners are not saved by believing in miracles; they are saved by believing on Jesus Christ. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament, 315)
Peace, we may safely conclude, was intended by our Lord to be the key-note to the Christian ministry. That same peace which was so continually on the lips of the Master, was to be the grand subject of the teaching of His disciples. Peace between God and man through the precious blood of atonement–peace between man and man through the infusion of grace and charity–to spread such peace as this was to be the work of the Church. (J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on John Vol.2, 201)
No higher honor can be imagined than that of being Christ’s ambassadors, and proclaiming in Christ’s name the forgiveness of sins to a lost world. But let us ever beware of investing the ministerial office with one jot more of power and authority than Christ conferred upon it. To treat ministers as being in any sense mediators between God and man, is to rob Christ of His prerogative, to hide saving truth from sinners, and to exalt ordained men to a position which they are totally unqualified to fill. (J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on John Vol.2, 202)
We shall all do well to remember the charge of the Apostle Paul–“Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together, as the manner of some is.” (Heb. 10:25.) Never to be absent from God’s house on Sundays, without good reason–never to miss the Lord’s Supper when administered in our own congregation–never to let our place be empty when means of grace are going on, this is one way to be a growing and prosperous Christian. The very sermon that we needlessly miss, may contain a precious word in season for our souls. The very assembly for prayer and praise from which we stay away, may be the very gathering that would have cheered, and established, and quickened our hearts. We little know how dependent our spiritual health is on little, regular, habitual helps, and how much we suffer if we miss our medicine. (J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on John Vol.2, 203)
it is impossible to imagine anything more patient and compassionate, than our Lord’s treatment of this weak disciple. He does not reject him, or dismiss him, or excommunicate him. He comes again at the end of a week, and apparently for the special benefit of Thomas. He deals with him according to his weakness, like a gentle nurse dealing with a froward child–“Reach here your finger, and behold my hands; reach here your hand, and thrust it into my side.” (J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on John Vol.2, 203)
Our Lord has many weak children in His family, many dull pupils in His school, many raw soldiers in His army, many lame sheep in His flock. Yet He bears with them all, and casts none away. Happy is that Christian who has learned to deal likewise with his brethren. (J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on John Vol.2, 203)
We all deal with our emotions differently, and perhaps Thomas’s grief had driven him to go elsewhere to be by himself. He was not a coward. He was the man who had said, “Let us also go, that we may die with him” (11:16), and he meant it. He had probably simply broken down under the pressure of the last few days, and his way of dealing with problems was to be alone. He also was not one to act like he believed when he really did not. So when the other disciples approached him saying, “We have seen the Lord,” Thomas answered: Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe. (v. 25). (R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word: John, 416)
Most blessed is it to ponder our Lord’s greeting to the Ten—Thomas was absent. Very touching and humbling was the Lord’s gracious salutation. Peter had denied Him, and the others had forsaken Him. How, then, does He approach them? Does He demand an explanation of their conduct? Does He tell them that all is now over, that henceforth He will have no more to do with such unfaithful followers? No, indeed. Well might He have said, “Shame upon you!” But, instead He says, “Peace be unto you.” He would remove from their hearts all fear which His sudden and unannounced appearance might have occasioned. He would quiet each uneasy conscience. Having put away their sins He could now remove their fears. (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 922)
“Peace” was the subject of the angel’s carol in the night of the Lord’s nativity; so “Peace” is the first word He pronounced in the ears of His disciples now that He is risen from the dead. So will it be when we meet Him face to face—we, with all our miserable failures, both individual and corporate; we with all our sins of omission and commission; we, with all our bitter controversies, and deplorable divisions. Not “Shame! shame!” but “Peace! peace!” will be His greeting. (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 922)
22). The first key to the Receive ye the Holy Spirit, lies in the “And when he had said this”—”even so send I you.” Christ had entered upon His ministry as One anointed by the Holy Spirit, so should His beloved apostles. This was the final analogy pointed by the “as… so.” The second key is found in the “He breathed on them and saith, Receive ye the Holy Spirit”: the Greek word here used is employed nowhere else in the New Testament, but is the very one used by the Septuagint translators of Genesis 2:7: “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” There, man’s original creation was completed by this act of God; who, then, can fail to see that here in John 20, on the day of the Savior’s resurrection, the new creation had begun, begun by the Head of the new creation, the last Adam acting as “a quickening spirit” (1 Cor. 15:45)! (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 925)
The Ten were not callously indifferent to the welfare of their erring brother. They did not say, “O, well, there is no need for us to be troubled; he is the loser; if he had been in his proper place, he, too, would have seen the Savior, heard His blessing of ‘Peace be unto you,’ and received the Holy Spirit; but he was not here, and it only serves him right that he should suffer for his negligence; let us leave him alone.” O, no. The selfish world may reason and act thus; but not so those who are truly constrained by the love of Christ. The more we love Him, the more shall we love His people. So it was here. As soon as the Ten had been favored with this gracious visit from the risen Redeemer, they sought out Thomas and communicated to him the glad tidings. How this rebukes some of us! If we were more in fellowship with Christ, we should have more heart for His wayward and wandering sheep. It is those who are “spiritual” that are exhorted to restore the one “overtaken in a fault” (Gal. 6:13). (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 932)
Those who know Christ will bear testimony of Him to others, but they must be prepared for the unbelief of those whom they address. (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 932)
Our Lord has many weak children in His family, many dull pupils in His school, many raw soldiers in His army, many lame sheep in His flock. Yet He bears with them all, and casts none away. Happy is that Christian who has learned to deal likewise with his brethren. There are many in the Family, who, like Thomas, are dull and slow, but for all that, like Thomas, are real and true believers. (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 934)
That Christian has no cause to fear who can look to Jesus by faith and say with Thomas, ‘My Lord and my God.’” (Bishop Ryle). (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 938)
The living Lord who came to Mary now comes to the disciples. These men are gathered in fear behind bolted doors. They are certain that sooner or later the vengeful enemies of Jesus will seek them out. Jesus had sought repeatedly to make it clear to these men that they would know the hatred of the world as He had experienced it (John 15:18, 20; 16:2; 17:14). The servant would not be greater than his master, even in persecution. And it might be coming much sooner than they expected. (Roger L. Fredrikson, The Communicator’s Commentary: John, 285)
The word used for breathed on (emphysaö) is the same word used in the Greek Old Testament to describe God’s action when he formed the man from the dust of the ground and “breathed into his face the breath of life” and the man became a living being (Gen 2:7; cf. Wisdom of Solomon 15:11; also Ezek 37:5-10, 14). This allusion implies there is now the new beginning of life, though, as George Beasley-Murray says, “Strictly speaking, one should not view this as the beginning of the new creation but rather as the beginning of the incorporation of man into the new creation which came into being in the Christ by his incarnation, death, and resurrection, and is actualized in man by the Holy spirit (cf. 2 Cor 5:17)” (1987:381). (Rodney A. Whitacre, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: John, 481)
The ultimate sin for which one needs forgiveness is the rejection of Jesus (9:41; 15:22-24; 16:9). The disciples are to bear witness to Jesus (15:26-27), not just by representing Jesus but by actually being the presence of Jesus through the Spirit. In this way they will be the agents of the Spirit’s confrontation of the world (16:8-11), which is a continuation of Jesus’ own confrontation. (Rodney A. Whitacre, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: John, 482)
Both of these matters—entering into the community and maintaining the health of the community and its members—are a significant part of the missionary part of this commission. For the life of the community itself is a major aspect of the witness to the world (17:21, 23). It is through the disciples’ unity with God and with one another that the world will be confronted with the truth about the Father and the Son. (Rodney A. Whitacre, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: John, 483)
Thomas’s confession of Jesus as my Lord and my God is yet another climax in this Gospel. Jesus has invited him to catch up with the others in their new stage of faith, and he shoots past them and heads to the top of the class. His confession is climactic not only as part of the Gospel’s story line, but also as an expression of the core of John’s witness to Jesus in this Gospel. Thomas confesses Jesus as God when he sees that the crucified one is alive. It is in the crucifixion that God himself is made known, for he is love, and love is the laying down of one’s life (1 Jn 4:8; 3:16). But God is also life. In John, this God is revealed perfectly in the death of the Son, but this death would be nothing without the life. When Thomas finds death and life juxtaposed in Jesus he realizes who the one standing before him. (Rodney A. Whitacre, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: John, 485-486)
The point of receiving the holy spirit, it’s clear, is not to give the disciples new ‘spiritual experiences’, though to be sure they will have plenty. Nor is it to set them apart from ordinary people, a sort of holier-than-thou club — though to be sure they are called to live the rich, full life of devotion and dedication that is modelled on Jesus’ own. The point is so that they can do, in and for the whole world, what Jesus had been doing in Israel. ‘As the father has sent me, so I’m sending you’. (N.T. Wright, John for Everyone: Part 2, 149)
This expression “breathed on them” occurs only one other time in the Bible. In Genesis, God breathed into Adam the breath of life. I believe here that Jesus Christ breathed into these men eternal life by giving them the Spirit of God. This would sustain them and secure them for the interval between His ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. (J. Vernon McGee, Thru The Bible Commentary Series, John, 333)
Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained [John 20:23].
This is an important verse which is greatly misunderstood. John Calvin writes: “When Christ enjoins the apostles to forgive sins, He does not convey to them what is peculiar to Himself. It belongs to Him to forgive sins. He only enjoins them in His name to proclaim the forgiveness of sins.” Nowhere in the Book of Acts or in the Epistles do we find any instance of an apostle remitting the sins of anyone. They do go everywhere, proclaiming the forgiveness of sins. Let me ask the question: What is it that forgives sins? Even God cannot just arbitrarily forgive sins. Forgiveness of sins is only and alone through the blood of Jesus Christ. Back in the Old Testament, the forgiveness of sins was based on the fact that Christ would come and die . God saved “on credit” in the Old Testament until Christ would come and pay the penalty. Today God forgives our sins when we believe that Christ died for them. (J. Vernon McGee, Thru The Bible Commentary Series, John, 334)
“It is the office of faith to believe what we do not see, and it shall be the reward of faith to see what we do believe.” Thomas Adams
