“A Breath of Fresh Air”

John 20:19-23

On the night before he died Jesus promised his disciples an Advocate, One who would be with them after his death, resurrection, and ascension. This Advocate is the Holy Spirit. On that same night he said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives.”

On Easter evening the risen Lord came to his disciples as they cowered behind locked doors. He appeared as if out of nowhere. This was no cheap magic trick. Nor was it an illusion. He did not appear as some ghostly presence. Jesus, the real Jesus whom they knew and loved, stood among them in the recognizable flesh of his resurrected body. He even showed them the still visible wounds on his hands and side. Their Master, who had really, really died, now really, really lived.

And what were his first words to them? “Peace be with you,” the same peace with which he had left them. He repeated those words, and added to them these words of commissioning: “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” At which time, using the words of Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase, “he took a deep breath and breathed into them,” saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

About two things this text is very clear: the bodily resurrection of Jesus and his sending forth of the disciples. Jesus really was raised from the dead. He really did appear to his disciples. He really did commission them to carry on his God-given mission of redemption. About these things there is no ambiguity.

Nor is there any ambiguity regarding the gift of the Holy Spirit. The gift of the Spirit was like a breath of fresh air to those disciples, one that blew away the dark clouds of grief and fear. Jesus breathed into his disciples the creating, empowering, and inspiring Spirit of God, equipping them for the mission he was sending them to do. Bill Carl, one of my former professors at Union Seminary wrote this wonderful sentence in regards to that: “Without the Spirit [the disciples] would only be traveling salesman peddling a human message about a dead savior.” The gift of the Spirit, the promised Advocate, was what enabled, and still enables, the disciples of Jesus to obediently go forth in his name. The Spirit inspires the Church for her mission.

This is exactly the message of Acts 2, where Luke describes a roaring, flaming descent of the Spirit on the infant church. Jesus did not abandon his disciples. He gave them, and us, the Holy Spirit, his Spirit, so that they, so that we, could be his body on earth.

So far, so good. There is no ambiguity about the gift of the Spirit. There is, however, a seeming contradiction. According to John, Jesus gave his disciples the Spirit on Easter night. According to Luke, the Spirit was given on Pentecost. Those events are seven weeks apart.

How do we deal with that? One way is to think of

Easter evening as the time when Jesus added a little yeast to the dough of his disciples’ lives. This yeasty presence of the Spirit fermented within them for seven weeks. Then on Pentecost the full force of the Spirit became dramatically evident.

Another way is to just leave such questions in God’s hands. Fact: Jesus promised the gift of the Spirit. Fact: The disciples were blessed with his promised gift. Fact: The church was empowered for its mission.

I tend to think of it in terms of a two-part Pentecost. Part one, the quiet gift of the Spirit on Easter night, is what I think of as Pentecost for introverts. Part two, the vividly dramatic events of Pentecost Sunday, is what I think of as Pentecost for extroverts. The Spirit moves where and as he wills, sometimes quietly, sometimes not. However we experience the Spirit, we experience a real and powerful presence. Enough said.

Back to this morning’s text. To summarize: the risen Jesus appeared to his frightened disciples, bringing to them that peace that passes all understanding. He commissioned them for service, then empowered them to serve.

Then he spoke those words that give those of us of the Reformed Presbyterian Protestant persuasion pause. What does Jesus say? The New English translation puts it this way: “If you forgive any man’s sins, they stand forgiven; if you pronounce them unforgiven, unforgiven they remain.” I don’t know about you, but visions of confessionals, works-righteousness based acts of penance, and humanly given absolution of sin start dancing in my head.

This is one of those times when we are obliged to engage in that most Presbyterian of Presbyterian practices and use Scripture to interpret Scripture. We need to look at this one verse of Scripture within the context of the entire biblical message.

As disciples of Jesus we are commissioned to do what? “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” From whence do we receive the wisdom, power, courage, and guidance to do that? The Holy Spirit.

Who is it that moves in the lives of people, convicting them of their sin and moving them to repent? Again, the Holy Spirit. Is everyone going to respond positively to the Gospel message? No. Is everyone going to be led to repentance by the Spirit? No. So what’s going to happen? “Those who believe in [Jesus] are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”

Being faithful to our Lord Jesus, and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we proclaim the forgiveness of sins that is ours in Jesus Christ. Some accept it. Some don’t. Those who accept it receive the forgiveness that is already theirs in Christ. Those who don’t reject the forgiveness that God has freely offered them.

Ultimate forgiveness is not ours to give or withhold. Our task is to preach, proclaim, or otherwise witness to the Gospel message. As instruments of God’s Holy Spirit we are to use Scripture, worship, missionary endeavors, social ministries, and the example of our very lives to witness to the love of God made real in Christ Jesus.

As Fishers of Men it is our task to faithfully go fishing in the name of Jesus. There is, however, no guarantee of a catch. It is our missionary task to plant, water, and nurture seeds of faith. The harvest is in God’s hands.

It’s all in God’s hands. We’re in God’s hands. Sometimes we forget that. It’s easy to feel lonely and vulnerable as we move through life in a world that is mostly oblivious to and sometimes hostile toward the Gospel. We fish, but don’t catch. We plant, but nothing grows. We preach a Gospel that most don’t want to hear, many can’t or won’t understand, and to which some react with hostility. In the face of all this, despair becomes our greatest temptation.

Let’s not give in to it. The Lord is risen. In the person of the Holy Spirit he is present in our midst. Let us open our hearts to his presence. Let us hear deep within our souls his words of comfort: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

Let us also receive comfort and encouragement from the promised Advocate. Jesus has kept his promise. His Spirit is with us. We are not alone. We have not been abandoned. Nor are we helpless in the face of the world’s indifference and hostility. We do not need to hide from the world. Nor do we have to give into its demands.

Empowered by the Spirit we possess the gifts we need to resist temptation, rise above ridicule, and endure persecution. Empowered by the Spirit and commissioned by Jesus himself we possess the gifts we need to proclaim the Gospel and serve his Church.

Jesus is with us now and forever. His Spirit moves among us as a breath of fresh air, enabling us to survive in an atmosphere of corruption. Let us partake of the peace he gives. Amen.