If you were one of the original disciples, what would you want to hear first from Jesus? According to Peter and John, Jesus’ tomb was empty (John 20:1-10). Then came Mary Magdelene (again) who said that this time she had seen the Lord and that He gave her a message for them about Him ascending to heaven (verses 11-18). If you were hearing these reports, if any seed of hope started to grown in your heart, what would you want to hear Jesus say?

Remember that, although you lived with Him for three years, watching Him heal and even resurrect a dead man, listening to Him teach and predict, when the authorities arrested Him, you ran. When the shepherd was struck, the sheep scattered (Matthew 26:31). You have not been bold. You have not really been believing. At this point your guilty conscience might become heavier than your grief. What if Jesus is alive? What will He think of how you handled the last few days? Will He change His mind about using you in the future? Is that why He showed Himself to Mary and not to you?

The disciples only had to wait until Sunday evening to find out if it was true that Jesus rose from the dead and what He would say to them. What He says is, “Peace be with you.” Just as Mary heard the same question twice, once from the angel and once from Jesus, “Why are you weeping?” so the disciples hear the same statement from Jesus twice. And just as the weeping question gave opportunity for Mary to reflect, so this address gives the disciples opportunity to be encouraged.

Verses 19 and 21 begin with a “therefore” (οὖν in Greek, though not included in the ESV, translated “So” at the start of each verse in the NASB and “Then” in the KJV). Each of those verses introduce a section that includes both the address of “Peace” followed by the phrase “when he had said this.” In verses 19-20 John emphasizes the relief and rejoicing of the disciples in light of the resurrection. In verses 21-23 John describes the great responsibility that Jesus gave the disciples in light of His resurrection.

Rejoicing in Resurrection Peace (verses 19-20)

Jesus removes any uncertainty among His disciples about His resurrection and about His attitude toward them.

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. (John 20:19–20)

At least half a day had passed since Mary reported her sighting. On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the disciples were together at the initial Sunday evening service, or something like that. They will be found together the following Sunday, too, in verse 26.

This meeting was small, not only closed to outsiders, but locked; the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews. Doors, plural, may even mean that they locked an outer door to the building and the inner door to the room (Lenski, 1365). Having arrested and crucified Jesus, would the Jewish authorities hunt down Jesus’ followers? With reports about the empty tomb, would the Jewish authorities blame them for taking the body?

The disciples met together rather than separating, but with precautions. They must have been playing “What If?” What if Jesus is alive? What if He doesn’t show Himself to us? What if He’s mad at us, or done with us? Jesus’ death was horrible but also final. What if they had reason to hope again?

Then Jesus came and stood among them. John doesn’t say that Jesus walked through the doors, nor does John say that Jesus just appeared. Somehow, in a miraculous way, Jesus came through the physical barriers. The reason the disciples locked the doors is because of fear. The reason John included the part about the locked doors is because Jesus did something amazing.

And he said to them, “Peace be with you.” Shalom, the Hebrew word for peace, was a typical greeting, and the entire greeting is found in 1 Samuel 25:6 when David instructed his men how to greet Nabal. But even the ordinary greeting meant more than “Hi.” No matter how much or little theological baggage the greeter intended to pack into the statement, the greeting depended on more than sentiment, peace depended on God’s blessing.

Jesus promised peace to His men on Thursday night. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you” (John 14:27a). He immediately followed that by saying, “Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you’” (verses 27b-28a). He’s back just as He said. He didn’t take His peace away from them, He secured it for them.

When he had said this, he showed them his hands and side. This indicates at least three things.

First, it confirms Jesus’ identity. This is the same one who had been crucified and pierced on Friday. Neither of the other two crucified men were stabbed in the side.

Second, it confirms Jesus’ bodily resurrection. The disciples were seeing things, but they were seeing physical things, not a vision.

Third, it confirms Jesus’ peace. This is what makes His greeting so thick. His wounds bought and brought us peace with God. Jesus shows them the proof of forgiveness purchase. The scars belong with the glory of His sacrifice which solves the need of men.

What about Jesus’ scars? Have they healed by now? Do resurrected bodies go through a healing process? Or do these scars so belong to the glory of the Lord that they will be permanent marks of His loving sacrifice? And, will we have scars in heaven? What about our glorified bodies? Will we all be touchable and still unhindered by walls and doors?

Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. The word were glad is the usual word for being joyful, for rejoicing. Nothing is wrong with this gladness. They should have rejoiced at what they saw, and that Jesus was communicating peace to them even though they had deserted Him. The Lord privileged them with many witnesses of His resurrection, “He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs” (Acts 1:3). They testified to what they saw and handled (1 John 1:1-3). That is reason for them to rejoice and it will be their responsibility.

Responsibility with Resurrection Peace (verses 21-23)

Jesus removes any uncertainty among His disciples about His intent to use them going forward.

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending 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, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” (John 20:21–23)

Jesus restates His greeting: again, “Peace be with you.” Even if someone wants to argue that the first time He said “Peace” He meant nothing significant, the repetition clearly means more than Hello. What it means is that His wounds purchased their peace with God that caused them to rejoice. To the degree that they rejoiced in that peace, Jesus sends them to announce that peace to others. With great rejoicing comes great responsibility.

This peace is not merely to fortify the hearts of the disciples amid all the enmity and hatred of the world; they are to be possessors of the Lord’s peace because as his witnesses and messengers they are to dispense this very gift of peace in a peaceless world. (Lenski, 1369)

Their Authority

As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you. Unlike Jesus, we are not God in flesh; we do not have the Son’s insight into hearts or powerful abilities. Like Jesus, we are under the authority of another. We do not act for ourselves. We represent someone else. Jesus already prayed, and the disciples heard Him, that He was sending them into the world (John 17:18). Jesus’ plan hadn’t changed even though they had abandoned Him. Jesus will still find the disciples in need of more encouragement in chapter 21. But Just as the Father sent the Son with authority (John 5:27; 7:17; 8:28; 12:19; 14:10; 17:2), so the Son sends His disciples.

Their Support

And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” John was there when Jesus said this. I wish he had been a little more clear telling us about it. Does this mean that the disciples (minus Thomas) received the Holy Spirit on Easter instead of 40 days later on Pentecost as Acts 2 describes? Or did they receive the Spirit on both days, maybe a little now and a lot later? Does this mean that the Spirit had not been working in the disciples up until this moment? Does this mean that Jesus is preparing them to receive the Spirit in a little more than a month? What does Jesus breathing on them have to do with it?

Even though the Spirit was at work, Jesus promised an indwelling that had not yet been experienced by Old Testament believers (John 7:39; 16:7). In 14:17, Jesus told them, “You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” It also seems that John, who experienced Pentecost, would not be saying that the Spirit came now, Resurrection Sunday, rather than after Jesus’ ascension. Additionally, the behavior of the disciples between this evening and Pentecost does not show a fulness of Spirit. So I think that this could be a statement about what would happen shortly, just as when Jesus spoke about the hour of His glorification being at hand, though He wasn’t crucified at that exact moment.

Also, the Greek text does not say that he breathed on them and said, it only says, “he breathed and said.”

Their Charge

Jesus’ words about the Spirit are attached to the sending and the work described in verse 23.

If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you without forgiveness from any, it is withheld. This interpretation is also challenging.

Only God forgives (Mark 2:7) and Jesus told the paralytic man to take up his bed and walk to show that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins (Mark 2:9-10). More than that, as the context argues, Jesus’ wounds make forgiveness possible. The disciples’ responsibility is to announce and apply that truth. They will do so according to the scars of the Son and the power of the Spirit.

The disciples, and by extension the church, declare forgiveness on the basis of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. Those who repent and believe in Jesus are forgiven. We proclaim and we have authority to affirm the forgiveness of all who come to Christ. We cannot forgive them, we can tell them that Christ does and pronounce them forgiven when they believe. As in Matthew 16, this is a corporate work, even if spoken by individuals.

The same is true for the unrepentant and unbelieving. If they will not give up their sin then they are stuck with and in their sin. We withhold the freedom of conscience and confidence for those who will not come to the risen Lord.

In other words, we tell some, “Peace be with you.” We cannot say the same to others. This is John’s way of summarizing Jesus’ commission to His men.

Conclusion

These are supernatural matters for all Jesus’ disciples, the first ones and for us. Our sins do not mean that we cannot have peace. Jesus died and rose so that we who believe can have peace. Peace is His purchase, His promise. When we have peace there is great rejoicing.

There is also great responsibility. Our charge is to give what we’ve received. He commissions us to proclaim the gospel of peace, to press it home to the hearts of men. If they receive it, we are privileged to affirm it. If they will not receive Christ, then we have the duty to give them no false assurance.

Jesus forgave the disciples though they deserted Him. His pierced hands and feet and side showed the price He paid to bring them peace.