On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again, Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” — John 20:19-22

Continuing on with the story from previous weeks, Jesus commissions the disciples just as the Father commissioned him. He breathes on them while saying receive the Spirit. Literally it says, “he breathed into them.” The language of breathing into shows up in the Greek translation of a few Old Testament stories. For example, God breathing into Adam giving life, or Elijah breathing into the widow’s son giving life, or the Spirit breathing into the corpses in Ezekiel’s vision of dry bones.

“In each case, Spirit-breath enters into a body to bring it to life. Adam, once dust, now pulses with life. The widow’s son, once dead, comes alive, turning a mother’s bereavement to delight and praise. Israel, once a hopeless heap of bleached bones, turns into a nation looking to its future. And, finally, in a private upper room, it occurs again. This time, Jesus gives to his friends the newfound authority of the Spirit, to forgive or not — but not from arm’s length. The very personal act of inbreathing turns into a fresh call for his frightened and timid friends.” — John Levison

The timid friends will be the instruments through which his forgiveness can be experienced. Can you see him at work? Can you see him making all things new?

Jesus isn’t finished! He’s still on the hunt. One of his chosen men, Thomas, doubted the reality of his resurrection. Jesus isn’t threatened by Thomas’ doubt (neither is Jesus threatened by your doubt). Jesus doesn’t forsake him; He goes after him with proof undeniable. Then Thomas, seeing the marks of Jesus, makes one of the greatest theological conclusions of all time. Thomas confesses that Jesus is both Lord and God. For all of Thomas’ life as a Jew, he had been confessing, “Hear, Oh Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one,” from Deuteronomy 6:4. For all of his life he had been confessing that the God of Israel, YHWH, the invisible God, is the God who created the world. But in this moment of unquestionable reality, Thomas confesses that the invisible God has become visible and that the God of Israel, the Creator of the world, the one who delivered his people out of Egypt was none other than Jesus. Jesus is God revealed. Jesus is God in person. Jesus is the God who kissed you with the breath of his Spirit. We gather because Jesus gathered us into one family by the Spirit.

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” — Hebrews 10:24-25