seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
John 20:19 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!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
The stone was rolled back... and the body they left there, plastered with herb and linen... had vanished. Now if your boss had been accused of being the leader of a Resistance, and you know they left that body in a solid rock hole... and it disappeared.... wouldn't you want to lock your doors? If the Roman Soldiers did that to Jesus, and then came after them, what chance did they have? Then Jesus showed up... in the room!!! Alive!!! Who let Him in???? No one!!!! Unbelievable... right?
Now let's check out verses 20-23. Oh these verses sent me for the Messianic Jew at Got Questions for his explanation.
Only God can forgive sins, and Christ, being God, has the power to do so as well, but He never communicated any such power to His disciples, nor did they ever assume any such power to themselves. The key to understanding the meaning of John 20:23 lies in the previous two verses: “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.’” He sent them, as He is sending us, to bring the good news of the way to salvation and heaven to the whole world. Jesus was leaving the earth physically but promised God would be with them in the person of the Holy Spirit living in them. As they proclaimed the gospel, they could honestly tell people who believed in that message that their sins were forgiven, and they could honestly tell people that did not believe in the message that their sins were not forgiven and that they stand condemned in God’s eyes. “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him” (John 3:36).
Confused? Well, I was but I think I got it. Jesus never told them they could forgive sins. He told them to go out and tell people about Him, if they Believed, they would have all their sins forgiven [by God] and they would have eternal life.... and if they didn't Believe... well no change.
The difference is "if they Believed". The only way to have all your sins forgiven, is to Believe that Jesus died for our Sins. He healed, and fed, and drove out demons.... and then He allowed humans to beat Him nearly to death followed by death on the cross. Then He was sealed in a solid stone hole in a rock, with a rock the size of a man rolled in front of it, plastered with 75 pounds of herb and linen, and He escaped.
The stone was rolled back... and the body they left there plastered with herb and linen... had vanished.
Now when you Believe that... a change will come over you. And all your sins are forgiven, and you gain eternal life. That's what verses 20-23 is telling us. Those disciples couldn't forgive sin.... they could point the way to Jesus... and accepting Jesus brought in the change. Got it?
Jesus showed up in a locked room.
Who let Him in? If you Believe....
