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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Joh_20:19-23
19So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." 20And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21So Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you." 22And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23"If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained."
Joh_20:19 "when it was evening on that day" Jewish time begins and ends at twilight (cf. Gen_1:5), which here is about 6:00 p.m., on Sunday.
▣ "the first day of the week" Sunday was the first work day, like our Monday. This became the meeting day of the Church to commemorate Jesus' resurrection. He Himself set the pattern by appearing in the Upper Room three Sunday nights in a row (cf. Joh_20:19; Joh_20:26; Luk_24:36 ff; Act_20:7; 1Co_16:2).
The first-generation believers continued to meet on the Sabbath at the local synagogues and at the temple on set feast days. However, the rabbis instituted a "curse oath" that required synagogue members to reject Jesus as the Messiah (after a.d. 70). At this point they dropped the Sabbath services, but continued to meet with other believers on Sunday, the resurrection day, to commemorate Jesus' resurrection.
▣ "doors were shut" This is a perfect passive participle. The plural implies that both the downstairs and upstairs doors were locked. This was mentioned to (1) accentuate Jesus' appearance or (2) to show their fear of arrest.
▣ "the disciples" Thomas was not present. Other disciples besides the eleven Apostles were present (cf Luk_24:33).
▣ "Peace be with you" This shows their surprise, and possibly fear. Jesus had promised them peace (cf. Joh_14:27; Joh_16:33). This probably reflects the Hebrew greeting shalom. Jesus repeats it three times (Joh_20:19; Joh_20:21; Joh_20:26).
Joh_20:20 "showed them both His hands and His side" John apparently focuses on the piercing of Jesus' side more than the other Gospels (cf. Joh_19:37; Joh_20:25). His feet are not mentioned except in Luk_24:39 and Psa_22:16. Jesus' glorified body retains the marks of His crucifixion (cf. 1Co_1:23; Gal_3:1).
▣ "Lord" This title is used here in its full theological sense which relates to YHWH of the OT (cf. Exo_3:14). Applying an OT title for God the Father to Jesus was one way NT authors affirmed Jesus' full Deity. See Special Topic at Joh_6:20.
Joh_20:21 "as the Father has sent Me" This is a perfect active indicative (cf. Joh_17:18). The Church has a divine mandate (cf. Mat_28:18-20; Luk_24:47; Act_1:8). Believers have also been sent on a sacrificial mission (cf. 2Co_5:14-15; 1Jn_3:16).
Jesus uses two different terms for "send." In John these are synonymous. This is clearly seen in chapter 8, where pempô is used of Jesus' being sent by the Father (cf. Joh_8:16; Joh_8:18; Joh_8:26; Joh_8:29), yet apostellô is used in Joh_8:42. This same thing is true of chapters 5,6. See Special Topic Send (Apostellô) at Joh_5:24.
Joh_20:22 "He breathed on them" This is a word play on the term "breathed." The Hebrew ruach and Greek pneuma can mean "breathe," "wind," or "spirit." This same verb in the Septuagint was used in the OT of God's creative activity in Gen_2:7 and the revitalization of Israel in Eze_37:5; Eze_37:9. The pronoun "them" refers to a wider group than just the Apostles (cf. Luk_24:33).
▣ "Receive the Holy Spirit" This is an aorist active imperative. How this relates to the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost is uncertain. Jesus fulfilled everything that He promised the disciples at this first appearance. It is related to Jesus' equipping them for their new ministry assignment as the Spirit equipped Him at His baptism.
This verse was used in the early church's fight over the question of the Spirit proceeding from the Father or from the Father and the Son. In reality all three persons of the Trinity are involved in all the acts of redemption.
In A Theology of the New Testament, George Ladd summarizes the possible interpretations of this passage:
"This passage raises difficulties in the light of the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost, which may be solved in one of three ways. Either John did not know about Pentecost and substitutes this story so that it becomes in effect the Johannine Pentecost; or there were actually two gifts of the Spirit; or Jesus' breathing on the disciples was an acted parable promissory and anticipatory to the actual coming of the Spirit at Pentecost" (p. 289).
The footnote #24 (p. 1965) in the NET Bible asserts that this recalls Gen_2:7 (LXX). As physical life was given in Genesis, eternal life is given in the NT. This emphasis on "the breath of God" is paralleled with Ezekiel 37, where YHWH brings new life to His people by the breath of the Spirit.
Joh_20:23 "If you forgive the sins of any" These are two third class conditional sentences with an which is usually used with second class conditional sentences, not ean. This mixed condition heightens the contingency which relates both to those who share the Gospel and to those who respond by faith. Someone with the gospel knowledge chooses to share it and someone hears it and chooses to receive it. Both aspects are required. This verse does not give arbitrary authority to clergy, but wonderful life-giving power to believing witnesses! This authority was evidenced in the mission trip of the seventy during Jesus' life.
▣ "their sins have been forgiven them" This grammatical construction is a perfect passive indicative. The passive voice implies God's forgiveness, available completely through gospel proclamation. Believers have the keys of the kingdom (cf. Mat_16:19) if they will only use them. This promise is to the Church, not individuals. This is theologically similar to "the bound and unbound" of Mat_18:18.