Of all the resurrection stories John gives us the clearest insight into its true and enduring meaning. Having acknowledged the role (and therefore the importance) of himself, Peter and Mary Magdalene in the resurrection account John gets right into the real meat. The risen Jesus appears among his disciples in the locked room, and, after a brief greeting he reveals the purpose of his resurrection as he commissions his disciples. It comes in three parts:
First Jesus commissions his disciples with the words, “As the Father sent me, so I send you”. This is a momentous saying! That little word “as” means with the same motivation, the same authority and the same power. The disciples are to be to the same all-encompassing blessing to the world that Jesus had been so far, and to carry out their mission in the same relationship to God that Jesus had. Thus the next part of his commission …..
he breathes on them and says “Receive the Holy Spirit!”. The phrase “Holy Spirit” is so familiar to us now that we hardly notice its meaning. Like all of our God-language, “spirit” is a word taken from human use and applied to God. How do we use the term “spirit”? Surely it’s to indicate our innermost living essence and nature. The “Holy Spirit” then means the living, inner essence of God. Just as the Father sent his son in a full sharing of his life, so the son sends his followers. So he breathes that essence on them. In Greek, spirit and breath and wind are all the same word – pneuma (“newma”) – so it’s more than just “breathing”: it indicates the actual imparting of the Spirit. The life of God is theirs.
Thirdly, Jesus goes on to say, “If you forgive people’s sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven”. This is a continuation of his breathing the Spirit on them. In the power of God’s Spirit and life they are to do the most divine thing – to forgive sin. “Who can forgive sins but God?” said the Pharisees. Forgiveness is a big concept but in essence it means that every barrier to our relationship with God is removed. We are to make that declaration to people with utmost certainty in God’s name.
So the point of Jesus being “resurrected” is not so much a personal victory for himself, but rather the passing on of his entire mission to his disciples along with the full power to carry it out. To put that in practical terms, you and I stand in the same relationship to the world that Jesus did and should expect to be God to the world. Everything you say of Jesus you should say of yourself!
Finally we looked at John’s little closing summary to his Gospel where he says that, “these things have been written so you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that through your faith in him you should have life”. What does that mean to the 21st century world where neither of these titles has any ”cultural currency”? (That is they are neither known nor used in ordinary life). Let’s say that people will find the true meaning and experience of life as they recognise Jesus of Nazareth as the true meaning and image of God. When you look at what Jesus was and did – his poverty, his commitment to justice for and empowerment of the poor, his unendingly sacrificial spirit and his deep compassion: when you see that as a revelation of God’s heart and spirit and seek to align yourself with it – that’s when the Holy Spirit touches your own life and begins to transform and empower you. That is the life that cannot be held by death but must result in resurrection!
Cippenham Baptist Church 