John 20:21-23 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be to you: as my Father has sent me, even so send I you. I. THE RISEN LORD MANIFESTING HIMSELF TO THE CHURCH. 1. He did not manifest Himself first of all to the collective disciples, but to Mary Magdalene, &c. This is God's way. His blessings are not for the Church apart from its individual members. No Church will have collective manifestations whose members do not find Him in the garden, in the closet, in the way, sitting at meat, &c. 2. He manifested Himself while they were talking about Him. Mary declaring that she had seen Him, others that He had opened the scriptures, others were doubting; then someone said, "There He is in the midst of us." 3. He bestowed His benediction. With a reminiscence of "Let not your hearts be troubled," i.e., agitated, He said, "Peace," &c. 4. He demonstrated the reality of His resurrection, and made the disciples glad. What makes the heart of God's people glad is the revelation of Christ, not as here, but as on the way to Damascus to Paul, "God revealed His Son in me, that I might preach Him." He to whom Christ has never manifested Himself is in no condition to preach Him. 5. Now, how did He come? There were there, as there are here, persons wondering how Christ could manifest Himself. Are there not closed doors, impenetrable walls, and one difficulty after another in this nineteenth century to prevent this? No, the only barrier which can keep Christ out is unbelief. "Oh," you say, "there is unworthiness." No! look at the people in that room! We know little, even in natural things, of what is likely and unlikely, except by experience. For instance, if we knew that there was outside these walls trying to get in some sunlight, sound or electricity, and we were asked how it was to get in, and we knew nothing about iron, and glass, and stone, and air, we should say that sound, e.g., would get in much easier through air than through iron — and yet we know it will go much faster through iron. And when God makes a thing to pass through, it will pass through, and when He is in the question, no barriers can keep Him out. "Where two or three are gathered in My name," &c. II. COMMUNICATING HIS SPIRIT TO THE CHURCH. This is more than the manifestation of Himself. We are particular to think of our seeking Christ and the Spirit; bat here are both waiting to communicate themselves. Here is Christ not waiting for them to breathe out a prayer for the Spirit, but breathing the Spirit upon them. There is one word with reference to the Spirit which is very expressive — influence. This means nothing more than a flowing in just as water will flow in upon a meadow until the meadow is completely under it. And we talk of being under the influence if any man with that idea in our mind. But the Bible never represents the Spirit as inert water coming in by gravitation, but as being "poured" in with a will and hand that has power to send it. And so when we come to the word "inspiration," it is not a mere gliding in of a gale of air, but the "breathing" in from a living being warm with feeling and earnest with will. So here. And thus Christ calls to mind some Old Testament records. The disciples would feel that the world in a moral sense was "without form and void," &c., and that the Spirit was coming forth to make the chaos and the darkness feel His power, and each of them might have said, "We are all dead men"; but there was the Second Adam, the quickening Spirit, to breathe into their nostrils the breath of life to make His dead disciples living souls. They would think, too, of the valley of dry bones, and the command, "Breathe upon them." He had told them that it was expedient for them that He should go away so that He might send the Spirit; and now, on the very first day of His reappearing, the first thing He does is to show them He that is just as near as the breath that is breathing upon them. "Go," He says in effect; "but before you go, take the breath to travel with. Go; but before you spread the sails of your ship, the Lord of the winds shall make the winds blow for you. Go to convert the world; but before you try to raise the dead, let it be seen that the Lord has raised you." Christ is breathing now, and saying, "Receive ye," &c. III. LAYING HER COMMISSION TO WORK UPON THE CHURCH. 1. "As the Father," &c. This has been interpreted to mean, "With the authority which the Father sent Me, I send you." Now, the authority with which Christ came was to restore all things to make atonement, &c. So it cannot mean that. No; the disciples were under, not in, authority. He sent them forth to preach, love, labour, pray, as He preached, &c. Never a man of them could play the king as He did. They were to go representing Him; they were to go in love and self-sacrifice as He had gone. 2. Then He says, "Whosoever sins ye remit," &c. Who are the "ye"? Those present — not Peter or John, or the ten collectively. We are expressly told that other disciples were there — Mary, &c. — and not the slightest difference was made. What the Lord meant He meant for all. There are two ways of interpreting what He did mean — the one the way in which the Church of Rome interprets it, and the other the way in which the Church of St. Peter interprets it,. Rome tells a man He must go and confess to and get absolution from a priest. But take the first case in which a man cries out in the presence of Peter for remission (Acts 2.). Does Peter ever say, "come aside and confess?" or John, or Paul? Is there a hint of any such transaction? No, you will find that every one demands repentance and faith in Christ, and promises forgiveness upon that. That was the use which Peter understood was to be made of this. And the remission was not a transaction somewhere above the clouds, but actually carried into the man's soul so as to transform him. The remission was conscious, real and immediate. Now in the Church of Rome there are five ways of remission. (1) By baptism. (2) By confirmation. (3) By penance. (4) By indulgence. (5) By extreme unction.Of course, after all that they ought to be remitted. But supposing a man has received all these remissions from the pope himself; why, you will find masses offered for his sins in purgatory! Such is not the remission of Christ. When Christ remits all sin is at once cast away, gone for ever into the depths of God's forgiving love. And the Church's mission is to testify to every man that there is remission without price, priest, sacrifice. Show His hands and His side and there is the proclamation of remission of sins. (W. Arthur, M. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. |
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