April 27, 2025

Second Sunday of Easter

Sermon Text: John 20:19-31

Other Readings: Acts 5:12,17-32 and Revelation 1:4-18

 

  1. Verse 22 reads, “And with that [Jesus] breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’” How should we understand the truth that Jesus “breathed on them”? Confer Genesis 2:7.

 

  1. Verse 23 talks about the power to forgive sins. Is that something only the apostles had, or is something that every believer has? How can you be sure?

 

  1. Jesus showed that he still had a real human body and the same one he had before his resurrection. What does this teach us about our own resurrected bodies?

 

  1. Examine the painting entitled The Incredulity of St. Thomas by the artist Caravagiio. What do you think Caravagiio gets right? What do you think could be better? What emotions does it stir up within you?

 

  1. In this text, Jesus is called Lord, God, and Messiah. What comfort does each name/title give you? Do you have a favorite name/title for Jesus? Explain.

           

1. Jesus’ breathing here does not refer simply to what we have to do in order to speak. Rather, it is a powerful act of God whereby he is doing something to someone. Just as God breathed the breath of life into Adam in Genesis 2:7, so Jesus is breathing into the disciples the Holy Spirit. (This act of giving the Holy Spirit is also a reason why the Nicene Creed says that the Holy Spirit “proceeds from the Father and the Son.”)

2. Every Christian of all time has that special power and right. This text proves that because a) we know there were other disciples who were non-apostles in the room, and Jesus does not exclude them. 2) When Thomas is actually with them the next week, Jesus did not repeat the act of breathing on Thomas. Additionally, we can look at Matthew 16 and 18 and see that Jesus had already given to all disciples the special power and right to forgive sins. Luther discusses this well in his Small Catechism in the section on the Use of Keys and Confession.

 

3. We will still have real human bodies (just as Jesus still does!), and our bodies will be the same bodies we had while alive–just glorified into a new and spiritual version that can be with God for all eternity.

 

4. Reactions will vary based on personal perspectives. But perhaps one interesting note is that the text never tells us that Thomas actually touched Jesus.

 

5. “Lord” tells us that he is the ruler and master of all things – especially death, since he is risen from the dead. “God” tells us (among other things) that he is perfect, changeless, and eternal. “Messiah” assures us that he is the Anointed One prophesied in the Old Testament to be the chosen Savior who ushers in the kingdom of grace for all believers