Listen here: “Light, Sight, & Insight“
- John 20:21-29; 1 John 1:5-2:2
- Jesus not only gave them a continuing mission, He gave them the means to accomplish it: “22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’”
- This was reminiscent of Genesis 2:7 “Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.”
- In the same way that God had first created humanity by breathing the breath of life into them, Jesus now created a new humanity by bestowing upon His disciples the breath of new life in Christ.
- How would this new humanity, this new power, this new mission, this new insight manifest? What new power and ability was bestowed upon the disciples? He gave them the keys to the kingdom: the power of forgiveness.
- “23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”
- This verse is traditionally understood to be the “keys of the kingdom.” It is very important.
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