John 20 - Introduction

The Resurrection of Jesus and Breathing of the Holy Spirit (John 20).

Jesus Is The Son Of God.

Finally in chapter 20 Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene and explains that He has not yet ascended to His Father (John 20:17 a), and tells her to inform His ‘brothers' that, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God' (John 20:17 b). It is clear that the ascension is to be seen as significant (Peter will state that as a result He would be made both Lord and Christ' - Acts 2:36). Note that Jesus does not say ‘our Father' or ‘our God'. He distinguishes His own relationship with the Father from theirs. This distinction is real, for the distinction between ‘My Father' and ‘your Father' is constantly maintained by Jesus, and is especially brought out in Matthew's Gospel, where the latter phrase dominates the early Chapter s, with the former taking over in the later Chapter s as Jesus' self-revelation increases. Furthermore ‘My God' indicates that God was Jesus' God in a different way than He was the God of the disciples and of all other men. Inherent in Jesus' incarnation was that He would pray to God as a true man. He could hardly have been a true human being had He not done so. But when He did so it was uniquely as the Son talking to the Father. It was a unique relationship. In the case of the disciples they prayed as adopted children talking to their Father, and they could pray ‘our Father', something Jesus could never pray.

The chapter continues in an act reminiscent of Genesis 2:7. Just as God had there breathed into man so that he became a living being, now Jesus breathes into His disciples so that they receive the Holy Spirit (John 20:22). ‘In Him was life, and the life was the light of men' (John 1:4). For this inbreathing of the Spirit is not only to be symbolic of the ‘eternal life' that they have received from God, and of the new creation, but also brings them power and illumination (Luke 24:45). It is to be seen as a fulfilling of His promises concerning the Spirit of truth in Chapter s 14-16. These men are to be the foundation of the new creation. What follows at Pentecost will be an enduement of power (Acts 1:8).

These parallel acts, the one in Genesis 2:7 commencing man's existence as a spiritual being in God's creation, and the other commencing the bringing about of God's new creation which will result in eternal life for all true believers, bring out what has already been stated in John 1:1, that Jesus is both the God of creation (John 1:3) and the Source of life (John 1:4 a), and the God of revelation (John 1:4) and new creation (John 1:12). He is the Son of God (John 20:31).

The chapter, and the main part of the Gospel, now end with Thomas' declaration concerning Jesus, ‘my Lord and my God' (John 20:28), thus ending on the same note with which the Gospel began, ‘in the beginning was the Word --- and the Word was God' (John 1:1). The truth has begun to come home to those Who follow Him.

Combined in this chapter are two world shaking events, the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the giving of the Holy Spirit. They represent all to which the Gospel has been pointing. Usually a man's life story ends with His death but here the death of Jesus was but the introduction to a new beginning. Through His death life had come to the world.