Breath of God

Locked Doors, Open Hearts

Reading: John 20:19–23

“Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! 

As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’” 

John 20:21

The disciples huddled behind locked doors, hearts weighed down by grief, fear, and confusion. Rumors of resurrection stirred hope, but uncertainty still gripped them. Then suddenly, Jesus stood among them—not with rebuke, but with peace: “Shalom.” His presence calmed their storm-tossed souls. 

He showed them His wounds—signs of suffering and victory. “He came not to show His scars, but to assure them of His love,” notes Charles Spurgeon. Their despair turned to joy, just as Jesus had promised (John 16:22). They believed—and rejoiced.

Then Jesus commissioned them: “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that, He breathed on them. “Receive the Holy Spirit,” He said. Just as God breathed life into Adam (Genesis 2:7), now the Risen Christ breathes spiritual life into His disciples. “The same breath that created man now recreates him,” writes Alexander Maclaren.

St. Paul explains this mystery: “The first Adam became a living being; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit” (1 Corinthians 15:45). With this breath, Jesus gives them power, forgiveness, and purpose. “The Holy Spirit is the bond by which Christ effectually unites us to Himself,” says John Calvin.

These once-fearful men became bold proclaimers of the gospel. “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you,” writes Eugene Peterson. This gift was not just for them but for all believers (Acts 2). The Holy Spirit—the Paraklētos—would guide, comfort, teach, and transform.

This same Spirit teaches us today, giving us “a binocular vision of the mind for life on earth and the heart for life eternal.” He helps us see through the eyes of faith (Hebrews 11:1), and shapes us into the likeness of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, just as You breathed the Holy Spirit into the disciples, breathe on us today. Fill our hearts and minds. Help us to live in the light of Your presence, led and transformed by Your Spirit, now and forever. Amen.