21 Days in the Gospel of John With Levi Lusko Sample

The Skeptic and the Savior

Jesus’ first appearance to 10 of the disciples (Judas being dead, and Thomas off doing something clearly more important) marks the first ever recorded Sunday church service in history. In this impromptu and unexpected worship experience, Jesus gives the disciples two very important things.

First, He fulfills John 14:17 by breathing upon them and giving them the Spirit. Up until that point, He had been with them, but now He was inside them—as the Spirit indwells in all believers—waiting for the day of Pentecost when He would come upon them with power.

Second, He gives them the great commission, sending them in the same way the Father sent Him. The great commission is encapsulated in Mark 16:15: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”

In this moment, John gives a detail that is found in none of the other gospels. He quotes Jesus in verse 23 as saying, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

What the heck does this mean? What it doesn’t mean is that the disciples are the go-to guys if you want to go to heaven. Jesus says that they are not the source of forgiveness, but conduits of it. They aren’t tasked to provide forgiveness, but proclaim it.

To them, and to us, He relays how urgent the job is. He is saying, “I am sending you out with the Gospel, and if you don’t present it, how can anyone be forgiven?” God gave us authority to tell those who receive Christ that they are forgiven, and that is a powerful job description.

Remember: If we don’t go, they won’t know.