This week’s devotions are based on Sunday’s Message: An Ambassador of Forgiveness (Youth Rally Wrap) (WATCH HERE)
John 20:19–23 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
Imagine the scene. It is the evening of Easter Sunday. The disciples are huddled together behind locked doors. They are afraid of the Jewish leaders. They are confused by the reports of the empty tomb. And perhaps most of all, they are haunted by their own failures.
Peter had denied Jesus three times.
The others had fled when Jesus was arrested.
None of them had stood faithfully at the cross.
If anyone deserved a lecture, it was this group.
If anyone should have expected Jesus to walk through the door and ask, “Where were you?” it was them.
Instead, the risen Savior appears in their midst with a single greeting: “Peace be with you.”
Jesus is announcing the result of everything He accomplished through His death and resurrection. The war between God and sinners has ended. The debt of sin has been paid.
Notice what Jesus does next. He shows them His hands and His side. The peace He announces is grounded in nail scars and a pierced side. His wounds are the proof that their sins have been forgiven.
Then Jesus breathes on them and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
What an incredible moment. The very first gift the risen Christ gives through the Holy Spirit is the gift of forgiveness.
Sometimes we think of the Holy Spirit primarily as the One who gives courage, wisdom, or strength. He certainly does those things. But before He sends believers into the world, He first delivers the forgiveness Jesus won on the cross. The Holy Spirit always points us to Christ and His saving work. He does not draw attention to Himself. He brings us the peace that only Jesus can give.
That is still how the Holy Spirit works today.
Every time you hear God’s Word proclaim that Christ died for sinners, the Holy Spirit is at work.
Every time you confess your sins and hear the pastor announce, “I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” the Holy Spirit is placing Christ’s forgiveness into your heart.
Every time you receive the Lord’s Supper, the Holy Spirit strengthens your faith through Christ’s body and blood given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.
Think of forgiveness like a priceless package that Jesus purchased at Calvary. The Holy Spirit is the One who faithfully delivers that package to your doorstep again and again through the means of grace. He does not simply tell you that forgiveness exists somewhere out there. He places it into your hands. He says, “This is for you.”
There will be days when your conscience reminds you of yesterday’s failures. There will be moments when Satan whispers that God must be tired of forgiving you. When those voices grow loud, remember what Jesus said to frightened disciples hiding behind locked doors. He did not begin with condemnation. He began with peace.
That peace is not earned. It is received. It is Christ’s gift to sinners who desperately need His grace. And because it is His gift, no sin is greater than His forgiveness, and no failure is stronger than His resurrection.
Reflect: What fears, regrets, or guilty memories tend to lock the door of your heart, and how does Jesus’ greeting, “Peace be with you,” speak directly to them? How can you more intentionally receive and treasure the Holy Spirit’s gifts of forgiveness?
Prayer: Risen Lord Jesus, thank You for speaking peace to fearful sinners. Thank You for bearing my sins in Your body on the cross and rising again to assure me that my forgiveness is complete. When guilt or fear threatens to overwhelm me, remind me that Your peace rests not on my performance but on Your finished work. Help me to live each day with the confidence that I am fully forgiven and deeply loved because of You. In Your holy name I pray. Amen.