John 20:22 kjv
And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
John 20:22 nkjv
And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.
John 20:22 niv
And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit.
John 20:22 esv
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.
John 20:22 nlt
Then he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit.
John 20 22 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 2:7 | ...the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. | God's creative breath, giving life to Adam. |
| Num 11:25 | Then the LORD came down in a cloud... and put some of the Spirit that was on him on them. | God imparting Spirit to leaders. |
| Ez 37:5, 9-10 | Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you... Breathe on these slain, that they may live. | Spirit giving life to dry bones (Israel's restoration). |
| Ps 104:30 | When you send forth your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground. | Spirit as the divine Creator/Renewer. |
| Lk 24:49 | And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high. | Promise of Spirit's power from on high. |
| Jn 1:33 | He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. | Jesus is the one who gives the Spirit. |
| Jn 3:5-8 | ...unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God... The wind blows where it wishes... So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. | Spirit as essential for new birth. |
| Jn 7:39 | Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. | Spirit's coming awaited Jesus' glorification. |
| Jn 14:16-17 | And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper... the Spirit of truth... | Promise of the Holy Spirit as Helper. |
| Jn 14:26 | But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things... | Spirit as teacher and reminder. |
| Jn 15:26 | But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth... | Spirit as witness to Jesus. |
| Jn 16:7-8 | Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. | Necessity of Jesus' departure for Spirit's coming. |
| Jn 20:21 | Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you." | Context of commissioning for ministry. |
| Jn 20:23 | If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld. | Direct consequence/empowerment from the Spirit for authority over sin. |
| Acts 1:8 | But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses... | Promise of Spirit for global witness. |
| Acts 2:4 | And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. | Fulfillment of promise at Pentecost. |
| Acts 2:33 | Being therefore exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. | Jesus pours out the Spirit after exaltation. |
| Rom 8:2 | For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. | Spirit as giver of spiritual life/freedom. |
| Rom 8:9-11 | Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him... the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you... | Spirit's indwelling for spiritual life. |
| 1 Cor 12:4-11 | Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit... To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. | Spirit as source of diverse spiritual gifts. |
| 1 Cor 15:45 | Thus it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. | Jesus as the "last Adam" giving spiritual life. |
| 2 Cor 3:6 | ...who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. | Spirit gives life in the New Covenant ministry. |
| Eph 4:30 | And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. | Spirit's indwelling as a seal of redemption. |
| Titus 3:5 | ...he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit... | Spirit brings regeneration and renewal. |
John 20 verses
John 20 22 Meaning
John 20:22 depicts a profound moment where the resurrected Jesus imparts the Holy Spirit to His assembled disciples. This action of "breathing on them" is deeply symbolic, echoing divine acts of creation and restoration, signifying Jesus' authority as the new Creator to bestow spiritual life. It empowers the disciples with the Holy Spirit for their immediate mission of reconciliation and witness, providing them with the necessary divine enablement to pronounce forgiveness of sins. This foundational indwelling prepares them for and is distinct from the subsequent full outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost.
John 20 22 Context
John 20:22 occurs on the evening of Easter Sunday, the very day of Jesus' resurrection. The disciples, along with others, were assembled in a locked room in Jerusalem, fearful of the Jewish authorities (Jn 20:19). Jesus had just appeared to them for the first time since His resurrection, greeting them with "Peace be with you," displaying His wounds, and commissioning them with a profound statement: "As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you" (Jn 20:21). The imparting of the Holy Spirit in verse 22 immediately follows this commission, indicating that it is the essential enabling for the disciples to fulfill their newly delegated divine task, which includes the authority concerning the forgiveness of sins detailed in John 20:23.
John 20 22 Word analysis
And when he had said this: This phrase signals an immediate and direct consequence of Jesus' previous statement in Jn 20:21, linking the impartation of the Spirit directly to His commissioning of the disciples for ministry.
he breathed on them: The Greek word is enephysēsen (ἐνεφύσησεν), from the verb emphusaō, meaning "to breathe into" or "to blow upon." This is a singular and highly significant action within the Gospels. It evokes powerful Old Testament imagery:
- Gen 2:7 (LXX): God enephysēsen into Adam's nostrils, imparting life. This links Jesus' action to His divine nature and the initiation of a new spiritual creation, where new life is imparted.
- Ezek 37:9 (LXX): God commands the prophet to enephysēson breath into the dry bones, bringing them back to life. This connects the act to spiritual restoration, revival, and the transformation from spiritual death to life.Jesus, the resurrected Lord, demonstrates His unique authority to bestow divine life, echoing God's own creative power.
and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.":
- Receive: The Greek verb is Lambanō (λάβετε), presented in the aorist imperative. This form signifies a command for a decisive, immediate reception of something that is being presented or offered. It indicates that the disciples were to actively embrace this gift.
- the Holy Spirit: The Greek phrase is Pneuma Hagion (Πνεῦμα Ἅγιον). Pneuma can mean "wind," "breath," or "spirit," signifying the divine, invisible, yet powerful presence and activity of God. "Holy" emphasizes His sacred, pure, and set-apart nature. This phrase identifies the divine Person and power being bestowed. This reception is an inner endowment, foundational for spiritual understanding, spiritual life, and specific ministry (like discerning and declaring forgiveness of sins in Jn 20:23).
Words-group Analysis:
- "he breathed on them and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.'": This complete statement conveys an immediate, physical, yet profoundly spiritual act. Jesus does not just command; He performs an action that conveys the very essence of what He is giving. The "breathing" symbolizes the transmission of His own resurrected, divine life into His followers. It represents a vital and internal impartation of the Spirit's life, empowering them for a new era of ministry under the new covenant. This particular act initiates them into a deeper relationship with God and qualifies them for specific spiritual tasks directly related to the new life and mission that He has now commissioned them to carry out.
John 20 22 Bonus section
This act in John 20:22 is often referred to by some scholars as the "Johannine Pentecost" because within John's Gospel, it is the pivotal moment of the Holy Spirit's reception by the disciples from the resurrected Christ. Although it precedes the more dramatic, public outpouring of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2, which emphasizes external power for global evangelism, John's account focuses on the inner reality, the spiritual life, and the authority given for reconciliation. Both events are critical moments of the Spirit's advent in the New Covenant and serve different, yet equally vital, purposes in equipping Christ's Church. The intimate setting in John contrasts with the public display in Acts, illustrating the multi-faceted nature of the Spirit's presence: internal, personal enabling alongside corporate, public empowerment.
John 20 22 Commentary
John 20:22 marks a critical transition in the disciples' spiritual experience and preparation for ministry. In this intimate post-resurrection encounter, Jesus' deliberate act of "breathing" upon them mirrors God's life-giving breath in creation (Gen 2:7) and re-creation (Ezek 37:9), thereby signifying His authority to inaugurate a new spiritual humanity endowed with the Holy Spirit. The command "Receive the Holy Spirit" immediately following the act underscores that this is a direct, divinely enabled impartation. This event is often understood as the internal equipping of the disciples—a spiritual rebirth and essential indwelling of the Spirit that empowers them for foundational gospel ministry, particularly discerning and declaring reconciliation (Jn 20:23). While this may differ in its visible manifestation from the Pentecost event in Acts 2, which provides power for public witness, both originate from Christ and represent different, complementary aspects of the Spirit's indispensable work in believers. It highlights that all effective ministry is supernaturally empowered, requiring divine enablement for human efforts to bear spiritual fruit.