Sermon – John 20:19–23 – He Breathed Upon Them

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Beaver Dam and Pitts Creek Churches

Sermon – John 20:19–23 – He Breathed Upon Them

June 8, 2014

Today is Pentecost Sunday. It is the day we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit and the equipping of the church for it's mission to bring people to Christ. All of this started when Jesus made a promise to his disciples. This is what he said:

John 14:16-18 I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-- ¹⁷ the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. ¹⁸ I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

After his resurrection Jesus kept this promise. He gave his disciples the Holy Spirit to be with the church and in the church forever. We will get to this, but first let's pray.

“Spirit of God, source of life, refresh my spirit, reshape my desire, and re-create my heart, that I may show forth your enduring glory; through Jesus Christ. Amen”.¹

Jesus not only promised that he would send the Holy Spirit, but he also told his disciples what the Holy Spirit would do. Let's return to John 14.

John 14:26 ²⁶ But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

So the function of the Holy Spirit is to help the disciples remember what Jesus said and did. This is why we have such confidence in the New Testament. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John record what Jesus said and did. They are true because the authors worked under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. And we understand them because the Spirit is here with us, teaching us what they mean. My words, which proclaim the good news of the gospel, is the word of God for us because both I and all of you are filled with the Holy Spirit who is our teacher.

Jesus also told his disciples what they must do once the Holy Spirit comes into the church. From John 15:

John 15:26-27 ²⁶ "When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. ²⁷ And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.

So just as the Holy Spirit testifies to who Jesus is so too must we who have been filled with the Holy Spirit testify to others about our faith in Jesus. This is the function of the church. We are to learn about Jesus from scripture through the Holy Spirit, when we come to church. But then we are to take our knowledge of what Jesus said and did out of the church and share it with others. This is our responsibility as disciples of Jesus Christ.

Jesus also told his disciples some of the topics the Holy Spirit would teach them.

John 16:8-11 ⁸ When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: ⁹ in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; ¹⁰ in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; ¹¹ and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

The Holy Spirit is at work in the world. The Holy Spirit will convince those who have heard the good news of Jesus Christ from our testimony to come to faith. The Holy Spirit will reconcile people with God. And the Holy Spirit will continue to battle the evil spirits of the world, which Jesus had defeated on the cross, but are still at work trying to keep people from coming to faith. The Holy Spirit will do all of this to glorify God.

Jesus kept all of these promises and sent his Holy Spirit into his church. Let's hear what did from the Gospel of John.

John 20:19-22 ¹⁹ 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.

Just as God has breathed life in Adam so too did Jesus breathe life into his church. This Spirit which came into the church that day continues to be with us today. It is with us as we hear the word of God read and proclaimed, and convinces us of it's truth. The Holy Spirit brings us to belief in Jesus Christ, and sends us into the world to testify to others about what God done for us. The Holy Spirit uses our testimony to bring others to faith. That way the church grows in members and continues generation after generation.

Let me tell you a story about Spirit filled evangelism. Cheeia Lo was the first member of her family to go to college. In her freshman year she found out about Jesus Christ and came to belief in him. She was afraid to share her faith with her family because, she thought, they just wouldn't understand. But the Holy Spirit told her, “Don't be afraid, I'll give you the words.” And with that she began to share her story of how she met Jesus.

A personal story like this is the best way to share your faith. You start by telling people about your life before Jesus was a part of it. Tell them of your struggles and insecurity. Then tell people about the gospel message, how you heard it and what it meant for you. And finally tell them how your life has changed as a result.

Cheeia Lo began talking to her family about her faith. She told them about the depression, anger and suicidal thoughts she had experience when she first arrived at college. Then she explained how Jesus Christ had helped her overcome these. After explaining all this to her family she download the Jesus film in Hmong, her family's language. After watching the film and hearing her story, 37 members of her family accepted Jesus Christ.²

So with the coming of the Holy Spirit, the church is empowered to spread the good news of Jesus bringing others to faith. The Holy Spirit will take what we say about Jesus and the stories we tell about how we have experienced Jesus in our lives and will use these to help others believe. Your role is to nurture your faith by praying, worshiping and studying the Bible. Then talk with your family and friends. Tell them of your life before you accepted Jesus. Talk about who Jesus is and what he has done for you. Then tell them how your life has changed because of Jesus. The Holy Spirit will empower you as you go. And more and more people will accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

1Kimberly Long, Feasting On the Word Worship Companion (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2013), 176.

2 http://www.cru.org/training-and-growth/training/how-to-tell-your-story.htm

An Evangelism Tool You Already Have Use your own story to naturally communicate how to become a Christian. by Sarah Martin