Read John 20:11–23
In a moment of deep intimacy, Jesus breathes on His disciples and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (20:22). This act is a foretaste of the full outpouring of the Holy Spirit that would come at Pentecost, marking the beginning of the Church’s mission. Here, Jesus gives them a glimpse of the new life and power they will receive through the Spirit.
The act of Jesus breathing on His disciples mirrors the creation of humanity in Genesis when God breathed life into Adam (Genesis 2:7). Just as physical life began with God’s breath, spiritual life is now being renewed and transformed by Jesus’ breath, symbolizing the new life we receive in Him. The Holy Spirit would soon come in full power, equipping the disciples to carry the gospel to the world, but in this moment, they experience the initial blessing of God’s Spirit, renewing them and preparing them for their mission.
This scene is also a foreshadowing of our future hope—our own spiritual and physical resurrection in Christ. Just as Jesus physically rose from the dead, His resurrection is a promise of our own. When we are in Christ, we receive the Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our future resurrection (Ephesians 1:13–14). Though we still live in a broken world and experience the effects of sin and death, the Spirit within us is a foretaste of the full redemption that is to come.
As Christ followers, we already participate in the new life Jesus has secured for us. Through the Holy Spirit, we experience the power of Christ’s resurrection in our lives today—overcoming sin, finding joy in His presence, and being renewed day by day. But even more, we look forward to the day when our spiritual and physical resurrection will be complete, when we will share in Christ’s eternal victory over death. Until then, we live in the hope and power of the Spirit, confident in the promise of new life that is already ours in Jesus.
Begin praying with Psalm 71:20–21:
“You caused me to experience
many troubles and misfortunes,
but you will revive me again.
You will bring me up again,
even from the depths of the earth.
You will increase my honor
and comfort me once again.”