John 20:21-22
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Jesus doesn't just repeat "Peace be with you" as a friendly greeting; He's connecting the peace He offers to the mission He's entrusting to His followers. He's saying that the same divine authority and purpose behind His own sending by the Father now empower them for their task.
Jesus has just revealed Himself to His disciples after His resurrection, calming their fear and proving He is alive. He repeats His greeting of "Peace be with you" and immediately issues them a commission, equating their mission to the very one the Father gave Him. This sets the stage for Him to impart the Holy Spirit and empower them for their future ministry of reconciliation.
Jesus doesn't just wish his followers well; He bestows peace. But what kind of peace is this, and why is it so crucial before they can be sent out?
Jesus' repeated greeting of "Peace be with you" isn't just a polite hello. It's a profound impartation. This peace is the "shalom" of God – a wholeness that goes beyond the absence of conflict. It's the deep sense of well-being and reconciliation with God that comes from His presence and finished work.
Before sending them into a world that just rejected and killed Him, Jesus equips His disciples with His own peace. It’s the internal foundation that allows them to face external turmoil with confidence and share the good news of reconciliation authentically.
Jesus tells His followers they are being sent out "as the Father has sent me." What does this incredible comparison mean for their mission and identity?
This is a staggering statement: Jesus equates His own unique divine mission, given by the Father, with the mission He is now entrusting to His disciples. He was the Father's ultimate messenger, revealing God's love and will. Now, He sends them as His own representatives, carrying His message and authority.
The key here is not that they are Jesus, but that they are sent in the same way. Just as the Father equipped Jesus, Jesus equips them. This commission isn't about human capability but about divine empowerment, mirroring the Father's sending of the Son.
Understand the original words
eirēnē · Greek Noun
The Hebrew concept of shalom signifies not merely the absence of war, but wholeness, harmony, prosperity, and total well-being in relationship with God and others. In the New Testament, it represents the reconciliation between God and humanity established through Christ.
apostellō · Greek Verb
In a theological context, this refers to the act of commission or authorization by God. It implies the divine initiative in redemption, where the Sender grants authority and purpose to the one being sent to fulfill a specific mission.
pneuma hagion · Greek Noun phrase
The third person of the Trinity, fully divine, who applies the work of salvation to believers. The Holy Spirit indwells the Church, empowering, guiding, and sanctifying believers to carry out the mission of Christ.
Jesus' words, 'As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you,' directly link His own divine mission to the apostolic mission He is now entrusting to His disciples. This is not just a command, but an identification, emphasizing that their authority and purpose mirror His own, a truth powerfully underscored by the subsequent impartation of the Holy Spirit.
c. AD 30-33
Jesus' Ministry and Crucifixion
Jesus completes his earthly ministry, teaching, healing, and ultimately being crucified. This event marks the culmination of his divine mission from the Father.
c. AD 30-33
Jesus' Resurrection
Following his crucifixion, Jesus is resurrected, appearing to his disciples over a period of 40 days. This event validates his claims and demonstrates his victory over death.
c. AD 30-33— this verse
Jesus' Great Commission
Shortly after His resurrection, Jesus commissions his disciples, emphasizing their role as His witnesses and ambassadors to the world.
c. AD 30-33
Pentecost and the Holy Spirit's Arrival
The disciples receive the full outpouring of the Holy Spirit, empowering them for their mission and marking the birth of the Church.
This Old Testament passage directly foreshadows Jesus' mission, which He then uses as the model for the disciples' own commission, highlighting the continuity of God's redemptive purpose.
John 17:18Jesus prayed to the Father, 'As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.' This verse from John's Gospel shows the deep theological connection between the Father's sending of the Son and the Son's sending of His disciples.
Matthew 28:18-20The Great Commission in Matthew records Jesus giving His disciples authority and sending them out to make disciples of all nations, mirroring the authority and mission given here in John 20.
Acts 1:8Jesus promises His disciples they will receive power to be His witnesses, a promise fulfilled after His ascension and directly related to the mission He entrusts to them in John 20:21.
barnesJohn 20:21: "Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you."
As my Father hath sent me - As God sent me to preach, to be persecuted, and to suffer; to make known his will, and to offer pardon to men, so I send you. This is the design and the extent of the commission of the ministers of the Lord Jesus. He is their model; and they will be successful only as they study his character and imitate his example. This commission he proceeds to confirm by…
vincentJohn 20:21: "Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you."
Hath sent (ἀπέσταλκεν)Note the distinction between this verb and that applied to the sending of the disciples (πέμπω). See on John 1:6.
Jesus doesn't just repeat "Peace be with you" as a friendly greeting; He's connecting the peace He offers to the mission He's entrusting to His followers. He's saying that the same divine authority and purpose behind His own sending by the Father now empower them for their task.
Jesus has just revealed Himself to His disciples after His resurrection, calming their fear and proving He is alive. He repeats His greeting of "Peace be with you" and immediately issues them a commission, equating their mission to the very one the Father gave Him. This sets the stage for Him to impart the Holy Spirit and empower them for their future ministry of reconciliation.
Jesus has just revealed Himself to His disciples after His resurrection, calming their fear and proving He is alive. He repeats His greeting of "Peace be with you" and immediately issues them a commission, equating their mission to the very one the Father gave Him. This sets the stage for Him to impart the Holy Spirit and empower them for their future ministry of reconciliation.
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"Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit." — Jesus doesn't just repeat "Peace be with you" as a friendly greeting; He's connecting the peace He offers to the mission He's entrusting to His followers. He's saying that the same divine authority a…
