Receive The Holy Spirit

In John 20, the resurrected Jesus breathes on His disciples and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” This sacred moment mirrors the Genesis account of God breathing life into Adam, symbolizing the disciples' spiritual rebirth—regeneration through the Holy Spirit.

Jesus then immediately commissions them—not with power displays or signs—but with the divine mandate to forgive. This reveals a core truth: the Holy Spirit’s first work in us is not outward power, but inward freedom.

The Greek word kekratēntai ("retained") implies that to withhold forgiveness is to retain the offense, to grip it tightly, which results in bondage—not just for the offender, but for the one holding on. Unforgiveness becomes a spiritual prison. But where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (2 Cor. 3:17).

Through personal story and Scripture, we see that forgiving people are freed people—not because others deserve it, but because Christ forgave us first. He didn’t just set us free from sin; He set us free to forgive sin. This is the Spirit-empowered path to healing, peace, and fruitfulness.