Sermon Details
- Pastor Name: Jonathan Cornell
- Date & Time: May 4, 2014 | 10:00am
John’s Gospel this morning tells us that when Jesus appeared to his disciples that first Easter morning, he breathed on them. And as the story begins, you might say that the disciples themselves are out of breath. When something disheartening happens in your family or among friends, what do we compare it to? Having the air sucked out of the room. And the disciples are sitting together that first evening, their hearts are sunk, their disposition downcast, the shades are pulled, the dishes are piled high in the sink, the gloom is so thick you could cut it with a knife. When suddenly everything changes.
Let’s look at that scene from John’s gospel chapter 20 beginning at verse 19. And as you are able, out of reverence for the authority and inspiration of God’s word, let’s stand together and listen to the word of the Lord.
On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 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. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”
In CS Lewis’ Narnia tale The Silver Chair, little Jill is only ten years old, but the fate of Narnia rests on her shoulders. You see, the wicked queen of the underworld has abducted Prince Rilian, who is the rightful heir to the throne, and has him under the spell of her deadly green powder. Now the queen not only has an arsenal of magic, she also lives underground in total darkness in a castle that is surrounded by evil giants. So this little English schoolgirl is given an impossible mission. Ah, but Aslan, the great Lion, takes Jill to the top of a high mountain and stands her next to the cliff and blows on her. And such is the power of Lion’s breath that it picks Jill up and blows her to Narnia. And when she arrives there, not only has she ridden on Lion’s breath, but she has Lion’s breath in her lungs. Man, when you have Lion’s breath in you, nothing can stop you. So Jill rescues Prince Rilian, and everyone lives happily ever after.
Download the entire transcript here: John 20 19-23 Lion’s Breath
