John 20:22 Meaning and Explanation
“And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Through his breath, Jesus imparts the Holy Spirit to his disciples, equipping them for their apostolic commission.
The Context of John 20:22
Immediately after commissioning the disciples, Jesus breathes on them and grants them the Holy Spirit.
What Does John 20:22 Mean?
Jesus breathes on them. That simple act echoes Genesis 2:7, when God breathed into Adam the breath of life. It echoes Ezekiel 37, when the dry bones receive the divine breath and live. It echoes the word ''spirit'' itself, which means breath or wind. The disciples, who have been gasping in fear, are now given the breath of God himself. They are remade, renewed, filled with the power to live out their commission.
The Holy Spirit is not a later addition or a theological nicety. The risen Christ himself transmits it, breath to breath. We too receive this gift, not through our own effort but through the generosity of the one who died and rose. That breath empowers us to witness, to forgive, to love.
John 20:22 in the Original Language
pneuma (Greek), 'spirit, breath, wind' -- the same word used for the Holy Spirit; Jesus's act of breathing makes the metaphor physical and real.
Where John 20:22 Echoes in Scripture
Ezekiel 37:9-10, the valley of dry bones given life by divine breath; 1 Corinthians 15:45, Christ as 'the last Adam,' undoing the curse and restoring humanity.
How to Apply John 20:22 Today
The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you. Are you living in the power of that resurrection gift?