In the evening of that day Jesus appeared to the disciples who had hidden themselves in a locked house, fearing the Jewish authorities. Jesus greeted them and showed them the marks of the crucifixion and piercing. The disciples were filled with joy, believing and knowing him for the first time as the risen Lord (20:20). Jesus then blessed them and commissioned them to be his witnesses and apostles (20:21). The commissioning of the disciples by the risen Christ is also recorded in Matthew 28: 18-20 and Luke 24:46- 48. The promises of Jesus that the Helper, the Holy Spirit, would be given to the disciples, were fulfilled as he said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit' (20:22). All Christians recognize that God alone is the source of the forgiveness of sins but a difference of interpretation may be noted between the Roman Catholic and Protestant traditions with regard to 20 :23: 'If you forgive people's sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.' Catholics would maintain that in the commissioning given in these words there is committed to the apostles a real though instrumental power to absolve the penitent sinner from his or her sin. Protestants would maintain that in the commissioning of the apostles, there is only an authorization to declare God's forgiveness to the penitent sinner, or where necessary, to warn the impenitent sinner of the need to repent before God's forgiveness can be received. The divine forgiveness of sins is the foundation of the Good News which the apostles are commissioned to preach in the power of the Holy Spirit.

This short passage is very important because of the four actions of the risen Christ which relate to the life of the Church at all times:

(i) He fulfilled his promise of giving inner peace to those who believe (14:27). The world should learn of the peace given by Christ, from the Church. '

(ii) The Church is commissioned by Christ to go out into the world and to work for him so that no one remains ignorant of him.

(iii) This work is' to be done in the power of the Holy Spirit which Christ gives.

(iv) The Good News of the forgiveness of sin must be carried to the world by the Church.

In John's account of the giving of the Holy Spirit to the disciples on the day of the Resurrection, the emphasis is on the gift of the Spirit to the disciples for the forgiveness of sins. Luke, in Acts 2, describes the giving of the Holy Spirit to the disciples on the day of Pentecost, emphasizing the visible empowering of the disciples by the Holy Spirit which enabled them to throw off all fear, preach fearlessly, heal the sick and demonstrate publicly that the work of the Church in the world had begun. Each writer witnesses to the truth that the life of the first Christians was life 'in the Spirit' (1 Corinthians 12:1-11).