In the Gospel for Pentecost Sunday Year A, Jesus breathes on the Apostles in the upper room and says “receive the Holy Spirit.”
Think of what that means in that room at that time. The last reference the Gospels made to his breath and his spirit was on the cross where, “crying with a loud voice, he said, ‘Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit!’ and having said this he breathed his last.”
Then he died. Everyone knew he died; everyone knew he was buried; everyone knew he failed. He was done.
Yet here he is, back with his apostles, in a glorified body, yes, but a physical body that eats fish and pushes air from lungs in breaths. And instead of committing his spirit to the Father, now he is committing the Holy Spirit to his Apostles.
Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit did the same thing from the cross and in the resurrection.
When he breathed his last on the cross, dying in our place, Jesus forgave us our sins.
When he breathed on his apostles after the Resurrection, he gave…
