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scroll down for a commentary of John 7:37-39
 The Scene -
Evening of day of resurrection / doors locked, in hiding /Peace / disciples invited to
confirm physical qualities of resurrected body/rejoicing / Peace / commissioned / Holy
Spirit given / authority to convey or withhold forgiveness
John’s Version of Pentecost - the Holy Spirit is from God through the crucified
and risen Christ; the Holy Spirit is associated with the commission of Christ to the
church to continue his mission in the world; and the Holy Spirit empowers the apostles to
give authoritative leadership to the church. [1]
Well Said -Without Pentecost, Easter offers us a risen Christ whose return to glory
leaves the church to face the world armed with nothing but fond memories of how it once
was when Jesus was here. But with Pentecost, Easter’s Christ promises to return and
has returned in the Holy Spirit as comforter, guide, teacher, reminder, and power. [2]
 Have you ever gone to your room or
office and locked the door? Why?
- How has the balance shifted between disciples and religious authorities from advantage
(for example, the Triumphal Entry) to grave disadvantage (“doors locked for fear . .
.”)? What might lie behind some of their fears?
- Of all the things that Jesus must have said, why does John record: “Peace be with
you” three times in vs 19, 21, and 26?
- How might Jesus’ “Peace” saying/s relate to their fears?
- How can the church proffer “Peace” and offer forgiveness to those who have
locked their doors in fear?
 If your congregation did not have the
book of Acts-which perhaps was the case with the Johannine community-what could they learn
of the Spirit being given to the Community based on John’s gospel? Such an approach
might allow a closer listening to this passage since it has certainly been muted by Acts
2.
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[1] Fred Craddock, John Hayes, Carl Holladay, and Gene Tucker, Preaching the New Common
Lectionary (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1988), page 244.
[2] Ibid, page 244.
Our lesson
begins with the last day of the eight-day celebration of “Tabernacles.” The
ritual of the Tabernacles included water-libation: the priest would circle the altar with
freshly drawn water; the Temple court and the streets of Jerusalem would be filled with
temporary shelters. [1]
Earlier Hints of the Spirit - Now that we’re in the Fourth Gospel’s final
segment of Jesus’ earthly ministry, it is intriguing and illuminating to return to
the 3rd chapter and notice what Jesus says of the Spirit. There, the Spirit is the Agent
of the birth “from above” (anothen), a spiritual birth requiring water and the
Spirit. And then Jesus says in 3:13: “No one has ascended into heaven but he who
descended from heaven, the Son of man.” [2] This all makes sense with the events of
Ascension and Pentecost.
Well Said -As surely as Christ is alive, as surely as he is sent from
God, so also the disciples are no longer defined by death-dealing fear but rather by
life-giving mission. [3]
What evidence could you offer of
the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life?
- How is the Spirit’s presence like water?
- Describe ways that our culture seeks to quench thirst; what felt needs and yearnings can
you name?
- What is your experience of the promises of Christ in this passage vis-à-vis your
experience with the Spirit?
If your congregation did not have the
book of Acts-which perhaps was the case with the Johannine community-what could they learn
of the Spirit being given to the Community based on this short passage from John’s
gospel? Such an approach might allow a closer listening to this passage since it has
certainly been muted by Acts 2.
[3] New Proclamation (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2002), page 82.
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