Receive the Holy Spirit
Month 12: Risen & Sending · Walking in the Spirit
Today's Scripture
Read together: John 20:19-22
19 It was the first day of the week, and that very evening, while the disciples were together with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them. “Peace be with you!” He said to them. 20 After He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Again Jesus said to them, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, so also I am sending you.” 22 When He had said this, He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
Memory Verse
“He is not here; He has risen, just as He said! Come, see the place where He lay.”— Matthew 28:6 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: 2 Corinthians 11-13; Galatians 1
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. ("My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness" — and Paul marvels at the gospel of grace.)The Heart of It
It is the evening of resurrection day. The disciples are huddled behind locked doors, terrified the authorities will come for them next. Then Jesus comes and stands among them. Locked doors are no obstacle to His risen body. And the first thing He says is "Peace be with you." He shows them His hands and His side, the very wounds that prove it is really Him. And their fear melts into joy. Then He gives them their mission and their power in one breath. "As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." And He breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit" (). Notice the picture. Long ago God breathed life into the first man in the garden (). Now the risen Lord breathes new life into His new-creation people. The Christian life is not something we make ourselves. It is the very breath of God in us.
This is the heart of walking in the Spirit. Jesus does not send us out on our own steam to do an impossible job. He sends us filled. Notice the order, too. First peace. Then the proof of His wounds. Then the sending. Then the Spirit. He settles our hearts and shows us His love before He ever asks us to go. And the same Lord who breathed on the disciples that evening is the one who later poured out His Spirit at Pentecost in even fuller power (). That is the baptism in the Holy Spirit. It clothes ordinary believers with boldness, with gifts to serve, and with fruit that looks like Jesus. This gift is not for a special few. Jesus said, "How much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" (). You can teach your children to ask. The risen Lord still breathes peace into frightened rooms and life into willing hearts.
Around the Table
Jesus came to His scared friends and said, "Peace!" Then He breathed on them and gave them God's Helper, the Holy Spirit, to be with them always.
Let's do it: Take a big, gentle breath together, then say, "Thank You, Jesus, for Your Helper, the Holy Spirit!"
Jesus didn't send His friends out alone. He filled them with the Holy Spirit first, so they wouldn't have to be brave on their own strength.
Let's talk: What is something hard you need to do that would be easier with God's Helper giving you courage?
Jesus said "Peace" twice, and He showed His wounds, before He sent them. The Spirit gives us power. But Jesus settles our hearts in His love first.
Let's go deeper: Why does it matter that Jesus gives us peace and shows His love before He gives us a job to do?
💬 Conversation Starter
When have you done something braver than you thought you could?— That courage might have been the Holy Spirit helping you. He is the same Helper Jesus breathed on His friends.
🛡️ Defending the Faith
Some people say miracles can't happen. But if God created the whole universe out of nothing, then a locked door, a healed wound, or a risen body are small things to Him. The real question is not whether miracles can happen. The question is whether there is a God big enough to do them. There is.
For Dad · Go Deeper
Classic Pentecostal teaching sees a beautiful pattern here. The risen Christ gives the Spirit to His disciples on Easter evening. Then He pours Him out in fuller, mission-empowering measure at Pentecost. The point for your home is that the Spirit-filled life is normal Christianity, not an advanced option. And it is available to your children. They can ask the Father for the Spirit just as you can. But hold this with the right heart. The goal is never spiritual showmanship or hype. As the New Testament insists, the Spirit's first work is character. It is love, joy, peace, and patience (). Gifts without that fruit are just "sounding brass." And here is the searching part, the same one we keep coming back to. You cannot lead your family into a Spirit-empowered life you are not living. Are you walking in His breath, or in your own willpower? Before bed tonight, ask the Father to fill you afresh, and then teach your kids to ask too.
Draws on: Robert Menzies, Empowered for Witness; Gordon Fee, God's Empowering Presence.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You that the risen Jesus breathes peace into our fears. Thank You that He fills us with Your Holy Spirit. Fill us afresh today. Grow Your fruit in us. Give us courage to go where You send us. Make us more like Jesus. In His name, amen."
Jesus does not send me out empty. He breathes His own Spirit into me and sends me filled.