John 20:19-23

Jesus’ appearance to His

disciples
Exegesis Tutorial
Class work with tutorial model answers
By
Paul Burgess
with
Peter Percy

*
PCJB
PP Presentation
devised and prepared
for
Gujranwala Theological Seminary
may be copied for non-commercial use only
May 2009
Why PowerPoint?

 Clarity of outline
Central formatting
Use few words per frame
One unit of thought to each line

 Ease of editing / manipulating text

 Force of impact
This Presentation…

 Is prepared for use in the classroom

(using a multimedia projector beamed onto a white
wall or screen; or a wide screen monitor for small
groups (2-10))
 Can be easily adapted by the teacher
 Allows for class interaction with the text
(using the edit mode for class suggestions, e.g.
for “best” lay out of the Scripture text)
John 20:19-23
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the
disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of
the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said,
"Peace be with you!“ After he said this, he showed them
his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when
they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, "Peace be with
you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.“ And
with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the
Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are
forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not
forgiven.”
Listing the IDEAS
 On the evening of that first day of the week,
 when the disciples were together,
 with the doors locked
 for fear of the Jews,
 Jesus came
 and stood among them
 and said, "Peace be with you!“
 After he said this,
 he showed them his hands and side.
 The disciples were overjoyed
 when they saw the Lord.
 Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you!
 As the Father has sent me,
 I am sending you.“
 And with that he breathed on them
 and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit.
 If you forgive anyone his sins,
 they are forgiven;
 if you do not forgive them,
 they are not forgiven.”
Shaping the STRUCTURE
This is often the most difficult step in this method of exegesis
as there is no perfect “answer”.

But the main idea is to bring to attention the grammatical structure

This relates closely to the questions about
who is doing what, where, when, how and why
(another way of doing grammar!)

So please note the differences between

the Class’s analysis
and
the Tutor’s analysis!
Class Response
Shaping the STRUCTURE
On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the disciples
were together,
with the doors locked
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came
and stood among them
and said,
"Peace be with you!“
After he said this,
he showed them his hands and side.
The disciples
were overjoyed
when they saw the Lord.
Again Jesus said,
"Peace be with you!
As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.“
And with that he breathed on them
and said,
"Receive the Holy Spirit.
If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven;
if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
Tutor’s response (Compare closely with class
response)
Shaping the STRUCTURE
On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the disciples were together,
with the doors locked
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came
and stood among them
and said, "Peace be with you!“
After he said this,
he showed them his hands and side.
The disciples were overjoyed
when they saw the Lord.
Again
Jesus said, "Peace be with you!
As the Father has sent me,
I am sending you.“
And with that
he breathed on them
and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit.
If you forgive anyone his sins,
they are forgiven;
if you do not forgive them,
they are not forgiven.”
 Notes on
Shaping the STRUCTURE

 Just because a clause comes before the main sentence

does not mean we have to start with that clause in our
alignment. Try to start with the subject of the main
sentence and align clauses appropriately even though
they start the paragraph/sentence

 Keep the disciples together! “were” is the verb of that

clause and therefore the controlling word for alignment of
the rest.
 How were they together? Ans: with the door locked.
 Why were the doors locked? Ans: for fear of the Jews!
 Notes on
Shaping the STRUCTURE

 But we haven’t come to the most important fact yet:

Jesus came. (We tend to focus on our own fears and
problems and relegate the presence of Jesus to the
back of our minds!)

 So while the scene is set with the focus on the

disciples’ fear, the grammatical structure reminds us
that that is not the most significant fact in the situation!
 Notes on
Shaping the STRUCTURE

 What matters is what Jesus did (came, stood,

showed, breathed) and said. And this is what the
sermon should be about.

 Of course the disciples do have an important part in

the narrative (as we still do today!) But we must get
our priorities right – Jesus first; ourselves responding
to what He says to us!
 Notes on
Shaping the STRUCTURE
 Now you’ve probably started to preach this sermon already in
your mind:
“After Jesus’ death, his disciples were devastated! How could
God allow this to happen? What were they going to do next?
They got together! Where? In some room where they would
be safe and could lock the door Why should they want to
lock the door? They were scared! Why? Because the Jews
were after them, or so they thought! But wait a minute –
when did there meeting take place? – on the evening of the
first day of the week – hadn’t they been told the news by
then? That Jesus had risen? Hadn’t anyone told them yet? ”
And so on.
 Notes on
Shaping the STRUCTURE

 Excitement builds up as the congregation

starts to feel itself to be in the situation of the
disciples…

 Note how all this comes out of closely

observing the grammatical structure!
Class response
Analysing the ACTION

This involves noting (with colours or other markings):

WHO is involved (persons) Disciples/ Jews/ Jesus/ Father/ Holy

Spirit
WHAT is happening (verbs) locked/ came/ stood/ said/ showed/
overjoyed/ saw/ sent/ sending/ breathed/ receive/ forgive
WHAT else is mentioned (things and ideas) Peace
WHERE the action is taking place in a room
WHEN on the evening of that first day of the week
WHY and
HOW
Tutor’s Response Analysing the
ACTION
WHO is involved (persons)
Disciples / Jews / Jesus / The Father / The Holy Spirit
WHAT is happening (verbs)
locked / came / stood / said / showed / overjoyed / saw /
sent / sending / breathed / receive / forgive
WHAT else is mentioned (things and ideas)
evening / day / week / fear / doors / peace / hands and side /
sins
WHERE the action is taking place
[in a room] / among them
WHEN
on the evening of that first day of the week / after he said this
WHY
for fear of the Jews
HOW
together / with the doors locked / as the Father has sent
Notes on ACTION Questions

It is good to note down EVERY possible answer to

these six Action Questions because:
 they draw our attention to significant details that

we might miss otherwise, e.g.

 the timing of the event
 The disciples’ fear
 they highlight where any emphasis has been
placed, e.g. what Jesus said about:
 Peace
 Forgiveness
 Sending
Notes on ACTION Questions

While it is good to note down EVERY possible

answer to these six Action Questions:
 The sermon itself does not need to cover ALL

these details
 Only the preacher needs to have studied all

that the passage contains in order to

 understand it fully and accurately
and
 be able to present its message in a balanced way
 Class response TOPICS Covered
On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the disciples
were together, DISCIPLES WERE TOGETHER
with the doors locked DISCIPLES WERE AFRAID

for fear of the Jews,

…………………………………………………………………………………………
Jesus came
and stood among them and said, JESUS APPEARANCE TO HIS DISCIPLES

"Peace be with you!” JESUS GIVES PEACE

After he said this,
he showed them his hands and side. RISEN LORD / PROOF TO BELIEVE
………………………………………………………………………………………………
The disciples
were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. JOY OF THE LORD
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Again Jesus said,
"Peace be with you! JESUS GIVES PEACE
As the Father has sent me , I am sending you.“ JESUS SENDS
And with that he breathed on them
and said,
"Receive the Holy Spirit. RECEIVNG HOLY SPIRIT & JESUS
If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven;
if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
FORGIVENESS OF SINS
Tutor’s response TOPICS Covered
On the evening of that first day of the week, THE DISCIPLES’ FEAR
when the disciples were together,
with the doors locked
for fear of the Jews,
…………………………………………………………………………………………
Jesus came THE INTERVENTION OF JESUS
and stood among them
and said, "Peace be with you!” THE BENEDICTION OF JESUS
After he said this,
he showed them his hands and side. THE DEMONSTRATION OF JESUS
…………………………………………………………………………………………
The disciples were overjoyed
when they saw the Lord. THE DISCIPLES’ JOYFUL REACTION
…………………………………………………………………………………………
Again
Jesus said, "Peace be with you!
As the Father has sent me, THE DIVINE COMMISSION
I am sending you.“
And with that
he breathed on them THE INSPIRATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. RECEPTION IF THE HOLY SPIRIT
If you forgive anyone his sins,
they are forgiven; FORGIVENESS OF SINS
if you do not forgive them,
they are not forgiven.”
Class response Over-All SUBJECT
Suggestions
 Disciples’ unity & fear *
 Jesus appearance to His disciples ****
 Peace that Jesus gives ***
 Joy of the Lord *
 Jesus sends *
 Receiving Holy Spirit **
 Forgiveness of Sins **
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tutor’s comment:
While the choice of the second suggestion is
closest to the over-all subject,
it is too bland
and
is not informed by half of the information
provided by the total passage
(e.g. disciples’ fear, commissioning)
Tutor’s response

The Over-All SUBJECT

Main Themes:
 The disciples’ fear and later joy
 Jesus’ intervention

 The divine commission passed on to the disciples

V
Over-all SUBJECT
Jesus empowering fearful disciples
for mission
 Class response

TEACHING on O/A Subject :

Jesus appearance to His disciples

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were
together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews,
 Because of various circumstances, believers sometimes feel fear
in spite of their unity & it seems that they are living in locked
doors.
Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!”
 We have to acknowledge that Jesus is present with His followers
& He is the source of real peace.
After he said this, he showed them his hands and side.
 Death of Jesus Christ is a reality.

The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

 Jesus presence is the source of joy.
 Class response TEACHING on O/A Subject :
Jesus appearance to His disciples

Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me , I am
sending you.”
 Jesus sends believers with a mission. Church is the agent of change.

And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit.
 Without filling of the Holy Spirit, effective witness is not possible.

If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them,
they are not forgiven.”
 The Church has the privilege to convey the message of God’s
forgiveness to men.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tutor’s comments:
While certainly true, the last three points contain
extra-textual interpretation
(clarification that comes from elsewhere in Scripture)
Strictly speaking this should not be done at this step
– we are simply studying the text in front of us
(and possibly a few verses on either side of the passage).
The Use of Other Scriptures

A Note
on
Canonical Context
 Canonical Context
Studying the context of a passage can extend from
 immediate context,

through
 book context,

and
 the context of the writer’s total writings,

to
 the context of the whole of Scripture

(Canonical Context),
which merges into
Theological Interpretation
Theological interpretation comes
after we have finished extracting
the immediate teaching of the text
on the over-all subject
Canonical Context
Warning:
Avoid bringing in additional ideas
from the rest of the Bible.

In exegesis of a text (passage)

information should be taken from
the canonical context
only to
clarify the meaning of the text,
not to
add to its message.
 Canonical Context
In this passage
it would be appropriate to study the Canonical context
if you wanted to pursue the following issues:

 When was the Holy Spirit given to Christ’s followers?

 at Pentecost?

Or
 when Jesus first appeared to his disciples after he had risen?

 Do Christians have the authority

 To forgive sins themselves?

Or
 Only to announce the forgiveness of sins for all who accept Jesus as

their Saviour?
Tutor’s responseTEACHING on O/A Subject:
Jesus empowering fearful disciples for mission

 Despite knowing Jesus, followers of Jesus sought security in

fellowship and locked doors
 Jesus comes unexpectedly into situations of fear and
intervenes with his invocation of peace
 After fears have been calmed, minds have to be convinced of
the reality of Jesus and of what had happened to him
 Seeing Jesus standing there brings joy
 Peace of mind is the necessary prelude to divine mission
 Mission requires empowering with the Holy Spirit that comes
from Jesus himself
 The divine mission is all about bringing forgiveness of sins to
a sinful world
 Jesus’ disciples are promised the privilege of being effective
agents of the forgiveness of sins of others – if they act on that
privilege – as Jesus himself did first.
Class response The Main Lessons
of the passage

In spite of the opposition to Christ’s We cannot have the peace of God

Gospel and unanswered prayers, until we have peace with God
we should never give up our faith. through Jesus. Only Jesus can give
A real peace & joy. C
The death & resurrection of Jesus The Church is the agent of change
Christ is a reality. B in this word. We are Jesus’ hands,
feet & mouth to this world & Jesus
needs His church. But the Church
also needs Jesus because without
Jesus we have no witness, no power
of Holy Spirit. D
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------
Tutor’s comments:
Additional ideas have been introduced in A, C & D
(unanswered prayers, peace with God, agents of change in the
world)
These may amplify the message of the expository sermon, but
Tutor’s response The Main Lessons
of the passage

 Christians can lock themselves into their fears, but

Jesus can intervene to calm those fears and bring
peace and joy
 Peace of mind produced through looking at Jesus
and contemplating what he has done on the cross is
a prelude to mission
 For this mission we need the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit
 When we have the Spirit within us, we can exercise
a ministry of forgiveness by telling others how
Jesus’ death brings forgiveness of sins
 Class response The Heart-beat
(core message)
of the passage
O/A subject:
Jesus appearance to His disciples

Be transformed: Christ’s triumph means your

transformation
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tutor’s comments:
The statement here should probably precede the exhortation. Thus:

Christ’s triumph means you can be transformed

So BE transformed!

The only problem with this message is it doesn’t tell the listener
how (s)he can be transformed!
Tutor’s response The Heart-beat
(core message)
of the passage
O/A subject:
Jesus empowering fearful disciples for mission

Two suggestions:
A
When Jesus comes into your life
He will not only calm your fears
but also
empower you to tell others
how their sins can be forgiven
B
Jesus calms our fears so we can help others
The End