This is a simplified version of the Bible story found in John 20:19-23, written for children to understand. For the original version, please refer to the Bible passage.
One evening, after Jesus died on the cross, His friends were scared for fear of the Jews and locked themselves in a room. Suddenly, Jesus appeared before them, even though the doors were locked! Jesus said, “Peace be with you.”
Jesus showed His friends His hands and His side, where He was hurt when He died on the cross. When Jesus appeared to them, the friends were very happy to see Him again.
Jesus said, “I bring you peace again. My Father in Heaven sent me to help people, and now I’m sending you to help others too.”
Jesus then breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”
This meant that Jesus gave His disciples the Holy Spirit to help others and forgive their sins. If they forgave someone, their sins would be forgiven. If they did not forgive someone, their sins would not be forgiven.
Biblical Lessons
- Jesus came back to life after He died on the cross, proving He is the Son of God.
- Fear can keep us from experiencing the joy and peace that comes from being in the presence of Jesus.
- Jesus offers us His peace even in the midst of difficult or scary situations.
- The Holy Spirit empowers us to do the work that Jesus has called us to do.
- Forgiveness is a powerful gift that we can offer to others, and it has the power to transform lives.
- Jesus is always with us, even when we can’t see Him.