Jesus did something that's recorded in John 20 that is easily over looked.
20:21-Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
20:22-And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
20:23-Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
Hi Joel,
Those verses in John 20 can be confusing, was He giving them the Holy Spirit by breathing on them, before He ascended back to the Father? Well no, this was a symbol/pledge He was showing them, while He was still there physically to explain, of what was to come on the day of Pentecost. Jesus had already explained to them it would be only after He "go away" back to the Father before the Comforter could come.
John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth: It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I go, I will send him unto you.
In Acts 1 there is the ascension of Christ and right before this He is speaking to the disciples and you can see by what He is saying to them that they have not yet actually received the Holy Spirit.
Act 1:8 But you shall receive power when (because it had not yet happened) the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
v. 9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
Ray explained this as well.
http://bible-truths.com/lake8.html ----------------------------------
On Pentecost, Jesus Christ came back to His disciples just as He said He would. He came back as the Comforter. Jesus said that they absolutely could NOT receive the Comforter until He went away. Why? Because Jesus Christ IS THE COMFORTER, but not in the flesh, but in THE SPIRIT!
It was on Pentecost that the first members of the Church of Christ received the Holy Spirit Comforter, just as He symbolized to them when He blew on them, showing that He Himself would come to them in spirit by the will of God. Now for the first time, His disciples were truly converted, baptized in Holy Spirit, possessing the mind of Christ, lead into all Truth (Jesus) by the Comforter—Jesus was NOW BUILDING HIS CHURCH!
"But the Comforter [Greek, parakletos, also called the Consoler, and in I John 2:1, Advocate in KJV, and Entreater in the CLNT] which IS the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you" (John 14:26).
The Advocate or Entreater in I John 2:1 IS the parakletos, The Comforter or Consoler of John 14:26 IS the parakletos,. and we are told that it is Jesus Christ Himself. Furthermore, the "Holy Spirit" that is said to come AS the Comforter is also Jesus Christ,
"Now the Lord IS that Spirit: and where the Spirit OF THE Lord [Jesus Christ] is, there is liberty" (II Cor. 3:17
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mercy, peace and love
Kat