Jesus Appears to the Eleven on Easter Evening (Luke 24:36–43; John 20:19–23)

The texts below are quoted verbatim from public-domain English translations; nothing is paraphrased.

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St. John Chrysostom (c. 347–407)

Homilies on the Gospel of St. John, Homily 86 (on John 20:19–23) Source: trans. G. T. Stupart, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 14, 1889. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf114.iv.lxxxviii.html

On "Peace be unto you," the first word of the risen Lord:

And so this was the first word that He spake to them after the Resurrection ... and to women He giveth good tidings of joy, ... because that sex was in sorrow, and had received this as the first curse. Therefore He giveth good tidings suitable respectively, to men, peace, because of their war; joy to women, because of their sorrow.

On "As My Father hath sent Me, so send I you":

And no longer is an appeal made to the Father, but with authority He giveth to them the power.

On the breathing, and why He said "Receive ye" and not "Ye have received":

Some say that He gave not the Spirit, but rendered them fit to receive It, by breathing on them. ... Wherefore He said not, "Ye have received the Holy Ghost," but, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost."

On the power given to remit sins:

Yet one will not be wrong in asserting that they then also received some spiritual power and grace; not so as to raise the dead, or to work miracles, but so as to remit sins.

As a king sending forth governors ... so in sending these forth, Christ investeth them with the same power.

St. Cyril of Alexandria (c. 376–444)

Commentary on the Gospel of John, Book XII (on John 20:19–23) Source: trans. T. Randell, Library of Fathers, Vol. 48, 1885. Public domain. Full text: https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/cyril_on_john_12_book12.htm

On the shut doors, and Him who is not subject to the chain of cause and effect:

For while the doors were shut, as the Apostle says, Christ unexpectedly stood in the midst, by His ineffable Divine power rising superior to the chain of cause and effect, and showing Himself able to dispense with the design and method appropriate to His action.

For He that was by Nature the true God, was of necessity not subject unto the sequences of cause and effect, as are the creatures that owe their being to Him; but rather does He exercise Lordship over necessity itself, and due and appropriate methods of performance.

On the outward sign of His Breath, and the Spirit Consubstantial with the Son:

He at once sanctifies them by vouchsafing His Spirit unto them, through the outward sign of His Breath, that we might be firmly convinced that the Holy Spirit is not alien to the Son, but Consubstantial with Him, and through Him proceeding from the Father

On His eating the broiled fish, against those who think He rose a mere spirit:

In order, then, that none might think that Christ rose again a mere spirit, or an impalpable body, shadowy and ethereal, to which some give the name of spiritual, but that the selfsame body that was sown in corruption, as Paul saith, might be believed to have risen again, He openly did acts suitable to a palpable human form.

He thought it right to convince them by another act, in nowise suited to a spirit, but specially appropriate to earthly bodies and the nature of flesh. For He ate the fish that was brought unto Him, or the portion of one.

Theophylact of Ohrid (c. 1055–1107)

Explanation of the Gospel of John (on John 20:19) As preserved in the Catena Aurea on John. Public domain.

On why the Lord came while the doors were shut:

Or because He waited till all were assembled: and with shut doors, that He might shew how that in the very same way He had risen again, i.e. with the stone lying on the sepulchre.

Blessed Augustine of Hippo (354–430)

Tractates on the Gospel of John, Tractate 121 (on John 20:19–23) Source: trans. John Gibb and James Innes, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 7, 1888. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf107.iii.cxxii.html

On the shut doors that were no obstacle to His body:

But the shutting of doors presented no obstacle to the matter of His body, wherein Godhead resided. He indeed could enter without their being opened, by whose birth the virginity of His mother remained inviolate

On "As the Father hath sent me, even so send I you":

As the Father hath sent me, ... even so send I you. We know the Son to be equal to the Father; but here we recognize the words of the Mediator.

On the breathing, which signified the Spirit to be the Son's own:

By breathing on them He signified that the Holy Spirit was the Spirit, not of the Father alone, but likewise His own.

On the Church's love that remits and retains sins:

The Church's love, which is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, discharges the sins of all who are partakers with itself, but retains the sins of those who have no participation therein.

St. Gregory the Great (c. 540–604)

Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 26 (on John 20:22–23) As preserved in the Catena Aurea on John. Public domain.

On why the Spirit is given first on earth and afterwards from heaven:

But why is He first given to the disciples on earth, and afterwards sent from heaven? Because there are two commandments of love, to love God, and to love our neighbour. The spirit to love our neighbour is given on earth, the spirit to love God is given from heaven.

On the height of honour, that in the place of God they bind and loose, an office the Bishops now hold:

Lo, not only have they salvation for themselves, but are admitted to the powers of the supreme Judgment-seat; so that, in the place of God, they retain some men's sins, and remit others. Their place in the Church, the Bishops now hold

St. Bede the Venerable (c. 673–735)

Exposition of the Gospel of John (on John 20:19–21) As preserved in the Catena Aurea on John. Public domain.

On the assembly behind shut doors, wherein the infirmity of the Apostles is shewn:

Wherein is shewn the infirmity of the Apostles. They assembled with doors shut, through that same fear of the Jews, which had before scattered them: Came Jesus and stood in the midst. He came in the evening, because they would be the most afraid at that time.

On the peace twice spoken:

A repetition is a confirmation: whether He repeats it because the grace of love is twofold, or because He it is who made of twain one.