20:21
Jesus had prayed something similar in John 17:18. The primary purpose of the cross was the atoning work of Jesus, but He is also an example of what we are meant to be like. Moreover, the cross, while absolutely central and critical, was not the endpoint. Rather it is the gateway to our restoration to become what God always intended us to become. Note that before the “As the Father ...” we have “Peace be with you”. The mission was not an easy road, but on that road we have the peace of God. Note that “peace” is part of the greeting in all of Paul’s letters.
20:22
This verse gives rise to a number of interpretations. The interpretation depends largely on whether we see this as Jesus giving the Holy Spirit to them at this point, in which case the question arises as to how it fits in with Pentecost. Alternatively, we can see it as looking forward to Pentecost, Jesus is effectively saying they will receive the Holy Spirit. Even with Christ risen they may have wondered how they could fulfil the mission, the answer to this is that they would receive the Holy Spirit who would empower them for the mission.
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