Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

JOHN 20:21KJV
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John 20:21 (KJV)

What does John 20:21 mean?

John 20:21 records Jesus speaking to his disciples after his resurrection, assuring them with a greeting of peace and telling them that just as God the Father sent him, he is now sending them. This verse highlights both the comfort Jesus gives and the new purpose he gives his followers.

In this scene, Jesus appears to his closest followers, who are gathered together in fear after his death. He repeats his greeting of "Peace be unto you," then draws a direct connection between his own mission from God and the mission he now gives to his disciples. The verse sets up the idea that the disciples are being entrusted with continuing Jesus’ work in the world.

The Greek behind John 20:21

  • εἰρήνη (eirēnē, "Peace"): This word means more than just the absence of conflict; it often carries the sense of wholeness or well-being. Jesus’ greeting reassures the disciples and signals restored relationship.
  • ἀπέσταλκεν (apestalken, "has sent") and πέμπω (pempō, "send"): Both words are used for "send," but ἀπέσταλκεν (apestalken) refers to the Father’s sending of Jesus, while πέμπω (pempō) is Jesus’ sending of the disciples. The shift in words can suggest a continuity but also a distinction in the nature of the sending.
  • καθὼς (kathōs, "as"): This word draws a strong parallel, showing that the disciples’ mission is modeled after Jesus’ own mission from the Father.

Why John 20:21 matters

  • John 20:21 clarifies that the disciples’ mission is not self-appointed but directly given by Jesus, mirroring his own mission from God.
  • The verse emphasizes that Jesus’ followers are meant to continue his work, not just remember it, tying their purpose to his.
  • By repeating the greeting of peace, Jesus addresses the disciples’ fear and uncertainty, grounding their new mission in reassurance rather than anxiety.

Where else these words appear

“so” Greek G2504 · used in 68 verses

  • Matthew 2:8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
  • John 10:15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
  • 1 Corinthians 7:40 But she is happier if she so abide, after my judgment: and I think also that I have the Spirit of God.

“send” Greek G3992 · used in 80 verses

  • Matthew 2:8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
  • John 7:16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.
  • Acts 19:31 And certain of the chief of Asia, which were his friends, sent unto him, desiring him that he would not adventure himself into the theatre.

“Peace” Greek G1515 · used in 86 verses

  • Matthew 10:13 And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.
  • Romans 2:10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
  • Philippians 4:9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

“sent” Greek G649 · used in 130 verses

  • Matthew 2:16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.
  • Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
  • John 17:8 For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.