John 20:21

Then said Jesus Jesus therefore said; because now they were ready to receive it. Their alarm was dispelled and they knew that He was the Lord. He repeats His message of -Peace."

as my Father, &c. Better, As the Father hath sent Me. Christ's mission is sometimes spoken of in the aoristtense, as having taken place at a definite point in history (John 3:17; John 3:34; John 5:38; John 6:29; John 6:57; John 7:29; John 8:42; John 10:36; John 11:42; John 17:3; John 17:8; John 17:18; John 17:21; John 17:23; John 17:25), in which case the fact of the Incarnation is the prominent idea. Sometimes, though much less often, it is spoken of, as here, in the perfecttense, as a fact which continues in its results (Joh 5:36; 1 John 4:9; 1 John 4:14), in which case the present and permanent effects of the mission are the prominent idea. Christ's mission is henceforth to be carried on by His disciples.

The Greek for -send" is not the same in both clauses; in the first, -hath sent," it is apostellein;in the second, -send," it is pempein. The latter is the most general word for -send," implying no special relation between sender and sent; the former adds the notion of a delegated authority constituting the person sent the envoy or representative of the Sender. Both verbs are used both of the mission of Christ and of the mission of the disciples. Apostelleinis used of the mission of Christ in all the passages quoted above: it is used of the mission of the disciples, John 4:38; John 17:18. (Comp. John 1:6; John 1:19; John 1:24; John 3:28; John 5:33; John 7:32; John 11:3.) Pempeinis used of Christ's mission only in the aorist participle (John 4:34; John 5:23-24; John 5:30; John 5:37; John 6:38-40; John 6:44; John 7:16; John 7:18; John 7:28; John 7:33; John 8:16; John 8:18; John 8:26; John 8:29; John 9:4; and in all the passages in chaps. 12 16); the aorist participle of apostelleinis not used by S. John, although the Synoptists use it in this very sense (Matthew 10:40; Mark 9:37; Luke 9:48; Luke 10:16). Pempeinis used of disciples here and in John 13:20 (of the Spirit, John 14:26; John 16:7).

"The general result … seems to be, that in this charge the Lord presents His own Mission as the one abiding Mission of the Father; this He fulfils through His Church. His disciples receive no new commission, but carry out His." Westcott in loco.

send I you Or, am I sending you; their mission has already begun (comp. John 20:17; John 17:9); and the first and main part of it was to be the proclamation of the truth just brought home to themselves the Resurrection (Acts 1:22; Acts 2:24; Acts 4:2; Acts 4:33, &c.).