By Dr. T.D. Worthington
Have you ever wondered why man is so smart? Oh, I know man can do some pretty foolish things, yet he is still more intelligent than any other creature on earth. Most animals conduct their lives the same way they did back in the Garden of Eden, but not man. Man has developed new ways to build houses, to grow his food, travel, and communicate. How is it that mankind can be so creative? Even the most evil and wicked men are capable of amazing intellectual achievements.
God’s Breath Gave Adam Life.
The Word of God clearly instructs us that it was God Who gave us this gift:
“But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.”
Job 32:8
“The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.”
Job 33:4
Perhaps these verses will help us understand. The breath of God, which gave man life in the Garden of Eden, also imparted to man a degree of divine wisdom. Apparently, other earthly creatures were made as knowledgeable and complete as they could ever be when they were created. Although the curse made some changes in their lives, most of the intellect imparted to them at creation has remained relatively unchanged over the centuries. However it is also obvious that man’s comprehension and knowledge was designed to grow. Of course it was a perverted quest for instantaneous intellectual growth that tempted Eve to partake of the forbidden fruit.
So, even today the human race is still benefitting from the creative genius our Almighty God imparted to us. Although we do not always use this gift wisely, the source of man’s genius is still God Himself.
“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”
Genesis 2:7
God literally breathed the breath into Adam. At that moment Adam “became a living soul.” It is from the breath of God that we actually get our life. Our life was the breath of God coming into us.
So, we share the breath of creation with God, thus we also can share the consciousness of God. With this realization we know we are truly one with God in the most intimate way. How can one be closer than sharing their very breath? His breath is our breath, thus His life is our life. The breath of God is our breath and source of life.
We breathe with a prescribed regularity. Physicians will often monitor the rhythm of our respiration when diagnosing our health. Likewise, the rhythm of the universe is completely regulated by the breath of God. Breathing life into us means that we are infused with the rhythm of God’s breathing. The breath of God is constantly providing a rhythm for our life much as the metronome provides rhythm for a musician. On occasion this rhythm is loud and clear, and at other times it may be in the quiet background. Sometimes we get ahead of God and need to slow down in order to let His plan for us catch up. At other times it seems He has to prod us along.
We see the evidence of this rhythm all around us. There is a prescribed rhythm in the entire creation. We can clearly see it in tides and seasons. Probably the most consistent rhythm of God’s creation is the moon’s cycle around the earth. So concise is the rhythm of the lunar cycle that God constructed the entire Jewish calendar around it.
Our dependence upon the breath of God underscores the personal relationship with our Creator. Adam would have never had life without the breath of God. We might assume his body would have eventually decayed and returned to dust. Breathing illustrates our complete dependence upon God.
God’s Breath Still Gives Life.
God’s breath is the very essence of life giving and life sustaining power. In Ezekiel’s vision in the valley of dry bones, God’s breath gives life to the nation of Israel:
“Then said He unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus says the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.”
Ezekiel 37:9
The verb “breathe” refers to a blowing, a force of wind like a bellows blowing into a furnace or steam expanding from a boiling pot. In every instance it denotes a powerful event taking place.
The Breath of Jesus Gives Us Life.
As God gave breath to the first Adam, the Second Adam (Jesus Christ) gives us the breath of life.
“Then said Jesus said to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent Me, even so send I you. And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost.”
John 20:21–22
That single Greek word translated “He breathed” occurs only once in the New Testament. It literally means “He exhaled.” It is important to understand when Jesus Christ breathes on someone, that action has a powerful affect. God’s breath is what brought Adam life in the garden. So, Jesus was reenacting that scene for His disciples and teaching them about the life He gives when we are born again.
As the first Adam was made alive by the breath of God, the last Adam makes his followers alive by that same breath of God. Jesus breathed upon his followers giving them new life and power. So, when we are born again and are indwelt with the Holy Spirit, it is from the breath of God.
In essence, we don’t have life until we receive the breath of God. Adam didn’t have life until he received the breath of God. Nor can we have life until we receive the breath of God. Yet, the moment Jesus breathes on us is the moment we live forever. We receive the Holy Spirit and the power of the resurrected Christ.
We Breathe Out The Breath of God.
Life sustaining respiration not only involves breathing in, it also involves breathing out. The moment we become Christians we breathe in the breath of God, but breathing involves taking in and also letting out, inhaling and exhaling. In the natural world, we are breathing in oxygen and breathing out carbon dioxide. Oxygen comes from a source outside of us, while carbon dioxide is created and expelled from a source within us. Furthermore, breathing is essential for the balance of life on Earth. We must have oxygen to live, but the plants need the carbon dioxide we exhale. This rhythm provides a constantly renewing delicate balance in the atmosphere.
We breathe out the life giving breath of God when we tell the story of Christ to others. When we pray we are also breathing out the breath of God. When we share the Word of God or words of encouragement and hope, we are exhaling the breath of life. God calls us to speak for Him. We were created to talk about God. We’re to share God’s breath by speaking words of life, blessing, and healing to others.
Jesus breathed on the disciples. He exhaled the resurrection power. But, this simple action conveyed a much larger message. He was breathing on them to create an effect. He was breathing the life-giving, spirit-empowering breath of God.
The Message of Easter.
“And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, He said, Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, He gave up the ghost.”
Luke 23:46
As Jesus died on the cross, He exhaled His last breath. Yet, three days later He passed from death to life and would breathe His first breath in the resurrection. And because of that miracle, we can also pass from death to life.
So, the story of Easter is about Jesus’ last breath on the cross and the first breath of the resurrection. The story of Easter in your life can be your last breath as a sinner, and the first breath as a born again follower of Christ.
Jesus gave His spirit, His breath, His life to the Father on the cross. And the Father gave it back to him better than it was. Our Lord will do the same for you and me. Anything we give to God, you can be assured He will give back something better.