Breath of Life in Three Acts

Fifty2 Sunday’s ~ Listening for God

The bible text for the sermon last Sunday was John 20:19-22. While it was being read out loud, the Holy Spirit directed my attention to the word “breathed” in verse 22. Breath and breathing is essential for physical life. The average number of breaths a person takes each day is 23,040. Like the beating of our hearts, we breathe without thinking about it unless of course we have asthma or other respiratory condition. 

The scripture reveals a significant correlation between breath, breathing and our spirit-being.  Consider the following:

         I.  When God created humankind and he brought them to ‘life’ with his breath. Genesis 2:7: “Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” To breathe is to be alive. We can live a period of time without food, a briefer time without water, but we cannot live but minutes without air.

II. Breath is as connected with spirit life as much as it is with physical life. We see this in Jesus' death. Luke 23:46: “Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last.” As our breathing ceases - so departs our spirit (soul) from the body.

III. Following his resurrection Jesus delivered what his heavenly father had promised – the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49); “So Jesus said to them again, “Peace is with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”  And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:21-22). Today as Christians we too receive the Holy Spirit - not in the same manner as the disciples did, but to the same end - which among other things serves as a deposit, a guarantee of our belonging to God (Acts 2:38, Ephesians 1:14).

There is no disputing the relevance of breath to our human existence. It may sound overly simple—but giving thanks for each breath (and heart beat) that keep us alive maybe be the simplest prayer of gratitude one can offer up. One way to do that is with “breath prayers”- a way of connecting prayer with breath. See this website for more information about these sorts of prayers (Breath Prayers).

In closing-perhaps Job said it best: “The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” (Job 33:4)

Amen