22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” – John 20:22
Life Breath
From all outward appearances the future of the church looked bleak. Perhaps hopeless would be more descriptive. The leader of the Way was publicly mocked and crucified. Despite His claims and the miracles He performed, He was no match for the established religious order or the Roman government. The religious leaders wanted to protect their authority and Pilate wanted to preserve the peace. As a result, Jesus’ dead body was laid in a tomb to rot.
While Jesus’ body was (presumably) lying in the tomb, His followers were hiding behind closed doors. For three years they followed Jesus, and now they were left without their leader. Accordingly, they locked themselves away in fear of the Jews. They did not want to meet the same fate that Jesus did. But their fear of death stopped them from truly living. Although technically alive, they had created their own tomb. Such is the power of fear.
Imagine their surprise when their resurrected Leader entered their “tomb” unannounced and alleviated their fears with the simple words, “Peace be with you” (John 20:19). But Jesus didn’t “just” speak these reassuring words, He did something much more significant, He breathed life onto them in the form of the Holy Spirit.
Life Begins
Theologians debate whether Jesus actually imparted the Holy Spirit on His followers at this time or if this wasn’t just some “prelude” to Pentecost. I will leave that argument to those with greater credentials. My concern is simply this, life comes from the breath of God. So it was with Adam (Gen. 2:7), so it is with the church. Life is a direct volition of the Creator upon His creation. Chance is not involved.
If God had not breathed life into the nostrils of Adam, he would have forever remained nothing more than dust from the ground. If Jesus had not breathed life into the church…, well there would not be a church. A group of fearful men would have probably lived out their lives until the oxygen ran out of their “tomb”.
But Jesus kept His promise. He promised His disciples He would send another Helper after He had ascended to the Father. And so He did. The same Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the grave released the Disciples from fear and locked doors. When Jesus breathed life into them, He forever set them free.
Stirring Winds
As we know from the exchange between Jesus and Nicodemus in John chapter three, the work of the Holy Spirit can be a mysterious thing. After telling Nicodemus that he must be born again to enter the kingdom of God, Jesus then compares the Holy Spirit with the wind which is natural since the literal translation of “The Spirit” is “Breath” or “Wind”.
7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” – John 3:7-8
Nicodemus may have had great pedigree. He most likely had great wealth. Certainly, he was well educated. But he did not have the Holy Spirit. The life giving breath of God had not yet come upon him. Although he was not living behind closed doors, Nicodemus may have also lived in fear. Regardless, this important religious leader holds a night meeting with Jesus. Even though Nicodemus possesses so much, he is missing what is most important; the breath of life. What good is orthodoxy without it?
Although he did not understand it, the sovereign, although invisible Spirit was stirring in the soul of Nicodemus. Like a mighty storm He can level the strongholds of the enemy in our hearts and replace them with the breath of life. Nicodemus, you do not have to enter your mother’s womb a second time to be born again. God can bring to life dead bones if He needs to.
Dry Bones
As Jesus was teaching Nicodemus about the necessity of the work of the Holy Spirit in his life, I wonder if his mind reflected on Ezekiel’s vision as recorded in Ezekiel chapter thirty-seven. In the Spirit of the LORD, Ezekiel was carried out to the middle of a valley. A valley full of bones. According to the Prophet, the valley was full of a great quantity of bones and they were very dry. In the midst of death and despair can there be any hope? There is as long as God has breath in Him. Such is the lesson Ezekiel was to learn.
As God has Ezekiel overlook the valley full of dry bones He asks him one simple question, “Son of man, can these bones live” (v.3)? And Ezekiel responds to God wisely, stating that certainly God knows whether these bones can live again. Interestingly, God involves Ezekiel in the “rebirth” and in doing so givies us a very good lesson to remember.
God has Ezekiel first prophesy to the bones. As Ezekiel speaks the Word to the valley of bones he begins to hear a noise. Specifically he hears the bones rattling as they came together. But the bones didn’t just become complete skeletons, they proceeded to develop taking on sinews and flesh and skin. But they were still not living. Like the disciples and Nicodemus, they needed the breath of God.
9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. – Ezekiel 37:9-10
Fresh Wind
As we continue to look at the person of the Holy Spirit, it is so important to be reminded that all life in the individual believer and the Church is a work of the mysterious “wind” that is the Holy Spirit. Every teacher and preacher is dependent upon the Holy Spirit without exception if the Kingdom is going to be advanced.
As we see from Ezekiel’s vision and as we are reminded time and again in the New Testament, the Word of God needs the work of the Spirit to be effective. Ezekiel’s prophesying may have caused the bones to reconnect and put on sinew, flesh and skin, but they still did not have life until the “life breath” came upon them. May we never think we can do the work of the Spirit or deny it.
Further, I am thankful that the story of the woman at the well follows immediately after Jesus’ encounter with Nicodemus in John’s Gospel. As we have looked at previously, the Samaritan woman was the polar opposite of Nicodemus. While he was a wealthy, respected, educated man of status, she was an outcast among outcasts. But thankfully, the wind blows where it wishes!! The eternal life that was offered to Nicodemus was offered to the woman at the well. When the wind blows, we don’t know where it comes from or where it is going to go, but it can reach anybody.
Perhaps you know a Nicodemus or a Samaritan woman. People you may think unlikely “candidates” for the Kingdom. Never give up on them, the Spirit can reach them.
Maybe you feel like you are living in a valley full of dry bones. Death and sin have been so rampant for so long that the bones are very dry. Like Nebuchadnezzar, the world has wreaked havoc and left a valley full of bones in it’s wake. Very dry bones. Is there any hope? There is as long as God has breath!
Praise God for the Holy Spirit. Thank God for the breath of life. Our leader is not in the grave. We don’t need to hide behind locked doors. Nor do we need to despair dry bones or even dead orthodoxy. The wind of God is still at work.
63 It is the Spirit who gives life – John 6:63