Breath of God
“Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’ And with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’”
—John 20:22 NIV
At the end of Jesus’ time on earth following the resurrection, he appeared to many of his disciples in his glorified body. For forty days, he revealed himself and built the faith of all those who had followed him in his ministry. John 20:22 shows a particularly intimate encounter with the risen Savior.
With all the doors locked and the disciples gathered in a home, Jesus suddenly appeared among them. “Peace!” he said, showing them his wounded hands and side. I can only imagine the feeling of excitement and relief that came over the disciples as they embraced the Lord.
Then Jesus prophetically spoke their destiny, “I’m sending you as the Father has sent me.” The message was clear: this resurrection miracle came with a gospel assignment. There was a task at hand, a freedom to declare, a work of restoration to pursue.
Yet Jesus does more than send them off with an inspiring message. He empowers them with the Holy Spirit—even going as far as to bind their forgiveness of others with the Father’s forgiveness.
What strikes me is that this breath of heaven was given in an intimate and closed-door context. With no one else watching, Christ breathed the life of the Spirit on them. He had to get close enough for the breath to reach them and near enough that a simple breath could impart power.
I wonder if we spend time close to God with the doors shut? Do we linger in the presence of God long enough to experience his breath of life? Do we stay around God’s word and seek his Spirit until we are overcome with the reverent awe of this gift of grace?
Sometimes, we look for big flashing signs when we long for spiritual growth. While an energetic worship song, a charismatic gospel message, an inspiring book, or an exciting Christian event can feed our spiritual life, nothing compares to the intimate breath of God on our hearts. All these sources of spiritual renewal are fine places to seek the Lord, but they can never replace the quiet encounter of grace in the secret place of prayer.
Christ, come near. I’m here to rest in your presence and receive your breath of life. I long for more of your power, life, and love. I know that all of this comes from you and you alone, so I open my heart to receive your grace. I hear your voice, sending me to go into the world with a message of hope. I need your Spirit with me to accomplish this task. Lord, I need you today. Breath of God, breathe on me.
