The Life and Light of Jesus

I've been thinking about my life when others get around me.  Could it be that they only see me, or can they see Jesus in me?  That's a loaded question that each of us should be concerned about.  It reminds me of the old question ... "If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?"

So, while I'm just talking over some things, I want to look at what "life" is, or what His life in us should be, so that Jesus can be seen in us.  Do you know why we get not only our hands dirty, but our soul as well?  It's because we are made of dirt.  Yep ... you're dirt.  So am I.

Genesis 2:7 … "Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath or spirit of life, and man became a living being."  (Amplified)

In the original translation, the K.J.V. should read like this …"And the LORD (Jehovah) God (Elohiym) formed (squeezed into shape) man of the dust (clay) of the ground, and breathed (to puff, or blow) into his nostrils the breath (Nesh-a-mah or wind/spirit/inspiration) of life; and man became a living soul (Nephesh or breathing creature)."    

I assume the creator had to make the dry dirt into moldable clay to form man.  I wonder if He did the same thing Jesus did in John 9:6 when He spit into the dirt and made mud before He placed it on the blind man's eyes.  Could it be that Jesus remembered spitting into the dust of the earth to make clay when He formed Adam from the dust of the earth?  Yes, I believe Jesus is the creator.

In John 1:3, the disciple is speaking about Jesus when he says … "All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being."  (Amp.) 

Would I be correct in my thinking if I combine Genesis 2:7 with John 1:3 and come to the conclusion that Jesus has and gives the breath of life to men?  Job seemed to believe this as well.  Compare ...

Job 27:3 … "All the while my breath (wind) is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils …"   (Hebrew for spirit is "ruach" or breath)

Job 33:4 … "The Spirit (ruach or breath) of God hath made me, and the breath (wind) of the Almighty hath given me life."

Man is a compound being, having a body, spirit and soul created separately ... the body out of the dust of the earth, and the spirit, breathed into him by God, making him a living soul.  It's just as Job declared ... "the breath of the Almighty hath given me life."
   
This proves that the soul and body are not the same thing.  The body comes from the earth and will decompose and go back to the earth … dust to dust.  When we take our last breath, we die and our spirit then leaves our body as we exhale for the last time.  The spirit of man, the life and breath that God breathed into us will go back to God whenever He gives the command to do so.  I like to think that our breath is just on loan to us.

As I have been speaking about the natural life the Lord has breathed into us, I am reminded of the time Jesus breathed upon His disciples and said unto them in John 20:22 ... "Receive ye the Holy Ghost."  By doing so, I believe Jesus was imparting more of His spiritual life unto them, the life changing power of His Holy Spirit they would need to begin building the Church of Jesus Christ around the world.

There is "life" in the breath of Jesus.  Has He breathed on you or just in you?

John speaks of himself as the disciple Jesus loved.  It's almost like John seemed to know who Jesus was before the others.  It's as if he had a closer relationship with Jesus than the rest of them.  Jesus did tell John to take care of His mother Mary before He died.

In John 1:4, he is the one who says ... "In Him was Life, and the Life was the Light of men."

Jesus is declared to be "life" because He is the source of life.  This attribute of …"life"… both physical and spiritual, came from "Him," the One who created all things.  The One who breathed the spirit of "life" into man … was Jesus … and John declares this with his very first sentence … 

John 1:1 … "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

If that first verse isn't perfectly clear to those who would read his written words, John leaves no doubt a few verses later in ...

John 1:14 …"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us …"
 
These two verses can only speak of one man … and that man is "Jesus."


The Life and Light of Jesus ... will be continued in Part II.