The Second Breath

“And when he had said this, he breathed (empysao) on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit (pneuma)” John 20:22.

This is an interesting verse because it has the Holy Spirit being given to the disciples pre-Pentecost and with this gift there was no accompanying miraculous prophesying. They just went about their business.

Lets compare something from the Old Testament.

“And Jehovah 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

So in Genesis 2:7 you have a fully formed human being who is not alive. God breathes into him and brings Adam to life.

The disciples were already alive but Jesus breathed onto them his Holy Pneuma which can be interpreted his Holy Breath.

I suggest to you dear readers that Jesus was doing this with what his Father did for Adam in mind, to not give them life (that they already had), but to share with them his Holy Breath. Just like God did with Adam.

Symbolizing a new kind of life other than the kind of life possessed by Adam and all of humanity.

Genesis begins with God breathing life into man. The Gospel of John begins “In the beginning” and ends with Jesus breathing new life into man.