Breath

Luke 3:23-28

23 Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli, 24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, 25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, 26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, 27 the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, 28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, 29 the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, 30 the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, 31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, 32 the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon, 33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, 34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, 35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, 36 the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, 37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, 38 the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

Luke’s Gospel was written with the Greek worldview in mind while Luke emphasizes Jesus in His humanity. Therefore his genealogy traces Jesus’ physical being through His mother, Mary. “The Greek grammar indicates that Luke knew that Heli was Joseph’s father-in-law, not father.” (Dr. Marshall Wicks, Word of Life Quiet Time Diary 2014-2015, in loc.) Matthew begin with Abraham and follows the descent to Jesus; Luke begins with Jesus and follows the ascent back to Adam.

Adam, of course, was the first human being. “…the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.” (Genesis 2:7) God breathed into Adam His own breath. The same breath that spoke worlds and light and skies and seas into being was now the life in human beings. He also made Adam in His own image, and we as Adam’s descendants bear that image—though marred.

Jesus was a new creation—a second Adam. God took of Adam’s flesh and made a woman. Now He takes a woman and makes of her flesh a new man.

The Apostle Paul tells us: Thus it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam became a life- giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. (1 Corinthians 15:45-49)

The image of God that He stamped on Adam will be restored. That restoration is begun in us when the life of Christ takes up residence in our being. The “life-giving spirit”, Jesus, breathes anew the breath of life into this flesh.

Lord Jesus, Son of God, Son of Man; You breathed Your life into us and then put Your whole self into a human body so that we could go from dust to heaven! Thank you for giving us life—again. Amen.