"He Breathed His Last"

Steven J. Wallace

"And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, 'Father into Your hands I commit My Spirit.' Having said this, He breathed His last" (Lk. 23:46).

Why did Jesus breathe His last? If we travel back to the beginning of creation, we would find that God breathed to impart life to man, "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being" (Genesis 2:7).  He continues to sustain man's breath as evidenced by Isaiah, "Thus says God the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread forth the earth…who gives breath to the people on it, and spirit to those who walk on it" (42:5).  Indeed, "…He gives to all life, breath, and all things" (Acts 17:25).

Why did God breathe life into man?

Obviously, He wants man to live and honor Him with his life. God owns our life because historically, in Adam, He gave us breath. He holds our very breath of life. We ought to praise God even for our ability to breathe. Daniel condemned Belshazzar, the king of Babylon, for his waywardness, saying, "…the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified" (Daniel 5:23).  If a powerful king was to humble himself under the mighty hand of God, how much more should we? Sadly, we become ignorant of our position toward God, and our duty toward Him is neglected because of the blindness of our hearts. We may become blinded by our possessions and not recognize that all that we have and all the power we have exerted to do, accomplish, and attain has been granted to us by God.

Why did Jesus breathe His last?

Partly, because rebellious men unlawfully crucified Him (Acts 2:23). In being put to death, He breathed His last. But the Lord laid His life down voluntarily. In John 10:17, 18, Jesus said:

"Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father."

Jesus breathed His last so that man could live abundantly with Him in eternity (John 10:10; Colossians 3:3, 4; Hebrews 2:9-10).  There is no excuse to be like Belshazzar and not glorify and honor King Jesus.

Everyone will have some connection to the breath of Christ! We can take advantage of His dying cry "Father forgive them" and His last breath by being baptized into His death and having the forgiveness of sins (Lk. 23:34; Col. 2:12, 13; Acts 2:38). Be warned that rebellious and obstinate souls are also connected to His breath. Jesus will come again, but rather than giving them abundant life, He will exhale the breath of wrath that consumes. "And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming" (2 Thess. 2:8). Also, "in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Thess. 1:8).

Life is short and judgment is sure! Ask, "What is my life?" The Bible answers, "…It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away" (James 4:14). God has given us a "little time" to live and seek Him out. "He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much…" (Luke 16:10).  What are you doing with your little time? What are you doing with your breath of life?  Are you honoring the Life-Giver?  Why not start the week off right; seek out the Lord; worship God at the church of His choice, and let God breathe in your life?  Do not be those who, "…crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame" (Heb. 6:6). "For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace" (Rom. 8:6).

Two Wolves

An elder Cherokee Native American was teaching her grandchildren about life.
She said to them, "A fight is going on inside me…it is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One wolf represents fear, anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other stands for joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, friendship, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.
This same fight is going on inside you, and inside every other person, too."

They thought about it for a minute and then one child asked her Grandmother, "Which wolf will win?"
The old Cherokee woman simply replied… "The one you feed."

Author Unknown


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Scripture Quotations

Unless noted, all verses are taken from the New King James Version. © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.

Matthew 19:10-12 (NKJV)

10 His disciples said to Him, "If such is the case of the man with [his] wife, it is better not to marry."
11 But He said to them, "All cannot accept this saying, but only [those] to whom it has been given:
12 "For there are eunuchs who were born thus from [their] mother's womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He who is able to accept [it], let him accept [it]."