November 4 - Breath of God

And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. (Mark 15:37 ESV)

In the beginning God made the heavens and He made the Earth. He made all of the beautiful vistas and unbelievably epic sunsets. Then he wadded up some dirt, ever so carefully, and breathed life into it, and called it Adam.

Adam went on to disobey God and lead his family into sin. A choice which set a course for the remainder of all of humanity, and even history itself. Someone would have to account for the sinfulness of man. And we were found to be entirely incapable of the task at hand.

But God had always known the score. He knew Adam would fail to lead his family. He knew sin would enter the world. And He knew He would need to take on the form of man and become Jesus. He knew it all. He knew it before Adam breathed that first breath drawn straight from the breath of God.

God's breath put life in our lungs and limbs. It inspired us to create. To reach for the cosmos and ceases wonders by the tail. It called us on to follow Him. To love Him. And to serve Him. But when we were incapable He did not abandon us.

Our Heavenly Father did not forget His people when they failed Him. He did not forsake us when we cursed Him. Instead, He became one of us. And then, He died for us, so that with His last breath we might become like Him.

November 3 - Prophecy: Death of the Messiah

By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? (Isaiah 53:8 ESV) Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. (Luke 23:46 ESV)

Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would die. His Old Testament writings are sometimes called the fifth gospel because they are full of so much prophetic writing about Jesus. Jesus fulfilled all of Isaiah's prophecies. Jesus did die on the cross.

Some people today do not believe that Jesus actually died on the cross. They believe he was crucified, and that he just passed out or something. That's just simply not the case. Jesus died. He breathed a final breath. His spirit left his mortal body.

Jesus final breath marked a turning point in the history of humanity. His sacrifice was complete. There was still some stuff left for him to do. But the dying part was over. It had happened. It was complete. And sin was paid for.

November 2 - Prophecy: Sinless

And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. (Isaiah 53:9 ESV) For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. (1 Peter 2:21, 22 ESV)

The prophet Isaiah said that the Messiah would live his life without committing any sins. Jesus died because of sin, but not his sin for he had no sin of his own. Jesus was sinless.

We sin. Either my intent or ignorance, action or inaction, we disobey God and step into the realm of human pride and selfishness. We exotic the holy and enter the haughty. Jesus did neither.

For every bad choice, horrible decision, and disastrous consequence—Jesus suffered. He took it all upon his very capable shoulders. He carried them to the end. And he dumped it in hell with death itself. He was sinless, and so the wages of death have been paid in full by one who did not owe the bill. The Law fulfilled by the life of Christ.