Good morning. After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being
a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that
he might take away the body of Jesus; and he granted permission. So he came and
took away His body. Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came,
bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about 100 pounds weight. Remember that
myrrh was one of the gifts that the magi brought when Jesus was a baby. Also
notice that he had 100 pounds of spices. Normally one does not have that much
just lying around the house. Since most likely he was older, he may have been
storing it up for when he himself was going to die. Or perhaps while Jesus was
hanging on the cross, he went to the merchants and purchased it, because there was
no time to do so after Jesus died prior to the beginning of the Sabbath. So
they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as
is the burial custom of the Jews. My Bible says that these were thin strips
like bandages. In the other Gospels it mentions a shroud - a large sheet. This
is why the shroud of Turin generates so much interest. It is supposedly the
burial shroud of Jesus. It has been examined by experts, and so far they
believe that it is not old enough to have been the one for Jesus. The Catholic
Church in Turin, Italy brings it out for display every so many years. When my
friend and I were in Europe, we drove to that church to try to see it. It had
been on display, but we missed it. It was in a silver “box” hanging from the
ceiling for protection. We did get to see a replica of it. It was extremely
impressive. It did look like the photos you may have seen of the real one. It
would be very easy to believe that Jesus had been in it, and that the
impressions on the shroud were created when He rose from the dead. Father thank
You that no matter what may be true about the shroud, Jesus is not in the tomb
– He is risen!
Unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God
Good morning. While Jesus was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing. Jesus was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men. Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. It doesn’t say, but I assume it is still during this time of the Passover. This man came to Jesus by night. Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do the signs that You do unless God is with him. It just said that the people believed in His name because of the signs He was doing; yet it does not say what those signs were. Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. That is why unbelievers cannot tell what is of the kingdom of God and what is not – they’re not born again. Nicodemus doesn’t have a clue. How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he? Unless one is born of water and the Spirit ...
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