John the apostle wrote after Jesus died on the cross, “Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus”, and in chapter nineteen and verse thirty-nine of his book John shared about, “Nicodemus” where we read:
And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night,
and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.
The verse reads, “And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, ...” John began with the words, “and there came also” which means “and there arose and appeared even so and indeed” “Nicodemus” whose name means “conquerer and was a member of the Sanhedrin who took the part of Jesus”, “which at the first” which means “who in the beginning of Jesus' ministry” “came to Jesus by night” or “arose and appeared to the Son of God, the Savior of mankind and God incarnate at the nighttime and dark hour” and did the following. John shared how “Nicodemus”, who originally appeared to Jesus at night (See John 3) came with the following.
The verse continues, “... and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.” John added the words, “and brought a mixture” or “and bore and carried a compound” “of myrrh” which means “of a bitter gum and costly perfume which exudes from a certain tree or shrub in Arabia and Ethiopia, or is obtained by incisions made in the bark: as an antiseptic it was used for embalming” “and aloes” or “and that which is the name of an aromatic tree which grows in eastern India and Cochin China, and whose soft and bitter wood the Orientals used in fumigation and in embalming the dead”, “about an hundred pound weight” or “which was around one hundred times twelve ounces or twelve hundred ounces”. John shared how “Nicodemus” carried “burial” spices with him which included “myrrh and aloes”.
When we consider John's words in this verse, we learn how “Nicodemus” who previously met Jesus at nighttime also appeared with “Joseph of Arimathaea” to care for the body of Jesus. “Joseph” obtained permission to remove Jesus' body, and “Nicodemus” brought the “spices and ointments” with which to bury Him. These men cared for Jesus and His body, and those who desire to know Him as their personal “Savior and Lord” must care for Jesus as well and surrender their lives to Him and be forgiven of their sins. God loves people who demonstrate their love toward His Son Jesus, and those who are wise will yield themselves to Him.
Next time John shares, “then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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