“Why do you seek the living among the dead?” the two angels asked of the women coming to His tomb with their spices, “He is not here, but He has been resurrected!”
Why did they seek the living among the dead? Why do we? We look to so many lifeless substitutes for the God shaped void in our soul. None are necessarily wrong, but none completely satisfy either. None remove the achy wounds and scars of our sins, and may even add to our burden. We seek the joys and pleasures of life instead of the Living Christ, Who willing died a gruesome death to cover the sins of every dead end road we travel on this journey called life. Resurrected in power, His life lives in those who believe and follow.
Face it, it’s not politically correct to follow Jesus in our culture. Guess what, it was not politically correct to follow Jesus in His culture either. Nicodemus was numbered among the religious leaders in first century Jerusalem. Fearing for their own power and position, they instigated much trouble and mayhem against Jesus and those who followed Him. Nicodemus knew this, but He also knew this Man, Jesus, was different. He needed his questions answered.
R.I.P. Jesus. One hundred pounds of aloes and myrrh. That’s exactly how much Nicodemus brought to prepare Jesus’ body for burial. According to the historian, Josephus, the usual amount of spices for burial was one pound. Sometimes for special people in authority forty pounds of the spice might be used. But a hundred pounds!
For fear of being seen in His presence, Nick, a Pharisee and Jewish ruler, earlier came to Jesus under cover of darkness. Jesus could not do what he did unless God was involved, and Nick had questions. It was with him that night, that Jesus first shared about being born again to see the kingdom of heaven. The conversation included the most beloved Bible verse of all time.
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. ~John 3:16
~~excerpt from The Essence of Courage, by Lynn U Watson
Nick encountered the Living Christ. Even in Jesus’ hour of death, he reached beyond prejudices of his day and threats to his position to honor Him. Today is Friday — Good Friday — but as the saying goes, Sunday’s coming! When it did 2,000 some odd years ago, Nicodemus more fully understood the power of the words He received, and treasured every moment and every thought of all that transpired, grateful that he sought the Living, even among the dead.
Be watching in expectation. Sunday we celebrate!!!
Copyright Lynn U. Watson, 2017