Peace and grace in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Matthew 27:57-61 is about the sixth sprinkling of blood, namely Jesus is buried.
Matthew 27:57-60
27:57. Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus.
27:58 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him.
27:59 When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,
27:60 and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed.
Jesus is buried to prove these three things.
Joseph from Arimathea asks the body of Jesus. Meaning we must be willing to bear or experience the cross together with Jesus.
Joseph from Arimathea is a rich intelligent reputable person but he is willing to bear the cross of Jesus or experience the death together with Him.
Who are we, who often reject Jesus’ cross because of following the flesh will?
There must be a special permission to take the body of Jesus, meaning it is only because of the grace and kindness of God when we are counted worthy to suffer or bear the cross together with Jesus.
Acts 5:41
5:41 So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.
From among all the disciples, only Joseph from Arimathea gets the special permission, referring to the grace and kindness of God, to bear the cross together with Jesus.
The grace and kindness of God are an extra power to make us endure the cross experience without being disappointed or hopeless but joyful suffering together with Jesus.
The facts found in the cross experience are as follows.
God blesses you.
Matthew 27:57-61 is about the sixth sprinkling of blood, namely Jesus is buried.
Matthew 27:57-60
27:57. Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus.
27:58 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him.
27:59 When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,
27:60 and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed.
Jesus is buried to prove these three things.
- He has finished the duty He gets from His Father, namely He must become sin offering to save the sinners.
- He is human who has been born and then dies.
- He is the poorest human in the world.
He is born in a sheepfold which is not His own. He ministers with boat or donkey which is not His own, and He is buried in a tomb which is not His own.
The only property of Jesus is the cross He gives us as an inheritance.
Joseph from Arimathea asks the body of Jesus. Meaning we must be willing to bear or experience the cross together with Jesus.
Joseph from Arimathea is a rich intelligent reputable person but he is willing to bear the cross of Jesus or experience the death together with Him.
Who are we, who often reject Jesus’ cross because of following the flesh will?
There must be a special permission to take the body of Jesus, meaning it is only because of the grace and kindness of God when we are counted worthy to suffer or bear the cross together with Jesus.
Acts 5:41
5:41 So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.
From among all the disciples, only Joseph from Arimathea gets the special permission, referring to the grace and kindness of God, to bear the cross together with Jesus.
The grace and kindness of God are an extra power to make us endure the cross experience without being disappointed or hopeless but joyful suffering together with Jesus.
The facts found in the cross experience are as follows.
- Being dead to sin and living for righteousness, whatever risk may come.
1 Peter 2:21-24
2:21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:
2:22 "Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth";
2:23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;
2:24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness––by whose stripes you were healed.
Cross experience together with Jesus begins from water baptism.
Romans 6:1-4
6:1.What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?
6:2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?
6:3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?
6:4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
It is only because of the grace of God when we can enter the righteous baptism as Joseph from Arimathea who gets a special permission to take the body of Jesus.
Moreover, it is also the grace and kindness of God when our whole family can enter the right water baptism as Noah and his family can enter the ark and be saved.
The right water baptism happens when one who has died to sin or repented is buried in water together with Jesus to raise in new life, namely heavenly life.
Romans 6:18
6:18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
The meaning of new life is as follows.- Being set free from sin, meaning as follows.
- Not sinning whatever risk may come even we can hate the sin.
- Not lying.
- Not repaying evil for evil but good for evil.
- Not sinning whatever risk may come even we can hate the sin.
- Being the servant of righteousness as follows.
- Living in righteousness.
- Being the faithful and righteous servant of God.
- Living in righteousness.
- Being set free from sin, meaning as follows.
- Being shepherded.
1 Peter 2:25
2:25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
We must go astray if we are outside the shepherding.
Being shepherded means we enter into the narrow gate, referring to the tearing of flesh as follows.- We enter into the sheepfold or the Holy Place, meaning the perseverance in doing three main services to God.
Being outside it, one will not live in righteousness or holiness and he becomes dry in spirituality. - Being obedient to the shepherding Word.
If one is disobedient, he will be deceived by false teachings and fall for sure. For example, Eve hears the voice of God and of serpent. Finally, she is deceived and falls. Solomon also hears the voice of his wives, accordingly he is deceived and falls.
Psalm 95:6-8
95:6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.
95:7 For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture, And the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice:
95:8 "Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, As in the day of trial in the wilderness,
Worship means as follows.- Humbling our life as low as we can before God and confessing that we are nothing, only as a sheep for slaughter which all the time is threatened by the death.
- Looking upon God’s face to hope only in His grace.
- Lifting up our hands to God, fully surrendering, believing and entrusting our life to Him.
- God, the Creator, with creation power is able to create something that does not exist yet. All problems are solved by Him, even the impossible ones.
- The hand of God changes our life to become new man who is faithful and obedient.
- The hand of God leads us to the eternal life. We can live in righteousness, holiness, up to perfection.
Revelation 7:17
7:17 "for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
The more we live in righteousness and holiness, the more our tears are wiped away and our life becomes beautiful and joyful. The hand of God leads us to the last shepherding in New Jerusalem.
- We enter into the sheepfold or the Holy Place, meaning the perseverance in doing three main services to God.
God blesses you.