At the Genesis of man, creation was completed in six days, and God rested on the seventh. This institution was a memorial among other things for us to remember that Jesus the Christ, is our creator. And if Jesus can create a thing, He can also re-create a thing. Reclamation is not as hard as invention, at least not to the Savior of our souls. But over time man forgot. So on top of Mount Sinai, etched by the finger of Jesus into the rock tablets He carved, were the words … Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. We cannot make it holy, but we can remember that it “is” holy; as God has set aside His time, to be with us in a special way. A time to hang out with our God. But over time man twisted the meaning of “play time with Dad” into lists of do’s and don’ts. Trust was lost that Jesus could restore in us what we could not restore, and hope was failing in redemption itself.
But then Jesus came to us in person. He practiced what He had commanded. He did not just attend the synagogues on Sabbath, He taught there on that day. He honored His own edict that God would be with man on the special day of the Sabbath. But Jesus did more than teach, He fed those in need, He healed those in pain. He met the needs of His children in order that their time with Him would not be distracted by common needs, or the pain sin causes. He forgave us. He released us from the bondage to sin, whether by demons inhabiting us, or simply by our chains to sin and self-love. He came to perform the work of our redemption. And throughout this work, He kept His Sabbath with us. But now, the zenith of His work for us had reached its peak. And Friday sunset was coming. The same sunset that greeted Adam and Eve when He walked with them in the garden, teaching them the mysteries of the universe, and of love itself so many years ago. But on this Friday sunset, Jesus would greet the Sabbath at rest Himself.
Peter recalls the urgency of the Sabbath’s approach to John Mark in his gospel in chapter fifteen picking up in verse 42 saying … “And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath,” Sunset changes everything, or it should. Preparations must be made before the Sabbath arrives. Here is where the list of do’s and don’ts might better thrive. Did you remember to prepare the food as much as possible? We don’t want to miss time with God because we are distracted by cooking. Did you remember to clean our home? We don’t want to lessen our enjoyment with God, distracted by a messy home, with things out of place, or dirt piled up that we cannot see. Did you arrange to insure the workers at our home have the Sabbath off? We want to make sure those who serve us do not have to be occupied doing so, when they could be enjoying time with God themselves, we wish not to be that distraction from time with Him.
Manna fell in double portion for Israel on Friday’s and lasted through Sabbath for them without spoiling. But on no other day was this possible. The preparation or cleaning of the home was not meant to be a dictate of misery. It was meant to be a liberation for those who normally serve in the home, to be free as well to enjoy their time with God. The work of preparation was work of anticipation. But on this Friday, Jesus could not engage in it Himself. He was already at rest. Someone else had to do it for Him. Someone else had to do for God, what God was unable to do on this particular Sabbath. And the time was growing short, for Sunset would change everything.
Mark continues in verse 43 saying … “Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counseller, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.” Joseph was a member of the Sanhedrin. He had not been included in the travesty of the event they had called a trial. He was not consulted in the vote to put Him to death. He was informed only after it was done. Joseph was suspected of being sympathetic to Jesus. But Joseph had not been bold either. He and Nicodemus spoke in quiet tones, at night, away from prying eyes. They studied scripture and the more they looked, the more it pointed to the Truth of Jesus Christ. But where caution had ruled the day before the death of Christ, it was thrown to the wind after He died. Joseph was overcome by a desire to do one last kindness for Jesus. And he was driven to do it quickly, as the Sabbath approached.
Mark continues in verse 44 saying … “And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead. [verse 45] And when he knew it of the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph.” Again Pilate looked upon these events from an entirely different perspective than the Jewish one. Pilate was amazed that Jesus was dead so quickly. No man died this fast before, not ever. That was the point of the cross. It was meant to torture its victim over several days. Otherwise one could just behead the victim and be done with it immediately. That Jesus could be dead so soon represented a marvel in the eyes of Pilate. Pilate was aware of the darkness, he had seen it. Pilate was aware of the earthquake he had felt it, and heard about the rip in the Temple curtain. Pilate needed confirmation from his centurion that Jesus was really dead, and not some trick to be performed on him. So a spear was thrust into the side of Jesus, blood and water emerged from the wound, but no reaction. He was dead. The legs of the other two were broken, but not a bone of Jesus, as scripture had foretold.
Pilate grants the request of Joseph. Mark continues in verse 46 saying … “And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre.” Joseph did not buy cheap materials to wrap a dead body in. He bought the finest linen he could secure. His purchase gives way to the Christian legend of the imprint of Jesus left within the material surviving the ages. Joseph lays Jesus in his own best burial tomb, he will secure another for himself later. Jesus has need of it now. The tomb is carved out in solid rock, no scavengers will get in here. Mimicking the Egyptians for preserving a body as close to Jewish tradition as possible for burial Joseph gives his all in this quest. Joseph has no idea this is merely a hotel for short storage.
The round rock takes many Roman soldiers to move in front of the door, but before they do a few witnesses take notice. Mark continues in verse 47 saying … “And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid.” The women who still refuse to leave their Lord are present. They examine where Jesus will be laid, in order that they may come later and anoint their Lord with the spices and preservatives that will best keep Him in tact. But while the women of extreme courage remain present, so too are the spies of the Temple. You can imagine as the Sanhedrin learns of Josephs kindness revealed, they have other intentions. They request a Roman garrison be put on guard at the tomb at least until the third day passes, in order to prevent prophecy, or theft and deception. They too examine the body of Christ, and the place where He is laid. They too witness the Roman guards move the heavy stone, and then seal it with a Roman seal, the breaking of which will mean death. But they must hurry for sunset approaches.
Humanity does not realize the God they are commanded to take time away from everything else and be with, is the Jesus Christ they lay in this tomb. They do not realize that the ultimate price for our redemption has been paid by Jesus, and that the separation from God that He endured on that cross, the separation that killed Him, is something we need not endure. Humanity sees only a dead Rabbi, like any other before Him, but perhaps this one was more kind. Humanity sees only a dead prophet, one closer to God than any before Him, able to perform great miracles, but now dead and entombed like any other. Our vision does not discern the divine. We see only what we know. We measure time only by how we know it to pass. But what we miss is that even in death, Jesus will rest upon this Sabbath day, from the work of our redemption, as He once rested from the work of our creation.
Divinity sees something else. Sunset will change everything. The Sabbath will be the longest portion of the three days spent in this tomb. Jesus dies only hours before it on Friday the first of three days. He will rise early Sunday morning only hours into the third day. It will be Sabbath that is spent in full where Jesus will rest from the work of our redemption. The Sabbath will begin with sunset on Friday, and then end with it on Saturday evening. A full 24 hour day spent in rest from the work of keeping us away from the eternal punishment, the eternal separation from God, that we have chosen, and we have earned. Here is where mercy will sleep. Here is where mercy will rest. This day is not spent in preparation of the resumption of the work of our reclamation. Here a full day will be set aside to simply rest in the sleep we call death. Divine eyes see that death does not end the Sabbath memorial, it re-establishes it through the very actions of the Son of God Himself.
The Sabbath began at the Genesis of man before sin in our world existed. It was reaffirmed at the covenant of man with our creator on Mount Sinai. It was demonstrated by our God Himself, in His life and ministry before death, and then in full when He died. It will be continued as Isaiah predicts in our heavenly home forever and ever. Divine eyes see Sabbath in its reaffirmation by Jesus Himself. If you consider that the Kingdom of God was meant for little children. And you combine this with idea of a day set aside with God where our Dad sets aside His time to be with us. Then perhaps you come to the idea that Sabbath is not a list of the concerns of adults, but rather unscripted playtime with Dad. We prepare for it, only because we do not want to be distracted by any other concern during it. We honor our time with Him, but insuring no one else has to spend their time serving us, instead of joining us, with our time with Him. Until we think in alignment with Jesus, until He transforms how we think in this regard, our ability to keep Sabbath is stunted at best.
Sunset has changed everything …
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