THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD - PART 14

He was crucified, buried, rising again on the third day. This was prophesied earlier. As Jonas was three days and three nights in the belly of whale, likewise must the son of man be three days and three nights in the bowels of the earth. The Spirit of God would not suffer that His previous inhabited body see corruption. Instead, judgement ended when the now cursed body of the man Jesus was declared dead by one of His executioners. Two of His followers removed Jesus' body from the Roman cross. This Jesus, being none other than God Himself veiled in sinful flesh and appearing as a Son, remained entombed for three days and three nights.

Ironically, formal religionists subscribe to the belief that He remained entombed from Friday to Sunday. But, simply put, that would be very bad math. When generational error is seated, only God can remove the scales from one's spiritual eyes. When one dies, it is only the outer shell that dies. The punishment then being administered to one's bodily carcase. The suffering, hurt and pain that one feels however is spiritual. For example, the inner man squirms when the outer shell receives some out of ordinary affliction.

This is the reason why Jesus is to us such a faithful high priest. He endured the all for you and me. Jesus had revealed His imminent future to His followers that all these things must come to pass.  First, that He would be crucified. Second, that He would be buried. Third, that He would rise from death the third day. Fourth, that there would be a resurrection.

After the resurrection, Jesus walked with two of His followers who thought that Jesus was a stranger to the vicinity. To them,  He was in the dark concerning recent events, having to inform Jesus that today is the third day since these things came to pass. Jesus rose from the tomb on the first day of the week of sabbaths fulfilling Leviticus Chapter 23. Here, some would advance the presentation that Jesus appeared to His disciples on Sunday and that the following Sunday again appeared to them. This second time, appearing when Thomas was present. In so doing, they endeavour to establish a pattern that Jesus was appearing weekly. However, once again entertaining bad math.

Jesus' second appearance, as is recorded was eight days later. Paul by the Spirit, states that Jesus was crucified, then buried before rising again the third day. We are presented with what John saw and noted at the tomb. He noted that the head wrappings which had encased Jesus' head were now folded and laid separate from the rest of the body wrappings which were not moved. Indeed, the body wrappings remained exactly intact as they had been laid.

Jesus is the only Head of this body known as the Church, and the one Head of this church body was completed with death. Note that the main redeemed church has still to pass through death (the last enemy to be conquered is death!). As stated, first we were sown with a natural body but after death we are quickened receiving a spiritual body.  Absent from the body and present with the Lord. No Detours. No side roads to pursue.

This spiritual body, when jointly and custom framed together by the Lord Himself, will be the only temple in which He is pleased to dwell. His habitation. His body of which He is the sole head. The first day of the week of sabbaths is the Resurrection Day. Paul called the elders together on the first day of the week of sabbaths to break bread. Not to have communion which would have remembered His death. They had assembled to break bread, which typifies a resurrected living indwelling saviour.

In this context, the early believers went from house to house breaking bread and eating their meat with singleness of heart. Jesus the Bread of Life. Jesus was known to them in the breaking of bread. LORD, break the bread of life to us that we may grow in grace and knowledge of you. Stand in the offering plate. Empty handed. One cannot purchase eternal life. Your debts and mine have been paid in full. Come. Stand in the offering plate.