Blessed the Lord O My Soul And All That Is Within Me - Part 1066

"Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgives all thine iniquities; who heals all thy diseases; who redeems thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies; who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed." (Psalms 103:1-6)

"Blessed He that cometh in the Name of the Lord." (Matthew 23:38-39)

He who knew no sin was crucified and buried, rising again on the third day. This was prophesied earlier in the old testament so it should not have come as a surprise. Indeed, the scriptures state that 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. (Matthew 12:40)

But there is so much more to learn here. First, the Spirit of God would not suffer to see His previous inhabited body see corruption. He had already suffered from the beginning, knowing that He had to shed His holy precious blood on the cross if we were to be saved.

"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the Word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high .... Being made so much better than the angels, as He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent "name" than they.
For unto which of the angels said He at any time, "Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten thee?" And again, "I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to me a Son?" And again, when He bringeth in the first begotten into the world, He saith, "And let all the angels of God worship Him." And of the angels He saith, "Who maketh His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire."

But unto the Son He saith, "Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of Thine hands. They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment, and as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but Thou art the same, and Thy years shall not fail." (Hebrews 1:1-12)

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 to mankind as a Son, remained entombed for three days and three nights.

Ironically, the modern religious community (and many who profess a secular persuasion as well) subscribe to the belief that Jesus remained entombed from Friday to Sunday. In fact, Easter is celebrated beginning with Good Friday to Easter Sunday. But, simply put, that would be very bad math. Unfortunately, when generational error is seated, only God can remove the scales from one's spiritual eyes. 

Moreover, when one dies, it is only the outer shell that dies. The punishment then being administered to one's bodily carcass. 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 our one and only faithful high priest. He endured the all for you and me. But again, as indicated in earlier posts, those who follow Jesus with all their heart, soul, mind and strength are never left in the dark. Just as He does now, Jesus then revealed His imminent future to His followers, telling them of all the things that must come to pass.  

First, that He would be crucified on a cross. Second, that He would be buried. Third, that He would rise from death the third day. Fourth, that there would be a resurrection. How do we know this to be true?

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, and may I add, a misguided interpretation of the scriptures.

Read the scriptures for yourself. Jesus' second appearance, as it 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.

So much to learn about the King of kings and Lord of lords. This Jesus -- who 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.

One breath here and the next with our Lord God and Saviour.

And within this spiritual body of Christ, jointly and custom framed together by no other than 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. 

Do you understand what this means?

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. Blessed is His Name. 

"Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgives all thine iniquities; who heals all thy diseases; who redeems thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies; who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed." (Psalms 103:1-6)

"Blessed He that comes in the Name of the Lord." (Matthew 23:38-39)

Stand in the offering plate.