AWAKE, ARISE, AND TRIUMPH
Thursday – January 7, 2021, Tevet 23, 5781
JOSEPH OF ARIMATHAEA and NICODEMUS
Greetings precious brothers and sisters in Christ and welcome back to this intensive Bible Study of the Book of John. God is so good dear ones, let us be careful not to look to the left or the right but straight on to Him in whom we trust. Let us judge all things by the Word of God not our feelings or our own understanding. Please take a moment and share this teaching as widely as possible to expand the reach of the Truth. Thank you for doing so. The featured picture is from May 25th 2019, a joyous day indeed. You will recall that in our Bible Study, Jesus, the Messiah, has gone to the Cross, has died spiritually, and now He has died physically (He gave up the ghost). His soul (mind, will, and emotions) along with His dead spirit have descended into Hell. His body hangs on the Cross and the Jewish leaders want to get it and the two crucified with Him off the Cross so they can proceed with Passover. They are seemingly completely oblivious to the fact, the Truth, that The Lamb of God has just died for the sins of the whole world backward and forward in time. That is to say from the sin of Adam and Eve until the last sin before the New Heaven and New Earth. The death of His spirit man assured us of eternal life in Him, His physical death assured us of the restoration of an immortal body. We have His salvation! How good is our God? Now, let’s turn our attention to our primary Bible text and read it aloud, yes, out loud.
John 19:38-42 (KJV)
38 And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.
39 And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.
40 Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.
41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid.
42 There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews’ preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.
Joseph of Arimathaea believed upon Jesus and was a disciple, albeit secretly, asked Pilate for the corpse and it was granted. He was joined by Nicodemus who had about one hundred pounds of burial spices. This is the same Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, who came to Jesus by night in chapter three and now we find that he also was a believer.
John 3:1-3 (KJV)
1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
These men almost certainly did not completely understand all that had and was happening however they believed and were honoring Jesus. We don’t have to understand everything to obey. The disciples that walked with Him for three years have fled. I know that we would like to think we would not have fled but are we certain. These men did not have spiritual eyes, spiritual understanding but we do. They did not have the whole of Scripture, but we do. They did not have the Holy Spirit but we do. What is our excuse? We do not have a valid excuse for not walking in the fulness of the Anointing. We have chosen to be carnal (thoughts, words, and ways of the world) and not spiritual or have chosen to have a very liberal mixing of the carnal with our spiritual walk. That did not work for Adam and Eve and it will not work now. There was an unused new sepulcher (tomb, crypt, vault) not far from the Cross and after preparation Jesus’ body was laid there. This was prophesied hundreds of years earlier.
Isaiah 53:7-9 (ESV)
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?
9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.
Lord willing, I will move into John Chapter twenty on Monday.
2 Chronicles 20:20b (KJV)
20 … Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.
Until our next publication, as your Bible Teacher and a Prophetic Voice in your life I speak this blessing over each and every one of you, receive it, believe it, and speak over yourself and your family by faith in Jesus name!
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
24 The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you;
25 The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you;
26 The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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