Click onto any blue letter, number or character to see the videos and typed text on the blog.
The following verses show the respect that the Jewish women of Luke 23:55-56 had for honoring the Lord’s Sabbath. Notice in Exodus 31:12-14 that the Sabbath is a sign between God and the Jews, for the Jews to keep. Notice that in Genesis 2:1-3, prior to the giving of the Law to the Jews, that God declared the seventh day to be Holy, to be sanctified, to be set apart. Jews have been given the command by God to “keep the Sabbath.” We, who are not Jews should honor the Sabbath Day, the Lord’s Sabbath, because God made it Holy, sanctified it, made it special, set it apart from all other days of the week. No other day of the week can become someone’s Sabbath; only the seventh day is the Lord’s Sabbath. Consider how you may honor the Lord’s Sabbath.
Exodus 31:12-14 New King James Version (NKJV)
The Sabbath Law
12 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 13 “Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you. 14 You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people.
Genesis 2:1-3 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
1 So the heavens and the earth and everything in them were completed. 2 By the seventh day God completed His work that He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work that He had done. 3 God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, for on it He rested from His work of creation.
Luke 23:55 New American Standard Bible (NASB) – Friday, prior to the onset of the Sabbath.
55 Now the women who had come with Him out of Galilee followed, and saw the tomb and how His body was laid.
Luke 23:56 New American Standard Bible (NASB) – The Sabbath (Friday at sundown until Saturday at sundown)
56 Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes. And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.
Leviticus 23:3 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
3 “Work may be done for six days, but on the seventh day there must be a Sabbath of complete rest, a sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; it is a Sabbath to the Lord wherever you live.
Note: Luke 23:55, 56 There was not time on Friday to do all that Jesus’ followers would have liked for His burial. The women took note of where the body was laid, evidently to know where to come when the Sabbath was over to complete the burial. Joseph and Nicodemus placed a considerable quantity of myrrh and aloes with the body as they laid it in the tomb (John 19:38, 39),but the women wanted to make their own contribution.(Reformation Study Bible)
Note: Luke 23:55 observed…how His body was laid. According to John 19:39, Nicodemus brought a hundred pounds of spices and aloes (probably obtained while Joseph was negotiating with Pilate for Jesus’ body), and he and Joseph wrapped the body with linen and the spices. These women, from Galilee, were probably unfamiliar with Joseph and Nicodemus, who were Judeans. After all, both men were associated with the Jewish leaders who orchestrated the conspiracy against Jesus (v. 50; John 3:1). So the women were determined to prepare Jesus’ body for burial themselves. So they returned (i.e., went to their homes) to prepare their own spices and perfumes (v. 56). They had to have Jesus’ body placed in the tomb before sunset, when the Sabbath began, so they were not able to finish preparing the body. Mark 16:1 says they purchased more spices “when the Sabbath was past,” i.e., after sundown Saturday. Then they returned Sunday morning with the spices (24:1), expecting to finish the task that had been interrupted by the Sabbath. (MacArthur Study Bible Note)
Consider the prophetic words of Isaiah that were written in the year 712 B.C, as they relate to the suffering of Jesus. (MacArthur Study Bible)
Isaiah 50:6 New American Standard Bible (NASB) I gave My back to those who strike Me, And My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard;I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting.
50:6 My back…My cheeks…My face. The Servant remained obedient though provoked to rebel by excessively vile treatment. Jesus fulfilled this prophecy by remaining submissive to the Father’s will (Matt. 26:67; 27:26, 30; Mark 14:65; 15:19; Luke 22:63; John 18:22). (MacArthur Study Bible).
Isaiah 52:14 New American Standard Bible (NASB) Just as many were astonished at you, My people, So His appearance was marred more than any man And His form more than the sons of men.
52:14 His visage was marred. The Servant must undergo inhuman cruelty to the point that He no longer looks like a human being. His appearance is so awful that people look at Him in astonishment (53:2, 3; Ps. 22:6; Matt. 26:67; 27:30; John 19:3).
Isaiah 53:5 New American Standard Bible (NASB) But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.
53:5 wounded for our transgressions…bruised for our iniquities. This verse is filled with the language of substitution. The Servant suffered not for His own sin, since He was sinless (cf. Heb. 4:15; 7:26), but as the substitute for sinners. The emphasis here is on Christ being the substitute recipient of God’s wrath on sinners (cf. 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 1:3, 4; Heb. 10:9, 10).chastisement for our peace. He suffered the chastisement of God in order to procure our peace with God. by His stripes we are healed. The stripe (the Heb. noun is singular) that caused His death has brought salvation to those for whose sins He died. Peter confirms this in 1 Pet. 2:24.
Consider the fulfilled words of Isaiah’s prophecy as they were experienced by Jesus (MacArthur Study Bible)
Matthew 26:67 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
67 Then they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others slapped Him,
Matthew 27:26-30 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
26 Then he released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified. 27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort around Him. 28 They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. 29 And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 They spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head.
27:30 they spat on Him. See Is. 50:6. struck Him on the head.A reed long enough to make a mock scepter would be firm enough to be extremely painful, about like a broom handle. John 19:3 says they hit Him with their fists as well.
Mark 14:65 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
65 Some began to spit at Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him with their fists, and to say to Him, “Prophesy!” And the officers received Him with slaps in the face.
14:65 spit on Him…beat Him. For the Jews, to “spit” in another’s face was the grossest, most hateful form of personal insult (cf. Num. 12:14; Deut. 25:9). Their brutal cruelty reached a climax and revealed the great depravity of their hearts when they “beat Him,” or hit Him with clenched fists. “Prophesy!” They jeeringly and disrespectfully ordered Jesus to use the prophetic powers He claimed to have—even in the frivolous manner of telling them who struck Him (Matt. 26:68).
Mark 15:19 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
19 They kept beating His head with a reed, and spitting on Him, and kneeling and bowing before Him.
15:19 a reed. An imitation of a royal scepter.
Luke 22:63 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
63 Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking Him and beating Him,
John 18:22 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
22 When He had said this, one of the officers standing nearby struck Jesus, saying, “Is that the way You answer the high priest?”
John 19:3 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
3 and they began to come up to Him and say, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and to give Him slaps in the face.
Let’s Consider Truth
John 8:32 New King James Version (NKJV)
32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
Let’s Get Real With The Truth Of The Shed Blood Of Jesus
1 John 1:7 New King James Version (NKJV)
7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
We have all too often, and callously, said, “the blood of Jesus cleanses us from Sin.” But, please let me ask you something about this time of year, that all too many people call “Easter.” As you read the verses of scripture that tell about “the blood” being shed from Jesus, His face, back, arms, side, legs; how can anybody put “Easter bunnies and egg hunts” anywhere in the story of the torture of Jesus? The only place that Easter is found in scripture (KJV only) is in Acts 12:4, and relates to a pagan time that had nothing to do with the Jews or the early church. Let’s examine Acts 12:1-5
Acts 12:1-5 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Peter’s Arrest and Deliverance
12 Now about that time Herod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church in order to mistreat them. 2 And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword.3 When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. Now it was during the days of Unleavened Bread. 4 When he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out before the people. 5 So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God.
12:3 during the Days of Unleavened Bread. The weekly feast following Passover (see notes on Ex. 23:14–19; Matt. 26:17). Notice the compared verses of Acts 12:4. You will notice that only the KJV uses the word “Easter” to relate to a “time of year” that Peter was imprisoned and was to be released to a hostile mob, that was inspired by unbelieving Jews, to be humiliated, beaten, or killed. Does anybody see “Easter eggs or bunnies” in that verse? This event related to the time of Passover. There was no “Easter” that was observed by the Jews or the early church. The KJV uses “Easter,” to identify the time of Acts 12, when in fact Easter was a European ritual of many years after the events of Acts 12. So, please understand the facts of the scourging, crucifixion, and blood being spattered all over the body of Jesus, and that “Easter” has nothing to do with Jesus. “Please don’t say Easter!” It is correct to say “Resurrection Sunday!”
http://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/ancient-pagan-origins-easter-001571
Most historians, including Biblical scholars, agree that Easter was originally a pagan festival. According to the New Unger’s Bible Dictionary says: “The word Easter is of Saxon origin, Eastra, the goddess of spring, in whose honour sacrifices were offered about Passover time each year. By the eighth century Anglo–Saxons had adopted the name to designate the celebration of Christ’s resurrection.” However, even among those who maintain that Easter has pagan roots, there is some disagreement over which pagan tradition the festival emerged from. Here we will explore some of those perspectives.
Acts 12:4 Parallel Verses
New International Version
After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.
New Living Translation
Then he imprisoned him, placing him under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring Peter out for public trial after the Passover.
English Standard Version
And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people.
Berean Study Bible
He arrested him and put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out to the people after the Passover.
Berean Literal Bible
whom also, having seized, he put in prison, having delivered him to four sets of four soldiers to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover.
New American Standard Bible
When he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out before the people.
King James Bible
And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.
Holman Christian Standard Bible
After the arrest, he put him in prison and assigned four squads of four soldiers each to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover.
Consider the following links that relate to the suffering of Jesus.
http://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-suffering.html
http://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-look-like.html
Eternity 