31 Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. 32 Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. 35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. 36 For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, “Not one of His bones shall be broken.”[a] 37 And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.”[b] 38 After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus. 39 And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds. 40 Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom 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 tomb in which no one had yet been laid.42 So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews’ Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby.
Footnotes:
1 Corinthians 11:23-26, (NKJV)
23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying,“This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
Romans 3:21-26, (NKJV)
21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Romans 1:20, (NKJV)
20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,
1 Corinthians 1:20-25, (NKJV)
20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks[a] foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
1 Corinthians 2:10-16, (NKJV)
10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. 16 For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
1 Corinthians 10:1-4, (NKJV)
Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:1-7, (NKJV)
15 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve.6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles.
1 John 1:7-9, (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. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 2:1-3, (NKJV)
My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.
Galatians 5:16-26, (NKJV)
16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders,[b] drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
Colossians 1:15-23, (NKJV)
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. 21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.
My Comments: I look back over my life and I always knew God was there and doing things for me and never gave much thought, except for at Easter time, as to what Jesus did for me and it was never an in depth thought. I knew there was God the Father, Son (Jesus) and Holy Ghost and they were all one yet did not know that I could only go to the Father through the Son until just before 911 when I learned what being Born Again was all about and accepted Jesus as my Savior. He filled me with His Holy Spirit and I have never been the same since though I had a lot of growing to do (still do). We need to read His Word thoroughly with the Holy Spirit guiding us to understand the Word (the Word is Jesus). Then we will grow closer to God the Father and we need to remember all He is teaching and has taught us.
Growing up in the Greek Russian Orthodox Church as I did in Alaska and coming from a family from the Priest hood, I did not have deep thoughts about Jesus' sacrifice. I did not understand Slavonic (the language spoken at Church) though my Grandmother explained many of the words especially the common prayers and songs yet it was my communion with God that grew in my heart not the theology of the Orthodox Church. Maybe they gave thought to Christ's sacrifice and knew Him better than I. I cannot speak for them only myself.
The church had many Icons (pictures of saints and Jesus and such) all over and like the Catholics the congregant lite candles in front of them and said prayers to them for help etc. They did not read their Bibles, the Catholic usually did not either, so their understanding of the Word came from Priests who told them what to believe. In my case many were Alaskan Natives and they came out of superstition and animism beliefs in their history so praying to many was natural. I praise God He has shown me Jesus his precious Son and made me to understand that praying to Him (God) through the Son (Jesus) is what I must do.
Jesus gave up Heaven to come to earth to take on the sin of the whole world so that we may have Eternal Life with God. What a wonder that Jesus would give up and go through so much pain and suffering so I and the whole world may live with the Father. There is no life without accepting the Sacrifice of Jesus the Son of God. When we choose Jesus' sacrifice and righteousness we choose life. If we do not choose Him we choose death in Hell with Satan who becomes our god which is what he has always wanted when he tried to usurp God and was cast out of Heaven.
Abba Father has used many through a long period of history to record His Word and it is all about Jesus. We study His Word and gain knowledge, insight, understanding and wisdom so we can live our lives to glorify Him. We need to read and reread the Words so they will be in us as Jesus is in us. We remember His Sacrifice in Communion (He is not Sacrificed again and again as some religions teach and we do not eat His real body or drink His real blood it is a symbolic act of remembrance as He told us).
During the taking of the bread and drink we remember His Sacrifice and what He went through for our Salvation and we confess our sin and know He has Sanctified us through His Sacrifice on the Cross. And because of His Resurrection we will overcome death and be raised to be with Him in Heaven where He stands before the Father in our place. Praise God we belong to Jesus. We are His eternally. We are alive in Him and He in us.
Abba Father has used many through a long period of history to record His Word and it is all about Jesus. We study His Word and gain knowledge, insight, understanding and wisdom so we can live our lives to glorify Him. We need to read and reread the Words so they will be in us as Jesus is in us. We remember His Sacrifice in Communion (He is not Sacrificed again and again as some religions teach and we do not eat His real body or drink His real blood it is a symbolic act of remembrance as He told us).
During the taking of the bread and drink we remember His Sacrifice and what He went through for our Salvation and we confess our sin and know He has Sanctified us through His Sacrifice on the Cross. And because of His Resurrection we will overcome death and be raised to be with Him in Heaven where He stands before the Father in our place. Praise God we belong to Jesus. We are His eternally. We are alive in Him and He in us.
Loved ones I pray you will choose life. When we turn to God the Father through His Son Jesus Christ and accept the salvation He attained for us we choose life. When we choose our own road our own life. (like "I did it my way") we choose not to be with God and that way is death for which there is no coming back from once our body leaves this world. He gives us till we die in this body yet loved ones I pray you will not wait that long. You would miss out on great joy and peace by waiting. Search the Word and ask Him who has done so much to guide you through His Holy Spirit as you read the Word and He will show you the truth of His Word. Open your Heart and take the leap of faith and accept Him as Savior and He will open up life to you as He did for me just before 911.
My heart cries to You Abba for all who need Your salvation through Your Son Jesus and I pray You will guide them and open their hearts to Your joy and peace and that they will accept Your Son's sacrifice and grace. Which cannot be bought by good acts or pretense and only through the faith of believing on Your Son Jesus. Thank you Abba for all You have done to bring them to You and open their eyes, unstop their ears and soften their hearts that they may have life everlasting and be filled with the Holy Spirit who will teach all who come to Jesus what the Word says and give them understanding and guide them in knowledge and wisdom. I pray all through Your Son Jesus our Savior, in union with Your Holy Spirit. Amen
Rebishka
Rebishka
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