Friday, August 12, 2011
Covered in Blood
Why did the Apostle John live longer than all the other disciples? I believe it had to do with … the Blood of Jesus. Let me try to explain.
In the following setting, Jesus has been talking to Peter about how Peter would die.
John 21:19-23 … “This spake he, signifying by what death he (Peter) should glorify God ... Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper ... Peter seeing him (John) saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple (John) should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?”
John often described himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved, and in his writings identified himself as the other disciple. John had a connection that seemed closer than what the others had with Jesus. I don't know what it was, personality, chemistry, whatever it was, something just clicked between them. I'm speaking as man to man, friend to friend … not as the Son of God to man.
A couple of times in John's writing, he mentions the fact that Jesus allowed John to get close enough to Jesus that he actually was leaning on the Lord. That's because Jesus was leanable, approachable. I'm sure they talked and shared many things with each other. I suspect that John and Jesus, if I may use this term … horsed around physically with each other. Friends do that you know. Both of them were strong, healthy young men. If they would have had a basketball, they would have shot hoops together. Okay … I just imagine they would have.
I am of the opinion … I have no scriptural proof … but I would like to believe that John saw Jesus in a different way then the other disciples viewed Him. Maybe John understood the heart of Jesus better. I don't know what was different, but something was because Jesus left His mother in John's care just before He died on the cross.
I believe John stayed as close to Jesus as he was allowed during the trial and followed close behind Him as He made His way to the cross. John is found standing with Mary, the mother of Jesus as they watched Jesus being nailed to the cross. As far as is recorded, John was the only disciple that watched Jesus endure the agonizing pain and suffering for 3 hours bleeding out His life giving blood as He died. All the other disciples fled out of fear or disbelief and shock from what was happening.
John recorded that Joseph of Arimathaea, a member of the Jewish sanhedrim along with Nicodemus, the Pharisee who came to Jesus at night ... took the body of Jesus down from the cross. These two men, middle aged or perhaps even older considering their positions in the Jewish hierarchy would need help removing the body of a dead man from a cross.
They would need a least one ladder or most likely two, one in front and perhaps one on the backside of the cross, some rope to keep the body of Jesus from tearing loose from the remaining nails during the slow gruesome task of pulling only one nail at a time from His body. How could these two men handle all the weight by themselves? I don't believe they could.
John writes about this as though he was not only still at the Crucifixion site, but I believe because he also took part in removing his friend and Lord from the bloody cross.
I believe John was still watching over Mary. He had been with her the whole day. They had never lost sight of Jesus during the whole terrible ordeal. Why would they leave now? A mother's care doesn't end with death … there was more to do. It was Passover, He had to come down.
The Bible is silent about how Jesus was taken down from the cross. Since the Gospel writers were not led to describe the events as they happened … that leaves me with only my imagination to fill in the blanks as I see them unfold in my minds eye.
Events as I see them ...
Mary watched intently as Joseph and Nicodemus struggled with the dead weight of Jesus … “Careful with Him” she thought to herself … her mothers heart couldn't take any more pain as she waited for them to put her son once again into her arms. I can see and hear Mary, with one small push of her hand on John's back, say to him … “Go help them John, carry His weight.”
So John, young and strong, runs and goes up one of the ladders and catches the full weight of Jesus as the two men place Jesus over John's right shoulder and back. Now this time Jesus is leaning on John. Carefully he carries Jesus down the ladder and over a few feet to the waiting arms of Mary … the Mother of God.
As John weeps while watching Mary holding her dead son, he becomes aware of the fact that he is now covered in blood. The blood of Jesus is on the side of his face. It's on his neck and right shoulder as well as running down his back. John's arm and hands are covered in blood. John had rubbed shoulders with Jesus many times before … but this time … touching Jesus had left something powerful and Holy upon him.
The Blood of Jesus.
Today we sing about that blood, the saving, cleansing blood, and the fact that the blood will never lose that power, etc.
John experienced the power of the blood himself that Passover, as the Lamb of God was sacrificed for sin.
I presented this question to you at the beginning of this posting … “Why did John live longer than all the other disciples?”
And my answer was … “I believe it had to do with … the Blood of Jesus.”
Do you understand now, why I say that?
I have no proof that events happened as I have written. All I know is that I saw all this unfold in my heart one morning during our prayer time that my wife Peggy and I have each day. It takes just a moment of time for God to open your heart and drop a word or picture into it.
Many people pray … “the Blood of Jesus” … over situations just like they pray … “the Name of Jesus” … over things.
John didn't have to pray for the power of the blood that day … he was covered in the power of that blood. He was the only disciple that lived past 90 years of age to die a natural death. Could it be … it was because he was … covered in blood?
Covered in the blood of Jesus … literally.
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6 comments:
Very moving writing dad, tears flowed as I read these words. I felt as if i was literally taken to the cross that beautiful, dreadful day!
Love your insight & love you!
Teresa
The heart of a Godly mother always yearns toward her child ... I believe you have seen in your heart as accurately as is possible how Mary would have been on that unimaginable Day of Days without the actual words of the Bible to confirm. Thank you for blessing us with your insight!
~AngelGirl
Thank you for stopping by my little blog. Your words are received with the same love as they were given.
As a father and grandfather I've often wondered just what Mary, as a mother had to hide away in her heart as the Bible says.
How did she feel knowing the care of God's Son was given to her?
As far as what I have written ... I feel as though it was a God inspired moment. At least I hope it was.
Blessings to you Angel Girl.
I have a feeling that your mind's story is not far from the truth and may well be completely truthful. This is a comforting story Carl, because we see that Jesus possibly did have someone who shared what he saw to some extent. We know that "the disciples" often didn't understand what Jesus was saying, and we know he intentionally closed their eyes to the truth at times.
John, along with taking care of Mary (wonder how long she lived) had the revelations yet to give us. His was a mighty mission. I can't imagine the Bible without Revelations?
Beautiful, thought provoking as always.
But what does G-d say about the forgiveness of sin? From whom is repentance required? And is blood the only means of forgiveness?
We find in the following passage that a flour offering is a substitute for a blood sacrifice if the person was too poor to bring and animal sacrifice.
Leviticus 5:11
We find in the following passage that monetary sacrifice serves for atonement.
Exodus 30:16
Non-Jews of Nineveh were forgiven of their evil deeds by fasting and repentance, and without blood sacrifice.
Jonah 3:5-10
And G-d tells His children Israel to return to Him in prayer and forsake their sin instead of blood sacrifice.
2 Chronicles 7:13
Let us look again to Torah to learn what G-d say about the forgiveness of sin? And from whom is repentance required?
Let’s look first at the sin of the golden calf.
While Moses was receiving the Ten Commandments from the Lord, the people were doing the most heinous of sins. They had Moses’s brother Aaron make for them a golden calf as an idol. This is where Moses broke the two tablets of the commandments. Moses is mad, but goes before the Lord and offers himself as a repentance offering to G-d. Torah tells us the responsible parties are the only people that can repent for sin:
Exodus 32: 31
Let us now look to what G-d says to the Prophet Ezekiel about the forgiveness of sin? From whom is repentance required?
Ezekiel 18
So we see clearly from the above that if we sin, it is on ourselves to repent. No man can save us from our sins. We are responsible for our own sins.
Exodus 32: 33 The LORD replied to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book.
In closing, let us review the blood sacrifice of Leviticus chapter 17. While this verse does illustrate an aspect of importance in blood sacrifice, nowhere does it say that blood is the only means of expiation.
Leviticus 17:10 And whatsoever man [there be] of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of blood; I will even set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people. [11] For the life of the flesh [is] in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it [is] the blood [that] maketh an atonement for the soul. [12] Therefore I said unto the children of Israel, No soul of you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger that sojourneth among you eat blood. (KJV)
It's the blood that makes atonement, as opposed to using the intestines, the kidneys, the brains the muscle tissue. It's the blood. So don't consume it!(Yet, Christian's drink the blood of Jesus on communion - the wine is the blood of J. Matthew 26:27 records J saying: "Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
How sad indeed that Christians do not know Torah - if they knew that G-d said NOT to drink blood - I am quite sure they would not. They wouldn't even drink juice as a symbol of the blood of J.
Tidbits of Torah …
Hi. I want more than just tidbits of the Word of God, so please bear with me.
First, thank you for reading some of my postings. As you know I write about Jesus. Sorry, that's what I do. His Spirit changed my life many years ago.
May I assume you are Jewish? I won't hold that against you. (That's a Joke.) I consider you as a brother (or sister?) through God and / or His Son.
Yes, I have read Ezekiel as well as the rest of the Holy Scriptures. The only problem you are going to have with me is this … I am not under the works of the Law any more. I guess I never was. I was just a sinner until I heard about God sending His Son to redeem fallen man.
Do I believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. You bet I do. But I also read the story where God asked Abraham to kill his only son. Isaac asked his father where the lamb was … Abraham responded … "God will supply Himself as the Lamb." And I believe He did just that with Jesus.
You see, I believe God made a Covenant with Israel, and I have no problem with that. But I also read in (Jeremiah 31:31) where He said … "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant …"
And then I read in the Book written to the Hebrews, this in 8:6-8 … "He (Jesus) is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second …"
I believe I would rather trust in what Jesus did on the tree, than what little righteousness I could try to earn through the works of the Law myself. Sorry. I am a failure in righteousness. I have none. But the new Covenant Jeremiah spoke of, tells me that Jesus paid the price for my sins.
May I offer one word of advice? Please … let me say it again … Please read the Book of Hebrews with and open mind. If you will do that, I believe you may see Jesus for what he really is. The Jewish Lamb of God.
I am going to send this comment back to you as an e-mail reply as well as posting it on all three of your comments to my postings.
May our G-d continue blessing your reading and understanding of the Torah as well as the rest of God's Word.
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