Category Archives: Teaching

Was Christ’s “Grave Clothes” – The Shroud Of Turin?

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The Shroud of Turin?

Here at Easter time we usually see movies about the “Shroud of Turin” which some have thought to be Christ’s burial garment.  However, according to the Biblical record, Christ was not buried in a shroud. After His crucifixion Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus took the body and prepared it for burial:

John 19:38-40: “And after this Joseph of Arimathea, 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.

 “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.”

“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.”

Note that the mixture of aloes and spices were “about an hundred pound weight.” The Greek word for ‘weight’ here is litra, which was equal to our modern weight of about 12 ounces, or roughly ¾ of a pound. Therefore, the hundred litra weight would equal about 75 pounds in modern English terms.

The Body Was “Wound” With the Spices

Note that they “took the body of Jesus and ‘wound’ it in linen clothes with the spices.”  to ‘wind’ something is to take it in a circular or spiral course or direction This would mean that they wrapped the strips of linen around and around his body. The linen strips were cut or torn strips of the linen that were soaked in the spice mixture and wound around His body as we have seen pictures of mummified bodies, embalmed for burial.  After drying, this would have formed a hard, cast-like cocoon for the body. It was not wrapped loosely in a shroud, contrary to the popular story of the Shroud of Turin.

What Was “The Manner Of The Jews”?

The text says: “… as the manner of the Jews is to bury.” The “manner of the Jews to bury” is further indicated in John 11:44 where we see that Lazarus, being raised from the dead, his “grave clothes” had him bound hand and foot, and there was a “napkin” binding his face. That napkin binding his face was not attached to the other “grave clothes.” Jesus commanded him to be loosed. These accounts of Jewish burial, that of Jesus and of Lazarus, indicate that the the manner of the Jews for burial was that the bodies were not merely loosely wrapped in a shroud, but rather were tightly bound, the head being wrapped separately from the body.

We also have the much earlier story of Joseph’s “grave clothes” in Genesis 50:25-26 which may give us a precedent for the “grave clothes” of Jesus and Lazarus. “And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence. So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.”

The rest of the story is in Exodus 13:19: “And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away from hence with you.” So the embalming of Joseph, in the manner of the Egyptian mummies,  became a part of the traditions of the Jews.

What Did They See In The Empty Tomb?

On resurrection morning, Mary Magdalene had visited the tomb and saw that Jesus’ body was not there. She hurried to tell the disciples. John 20:3-8:

“Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulcher. So they ran both together and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulcher. And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying, yet went not in. Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulcher, and seeth the linen clothes lie, and the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. Then went in also that other disciple which came first to the sepulcher, and he saw, and believed.”

What was it about the “grave clothes” that made them believe? It was not merely a shroud lying there, but rather it was that hard shell of the cast-like cocoon,  not broken nor disturbed, but empty! The body was gone from it! Jesus came out of the “grave clothes” without disturbing them. The body wrap was separate from the head wrap but both were totally intact, not broken, but empty! That glorified Body of Jesus went through that cocoon just as it went through the walls where the disciples had met and “the doors were shut,” but Jesus stood in their midst. His glorified Body could not be held by walls, doors, nor grave clothes!

No human power could have removed the body of Jesus from those “grave clothes” without tearing or breaking the cocoon-cast. Seeing was believing. There was only one answer to the empty grave clothes: He is risen!!

He is risen! The Lord is risen indeed!

The Remnant of Israel

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Who Are “The Remnant” who escape the ‘Mark of the Beast’?

Revelation 19:20-21 KJV – “20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

“21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which [sword] proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.”

The Remnant Were Slain

How were they slain? By the sword of the Rider Upon the White Horse, Revelation 19:11-16:   “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him [was] called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

“12 His eyes [were] as a flame of fire, and on his head [were] many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.

“13 And he [was] clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

“14 And the armies [which were] in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

“15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

What is this “sword” out of His mouth? Ephesians 6:17:  “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” 

The Rider on the White Horse is Jesus. The sword of His mouth is the Word of God.

Must we die to live?

Rom 8:10- “And if Christ [be] in you, the body [is] dead because of sin; but the Spirit [is] life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.”

“Col 3:3-6 “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, [who is] our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. 5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: 6 For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience.”

2 Timothy  2:11:  “It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with [him], we shall also live with [him].”

JESUS IS THE TRUE VINE – ISRAEL

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John 15:1-7 KJV:

“1– I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every [branch] that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye [are] the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast [them] into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”

For those who heard Him speak these words, the context was found in Isaiah 5:7:

Isa 5:7 KJV – 7 For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts [is] the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.

For more of the context read Isaiah chapter 5. Back in Isaiah’s time, Israel had become so corrupt that God was required to fulfill His covenant promises of dispersion and destruction.  For those who knew these Scriptures and the history of Israel, they knew that the prophesies of Isaiah 5 were fulfilled when the king of Assyria invaded and conquered the ten-tribe nation called ‘Israel’ in about 722-3 BC. Many were slain; many others taken captive and were settled in Assyria; while many of the Assyrians were transferred to the land previously occupied by the ten-tribe nation of ‘Israel,’ later known as ‘Samaria.’ This resulted in a mixture of the races which in New Testament times, the Jews called ‘Samaritans,’ not recognizing them as Israelites, but rather considering them gentile dogs.

Jesus was reminding His audience of what happened to the Israel of old when they turned away from God in flagrant disobedience when He said:

“If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them and cast them into the fire, and they are burned,” John 15:6.

 Tragically, multitudes of them refused to believe His warning and so men cast them into the fires of death, dispersion and destruction in 70 AD when Jerusalem was captured by the Roman armies. Millions were killed; almost another million were taken to Rome and sold as slaves, while millions more were dispersed throughout the world.

But for those who believed and heeded the words of Jesus; they were spared as a group and became the Church, the Body of Christ, the True Vine and went throughout the known world of that era, preaching and teaching the Kingdom of God in Christ.

Tests of a True Prophet

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In Ezekiel’s day, false prophecy was such a problem that the Lord made another rule: The prophet should be proven in his own generation:

“And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, ‘Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, “the Days are prolonged, and every vision faileth?” Tell them therefore, ‘Thus saith the Lord God; “I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel:” but say unto them, ‘The days are at hand, and the effect of every vision. For there shall be no more any vain vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel. For I am the Lord: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged: for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord God.'”

“Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, “The vision that he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times that are far off.” Therefore say unto them, ‘Thus saith the Lord God; “There shall none of my words be prolonged any more, but the word which I have spoken shall be done, saith the Lord God,'” (Ezekiel 12:21-28).

Christ Submitted To These Tests

Jesus prophesied of the destruction of Jerusalem and the wrath of God upon the Jewish nation, Matthew chapters 23 and 24; Mark 13. Christ was willing to submit to this test of a true prophet for He declared that all these prophecies should be fulfilled “in this generation,” (Matthew 24:34; Mark 13:30). If “these things” had not happened in that generation, Christ would have been proven a false prophet. But they did happen. Jerusalem fell in 70 AD; Christ was proven to be a true Prophet, and therefore the Son of God, and the promised Messiah.

 

THE NAME OF GOD

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What is meant by the phrase “The Name of God?” Exodus 20:7 says: “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His Name in vain.”

The Name of God means at least these three things:

(1) His Authority: to act in someone’s name is to act in his authority, as in Esther 8:8, where the king gave Esther and Mordecai permission to write in his name, that is, with his authority.

(2) His Character: One’s “name” also represents his character, as in the saying: “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,” Proverbs 22:1.

(3) His Identity: One’s name is used as a surname or distinguishing name in general, his parentage, who he is, as in Exodus 3:14-15.

(1) NAME OF GOD AS AUTHORITY

The Authority of God is infinite: He has all power in heaven and earth; He is omnipotent.

He is the Creator: Elohim, Genesis chapters 1 and 2.

He is the Lord of Hosts, Isaiah 47:4: “Our Redeemer – the Lord of Hosts is His Name.” These Hosts, Sabaoth, includes all military powers, human as well as angelic; also the heavenly hosts of the sun, moon and stars; and the hosts of all created things such as frogs, flies and locusts, Psalm 104:30-34. The word Sabaoth is also used in the New Testament, Romans 9:29, quoting Isaiah 13:19 and in James 5:4.

Jesus delegated the authority to act in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost to His disciples in Matthew 28:18-20. To act in God’s Name is to act in the power of His authority.

(2) NAME OF GOD AS CHARACTER

The Name of God represents His character. What is His character?

God is Holy: Leviticus 19:2: “Say to the congregation of the people of Israel, You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.”

I Peter 1:14-16: “As obedient children do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, (15) but as He Who has called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct, (16) since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I Am holy.’”

To act in God’s Name, we must act in His holiness. Holiness is purity. No impure motives nor actions can be done in the Name of our Holy God.

God is Unity: Deuteronomy 6:4: “Hear O Israel the Lord our God is One Lord.” He calls us to unity of body, soul and spirit in Jesus.  To act in the Name of God, we must be whole-hearted, not divided within ourselves, not double-minded.

Mark 12:29-30: “Jesus answered, ‘The first [commandment] is “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one; and you shall love the Lord your God with all you heart and with all your soul and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’”

(3) NAME OF GOD AS IDENTITY

God identified Himself by the name Jahweh, transliterated in English as Jehovah  “The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,” Exodus 3:15. He also identified Himself by many compound names:

Jehovah-Jireh, “The Lord will provide,” Genesis 22:14.

Jehovah-Raphaka, “The Lord that healeth thee,” Exodus 15:26.

Jehovah-Nissi, “The Lord our banner,” Exodus 17: 14-15; that is: the center and power of our cause.

Jehovah-Shalom, “The Lord is our Peace,” Judges 6:24.

Jehovah-Roi, “The Lord is my Shepherd,” Psalm 23.

Jehovah-Tsidkenu, “The Lord, our Righteousness,” Jeremiah 23:6.

Jehovah-Shammah, “Jehovah is present,” Ezekiel 48:35.

Jehovah-Sabaoth, “The Lord of Hosts,” Isaiah 1:9 and many other references.

New Testament Names:

Our Lord Jesus Christ has in His very person all of the attributes of these names, and is the manifestation in the flesh of all of the names of God in the Old Testament. Some New Testament mentions of His Name:

Jesus, Matthew 1:21: Messiah, Savior, Deliverer.

Emmanuel, Matthew 1:23: “God with us,” quoting Isaiah 7:14, 8:8.

Elohim, John 1:1-2: The Creator, Genesis 1 and 2.

Adonai, John 13:13; Rev. 19:16: Lord and Master, sovereign Lord, King of Kings, Deuteronomy 10:17.

El-Shaddai, Matthew 28:18-20; Ephesians 3:20: All-sufficient One, Genesis 17:1.

El-Elyon, Luke 1:32, 35: Son of the Most High; Psalm 7:17.

El-Olam, Hebrews 13:8: The same yesterday, today and forever:  Genesis 21:35.

The NAME of Jesus: Authority, Character, Identity

“(9) Wherefore God hath highly exalted Him [Christ Jesus] and given Him a name which is above every name: (10) That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth: (11) And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father,” Philippians 2:9-11.