March 26, 2016

1 Corinthians 15:4a  NKJV - "...and that He was buried..."

Commentary:

We don't hear many messages about the burial of Christ, but it is important!  We read in John 19:38-42 of Joseph of Arimathea, and Nicodemus taking the body of Jesus and placing it in a tomb, one which was owned by Joseph according to Matthew 27:60.  It was obviously a common practice to "bury" a deceased relative or friend and Joseph was doing a decent thing by allowing Jesus' body to be placed in his own tomb.  It was also a fulfillment of prophecy for we read in Isaiah 53:9, "And they made His grave with the wicked--but with the rich at his death."

What's important about the burial of Christ?  Let me suggest a few things:  First, it proved that Jesus was dead.  He wasn't faking His death for His body would be "sealed" into a tomb and would be there for 3 days. 

Second, during this time the Bible speaks of Him preaching to the "spirits in prison" 1 Peter 3:19.  I believe this was Jesus in Paradise, Luke 23:43, looking across the abyss, Luke 16:26, and speaking to the demonic spirits and announcing His victory over sin.  (More about this in another study).

Third, we read in Psalm 103:12, "As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us" and we also read in Micah 7:19, "He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities.  You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea."  I believe Jesus "took our sins away" as He was buried.

As the old chorus says, "Gone, Gone, Gone, Gone, yes, my sins are Gone...!"