"And That He Was Buried"                                                                        I CORINTHIANS 15:4 E. H. McCollum © Copyright 1982

 

 

 

FORWARD

This is a new experience for me. I attempt it only because of the prodding of the Holy Spirit and the insistence of friends.

I make no claims of scholarship nor of a uniqueness of style. I do however, claim uniqueness for the subject; to the shame of so many great gospel preachers. How many times have you as a gospel preacher or you as a Christian given significance to the burial of Jesus?

Four simple statements comprise the gospel declared, preached, believed, received and delivered by Paul, "by which also ye are saved.''

1. How that Christ died for our sins, according to the scripture.

2. And that he was buried;

3. And that he was raised again the third day according to the scripture.

4. And that he was seen....

Thousands of messages have been preached and written on the death of Jesus. Other thousands on the resurrection. Many on the post resurrection appearances of our blessed Lord, but how many have been written on the burial of Jesus? My limited resources have not afforded me even one full length message or treatise on His burial. I have searched some large libraries to no avail. It is almost as if the gospel was He died and rose again.

The Spirit of God has pricked my heart again and again with the words, "And that he was buried." Finding little help from others and having no guidelines to follow, I now attempt to write down from God's word what I believe with my whole being to be the Spirit's mind in penning the words —AND THAT HE WAS BURIED.

My prayer is that our sovereign God, who wasted no words, will by His manifold grace use this treatise to be a blessing to the hearts and lives of His Children, and may sinners by His Holy Spirit come to see their sins put away.

E. H. McCollum

 

 

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF BURIAL AS SET FORTH IN THE OLD TESTAMENT AND BELIEVED AND PRACTICED THERE.

The absence of burial is a result of or sign to teach judgment, condemnation or total rejection by God.

In the fourth chapter of Genesis in the offering and worship of the first two brothers, we have the first hint of Satan's religion embodied in Cain. Cain would offer to God a bloodless way. Given another opportunity to offer the right sacrifice he steadfastly refused. It was his purpose to set up a system of religion that would be false, misleading and hurtful.

I John 3:12 a close examination of the Greek reveals that Cain, though conceived by Eve from Adam, had his source of origin in Satan. Cain flayed Abel, as Abel had flayed his offering, because his works (gifts, offerings) were evil; i.e. hurtful in effect and misleading and false in influence.

At God's prodding he, in effect says, "O.K., you want a sacrifice, I'll give you one,'' and rose up and flayed Abel. This is presented not to set forth the doctrine of grace vs. works, though it does; it is presented to point out that Abel was not buried, insofar as the word teaches.

It is significant that the blood of Abel along with all the martyred souls under the altar (Rev. 6:9-11) cries vengeance. Here without the benefit of further revelation one might miss the point that without burial the matter is not settled. *In his gifts he cries mercy. (Heb. 11:4) In his death he cries vengeance: (Gen. 4:11) for there is no burial. This crying is Cain's burden.

Lest the reading become cumbersome, I hasten to point out the judgment upon Jeroboam's house (I Kg. 14:10-13) of no burial.

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* The continuance of the matter is shown in Matt. 23:35; Lu. 11:51; Heb. 12:24

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The same of Baasha (I Kg. 16:4). So well known are the cases of Ahab's house and wicked Jezebel, (I Kg. 21:19-25 the prophecy: fulfilled in II Kg. 9:34-37) that comment is thought unnecessary.

The Hebrew thought of burial is vividly presented in the words of Solomon in (Ecc. 6:3). "If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he." Children and length of days were popularly thought the outward manifestations of God's blessing. To have these was the height of desire on the part of the Hebrew. Yet, to have these and life not to be filled with good and, or, to miss burial made life void and fruitless and without productiveness, which thing God must reject. Life to have value with God and produce fruit demands burial. Christ was not cast out nor rejected of God. His life was not void even though he was judged and punished of God for our sins. His burial assures me that God accepted Him and His sacrifice.

THERE IS A CONFLICT BETWEEN GOD AND THE DEVIL OVER BURIAL SET FORTH IN THE OLD TESTAMENT.

Isaiah 14:12-201 records a proverb against the King of Babylon. Being conscious of the conflicts of interpretations and the true identity of the personality involved in the passage might be reason enough not to present this passage. However, its importance is of such a nature that it becomes necessary to look closely at its relationship to the Old Testament teaching of burial.

The king of Babylon is but a vague picture of the real source of evil in the world, i.e. the Devil, Lucifer. It is said of him that he is cast out of his grave as an abominable branch. He is to be without benefit of burial, which forfeits his right to renowned. (The Hebrew word for renowned means in its fullness: "To be proclaimed, preached, and, or published.") Satan thus is marked of God in such a way that he can never

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be possessed or possess by proclaiming, preaching, publishing or writing. One may preach about the Devil, write about the Devil, much is published and proclaimed about him but he in person cannot become a vital part of any person or thing in this way. He can in no way enter into, take possession of, or be possessed by an individual by preaching, proclamation or publication.

Why this judgment on Lucifer? This judgment is to show that he is totally rejected of God. He is in conflict with God; would dethrone him and exalt himself above all other angels and become God himself. This pronouncement,  "I will be like the most High" sets the Devil against God and demands that God deal with the Devil in a way that would defeat him beyond question and show God's abhorrence and total rejection of him. This he chose to do by proper burial for his favored and the absence of burial for the totally rejected. [Even a quick look at Rev. 20:10 will show that he was not afforded burial.] God's ultimate sovereignty is on the line. The words of the Spirit "and that he was buried" gives renown to Jesus. He in all of his glorious and radiant personality can be communicated by proclamation, preaching, publication and writing. (How oft has he walked off the pages of the word into my heart in majesty and inexpressible wonder to thrill my soul and bathe my life with his luminous presence.)

WITH THIS CONFLICT IN MIND, LET US LOOK AT THREE OLD TESTAMENT EXAMPLES OF THE PRESENCE OF THE CONFLICT OVER BURIAL.

In Deuteronomy chapter thirty-four we have the picturesque story of Moses, man of God, going up from the planes of Moab unto Mount Nebo even to the top of Pisgah to view the land of promise. True, he would not be going over to the land now. Only, as the song writer has expressed it, "From Mt. Pisgah's lofty heights I view my home and take my flight." Somewhere there in Moab Moses died and in some unknown valley God lays the hoary head of the man of God to rest in an unknown grave. With what beauty and simplicity the book of Deuteronomy closes with the burial of Moses and

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new leadership of Joshua.

Surely no Satanic clash or fit of temper can be found hi the elegance and graciousness of these words. But, Wait! There is conflict of angels attending the placid scenes before God himself takes a hand. In the Epistle of Jude verse nine we see why the Lord buried Moses. Here is Michael the arch angel, "the prince of God's people" (Dan. 12:1), contending with the Devil. What is their dispute? The body of Moses. If Satan could rob Moses of burial he could shake the foundation out from under the Law of God. He could wipe from the face of the earth: the eternity of God. He could deny the fall of man. He could do away with the doctrine of substitution, the atonement, election and eternal salvation to mention only a few of the accomplishments which would have been his could he have won the dispute. But, God steps in and buries Moses.

God does not here completely and finally deal with the Devil on the question. He only vindicates his servant and his word. When we come to the New Testament we will attempt to show the glory in the burial of Moses. For now let it suffice to see the victory in conflict.

Let us turn now to the second conflict seen in the Old Testament between God and the Devil over Burial. In love, God places this conflict in the sacrificial system. In greater grace it is seen on the Day of Atonement. (Lev. 16). In the choice of the two goats on this day we are taught a great and important lesson. It took two goats to represent one Lamb. It took two goats to teach the lesson. Lots were cast for the goats. One for the Lord's lot, a sacrifice, whose blood was to cover sin and make an atonement for the people. The second lot for a scape goat.

AZAZEL, is the Hebrew word used in the passage. It is of uncertain meaning, Azazel is retained without translation in many critical translations. There are three general ideas used to designate the idea of the word Azazel. Some hold it to mean the great "sent away" or "let loose." Some hold it as a designation of the place to which the goat was

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sent i.e. "Desert places." Many take it to be the designation of an evil spirit of which the Devil is chief. A goat over whose head was confessed the sins of the people. The goat was then given into the hands of a fit man who led him away into a desert place to do battle with Azazel over sin. This goat is a picture that sin must be borne away from the people. Sin must be put out of sight so that even the Devil cannot find them.

It is my conviction that the scape goat is symbolic of the burial hi which the final victory of God over the Devil with respect to sin shall take place. We will reserve the final presentation of this matter until we come to the New Testament. If my convictions can be sustained then this ceremony once a year was an annual reminder to Satan, in "his Goat'', that God would finally defeat him with respect to sin and sin would be put out of sight.

The third conflict is seen in the death of the seven sons of Saul. The thirty-first chapter of First Samuel closes with the death of Saul and three of his sons. The Philistines took the head of Saul and sent it throughout the land of the Philistines. They took the body of Saul and the bodies of his three sons and fastened them to the wall of Beth-Shan. The valiant men of Jabesh-Gilead took the bodies from the wall and brought them to Jabesh and burnt them there. They took their bones and buried them under a tree in Jabesh.

Three things need to be noted in this account. The men of Jabesh burned the bodies instead of burying them. They buried their bones under a tree. (No proper grave for a king.) They buried them in Jabesh, not in Benjamin.

These things would probably go unnoticed by all were it not for the cry of vengeance put to David by the Gibeionites (II Sam. 21:1-14). The sin of Saul was visited upon the land. There was famine. Even though Saul was dead his sin was not settled by proper burial. Vengeance could be claimed and the land could still be punished. Why? It is evident that the failure of the men of Jabesh-Gilead and Israel and David

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left the matter unsettled. This is not conjecture on my part: Verse fourteen plainly states it. The Gibeonites had vengeance and at the proper burial the land was healed. The Devil worked in the failure of burial to disquiet the people of God and their inheritance.

THERE IS A LAW IN ISRAEL FOR THE BURIAL OF A CRIMINAL (Deut. 21: 22-23).

This law states plainly that a criminal hanged on a tree must be buried the same day. If this is not done the land or inheritance may be defiled. Stated another way, the crime is not settled until the criminal is buried out of sight. We will reserve discussion of this law until we come to the New Testament.

THERE IS AN INFOLDED MIRACLE OF BURIAL IN THE OLD TESTAMENT (Jonah 1:17).

Without the words of our Savior, we could well miss this miracle as a miracle of burial. So much has been mockingly said of the Great Fish of Jonah that the Devil has blinded too many minds to its real meaning. Even "critical scholars" have assailed this book, making it no more than "folk-lore." "Nobody believes that there was a real fish that swallowed a real man,'' they say.

It is not my purpose here to defend miracles. The man's God who is not big enough, wise enough or powerful enough to perform miracles, is not big enough to be God. The entire book shows the working of God's providence in all its natural events and the working of God's sovereign grace in the salvation of Jonah and Nineveh. My reason for presenting this miracle is for the burial's sake.

Jonah had sinned and lives were in peril because the sin was not put out of sight. This could, in so far as the men of the ship and Jonah were concerned, be accomplished by simply casting Jonah overboard, not so with the Lord. This would

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defeat God's plan for Jonah and the destruction of Nineveh. God's salvation must be seen.

Jonah's pictorial grave, put Jonah and his sin out of God's sight (Jonah 2:4). Here is proclaimed, "Salvation is of the Lord." Jonah from here runs with a message: Nineveh shall be destroyed. Though Jonah never seems to see it: old Nineveh passed away and behold, a new Nineveh is made.

We close the Old Testament significance of burial with the beautiful story of the Kinsman redeemer in the book of Ruth. No more stately grandeur can be seen than when Boaz redeems Ruth by paying the price. However, look if you will, back to Moab. To the border of the land when Orpah returns to Moab and Ruth in chapter one verse seventeen vows a co-death and co-burial as a part of her identification with Naomi and through her with the redeemer.

One can scarcely read the book of Ruth without seeing Naomi in the entire book as a likeness of the work of the Holy Spirit in the salvation and preservation of the saints.

In closing the Old Testament section of this treatise it would be well to recognize that the one satisfactory explanation of the importance of burial in the Old Testament is the fact that there is underlying its teaching the fact that the writers were convinced of resurrection rather than immortality only. The fact that the body is to be raised as well as redeemed caused the people of God to attach an importance to the body which the world around them could not know. This view gave to them a kind of memorial of saving efficacy in proper burial. The real efficacy is in the burial and resurrection of Jesus as proclaimed in the New Testament.

THE NEW TESTAMENT INCORPORATES ALL OF THE PRINCIPLES AND TENETS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT TEACHING ON BURIAL AND ALL FIND THEIR GLORY AND FULFILLMENT IN THE BURIAL OF JESUS.

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The salvation of a sinner is totally dependent upon what God has done, is doing, and will do, on behalf of the sinner. Salvation has never and will never depend on anything a sinner can do. The Gospel is the good news of that which God has ALREADY done in Christ. What God is doing in the saved "sinner" saint: What God is going to do in the saved "sinner" saint is not a part of the gospel. It is good news that, "he that hath begun a good work in you is able also to perform it until the day of Christ." Good news that, "He hath delivered, he doeth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us." Good news, yes, but not the gospel for the gospel of Christ is the good news of that which God has already done for us in Jesus Christ.

Paul's gospel of Christ was the "How" death according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures, and that he was seen. The "how" death involves: the eternity of the son, the condescension, the virgin birth, his life of total and absolute obedience to God. Such obedience as would demand that never a thought could be thought which was not the Father's thought. Never a word could be spoken which was not the Father's word: obedience totally pleasing to God. The "how" death is the death of a substitute. "God hath made him, who knew no sin, to be sin for US." "He suffered the just for the unjust." Every bit of the wrath and anger of God toward our sins was poured out on the son on Calvary. The last dregs of the bitter cup were wrung out upon Christ as my substitute. If there is any break down in the person of the substitute then there is no salvation for the sinner. If he was not the Eternal Son of God, Coexistent, coequal in all respects with the Father then he cannot save. If there was not a condescension in which he, the eternal God, became man in such a way that he was not merely God and man but God-man then he cannot save. If he was not virgin born, the result of a supernatural miracle, in which the scriptural expression, "a body hath thou prepared me" (Heb. 10:5): [not a body prepared for him, into which he at a point stepped into, but rather he, himself, was prepared Body. i.e. he became

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body so that there was at no point in time the existence of a body which was not he, himself.] could be literally fulfilled then he cannot save. It can well be said that if in any point in his life and ministry he was less than Divine perfection, totally pleasing to God, he cannot save. If on Calvary there was anything that must be suffered in order to propitiate God, with respect to our sins, that he did not suffer then he cannot save.

All of this has been said in order to set forth the fact that there was nothing in the scriptural account of him that was not important, but more, was absolutely necessary to the salvation of sinners. If this be true, and I believe it is, then the burial of Jesus has significance and is essential to the salvation of shiners. It is for this reason that this treatise is written, to set forth the necessity and significance of his burial.

IT MIGHT WELL BE ASKED WHAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED TO THE BODY OF THE CRUCIFIED CHRIST.

The Roman cross was not an uncommon sight in Palestine in the early first century. The Roman treatment of the body of one hung upon a cross might well have prevailed. Along the road sides of Palestine could be seen the decomposing bodies of those crucified. Often the flesh of the lower extremities of the bodies had been eaten by the wild dogs. Birds of prey would peck away at the flesh for their meat. Had the body of Jesus been given to the birds and dogs in the oft treatment of the bodies of the ones crucified by the Romans; we would have had according to the judgment of God in the Old Testament one rejected of God. We would be forced to see Jesus as one unprofitable and for ever cut off from God's plan (I Kg. 14:10-13; 16:4; 21:19-25; (II Kg. 9:34-37). "AND THAT HE WAS BURIED," not given to the dogs and birds lifts from Jesus' crucifixion any grounds for thinking that he was rejected by God. It is and always will be, shouting ground for me that God accepted and approved his death in my place and by burial so proves it. That is good news!

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Many times the Romans had the bodies removed from the crosses and thrown upon garbage dumps, or thrown into some obscure ditch. Had this happened to the body of Jesus, according to the Old Testament teaching the blood of Jesus would have joined the blood of all the martyrs from Abel to the "souls under the altar" (Rev. 6:9-10) crying vengeance. If the Hebrew thought really be the mind of the Spirit in the sacred record, then the words of Paul, "AND THAT HE WAS BURIED," lifts the cry of vengeance from the blood of Jesus that it may speak "better things than that of Abel" (Heb. 12:24). By burial his blood still cries from the mercy seat: Mercy! Father! Mercy! How gladly we extol the fact that the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin. How much more shall we in celestial glory sing, "Thou art worthy....for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation." (Rev. 4:11) How sweet the thought that the blood from the fount opened in the house of David is not crying to the Father, "avenge me, Father." It is rather for sin and uncleanness crying MERCY! MERCY! MERCY! "There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Immanuel's veins; and sinners, plunged beneath that flood, lose all their guilty stains.'' He was Buried.

The Romans often had the bodies of the crucified taken down from the crosses and burned. This happened often when the Roman soldiers were camping near the sight of a crucifixion where the stench of death was strong in the air. The removal of the body or bodies and its burning in another place away from the camp would remove the smell.

Had this happened to the body of Jesus, the place might have been given to Satan, as to the Gibeonites (II Sam. 21:1-14), to cry vengeance for our sins. It is true that Christ has died for our sins, but since there is no burial, only a burning, the matter may be brought up again. His mediator ship would become void for justice's sake (no burial). I John 2:1, "We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the Righteous:" would be meaningless according to the rights

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granted the Gibeonites in the case of Saul's Sons. How awful the thought that our adversary the Devil, who, "Walks about, as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour," could still, in spite of the fact that Christ died for our sins, devour us. AND THAT HE WAS BURIED forever closes the question. The adversary cannot in justice make any claim on me.

The Roman way of disposing of the body of the crucified having been viewed, Let us now turn our thought to what else might have happened to the body of Jesus.

THE JEWS HAD A DESIRE TO DISPOSE OF THE BODY.

John 19:31 "The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the crosses on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away." The Jews were anxious to have the bodies removed from the crosses, not because of their concern for the law of God, but for their pious concern for sabbath days. Had they been given charge of the disposal of the bodies they would have given him a criminal's burial along with the other two crucified. No attempt to fulfill the prophecy of his burial would have been followed. (Though the desire for the removal of the bodies caused them to unwittingly fulfill the scripture, "his grave with the wicked.") Thus buried in "Jabesh instead of Benjamin" there could be no effective intercession.

WHAT MUST HAPPEN TO THE BODY OF JESUS FOR HIM TO BE OUR SAVIOUR?

Prophetically, his burial must be in accord with the scripture. As his entrance into this world was foretold as to place and nature, so, his burial or exit was foretold and prefigured in the Old Testament as well as the New Testament. That burial must fit the scripture even as his birth did.

Isaiah 53:9 tells us of his burial and must be fulfilled. Regrettably,

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the King James Version does not bring out the fullness of the Prophecy. The Septuagint, LXX, (Greek translation of the Hebrew scripture in use in the days of Jesus and one which Jesus quotes from directly many times.) gives a somewhat clearer picture of his burial. In the LXX the translators tend to place the focus of attention on the qualifications of the one burying Jesus than on the burial itself. "I will give the wicked for his burial and the rich for his death." There are two qualifications for the one burying Jesus riches and wickedness.

The development of the use of the word wicked by the time of the LXX carried with it the idea that the person is measured by God, by his commands, and by obedience to them. God determines what is evil. Evil is to be understood simply as that which is contrary to God.

If one take the Biblical record of his burial and examines it: they will find that Joseph of Arimathaea was an honorable counselor, also a rich man. John's record will show that he was a "secret" disciple, for fear of the Jews. Proverbs 29:25 tells us that the fear of man bringth a snare. That "ring in the nose" by which he was lead to secrecy and not to open confession was fear: the fear of man. This wrong or evil in the life of Joseph is to be despised and pitied and rejected of all. Yet, in the providence of God, it was this wrong or wickedness that qualified Joseph, the rich man to be the scripturally qualified person to bury Jesus.

The original Hebrew of Isaiah 53:9 gives evidence of a struggle over the body of Jesus. The Hebrew indicates that his wicked enemies had destined his body to an ignoble burial of a slain criminal, but that in spite of their intents, he would be buried in a rich man's tomb.

The Jew's desire for the removal of the bodies (already discussed) and the later request of Joseph for the body sets the struggle. The success of the rich man's persistence foils

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the Jewish plan and fulfills the scripture as Joseph buries the body in his own new tomb. All the drama of the scene can only be imagined as the Jews early in the afternoon demand the legs be broken, that death might be hastened for the crucified ones. The early approach assures a criminal burial, more important a hasty burial. The penniless frightened disciples, already reduced in number and in finances by the treacherous deed of Judas and now by the death of their master, could not possibly, from fear, demand his body. Even if they could overcome their fears, they were in no position to afford him the burial of a rich man. There is no known way or man among them who could or would deliberately attempt to fulfill the prophecy: even if the prophecy had any significance to them. Evening draws on, the day is closing, he must be buried the same day (Deut. 21:22-23) and that by a rich man in a rich man's tomb. (I now know a secret; but that secret was not known in the closing hours of the day he was crucified.) Surely, God must have goofed! or else, this man is not the promised Messiah his life and death seem to bear witness to. Evening closing in, penniless disciples, hiding for fear, and a prophecy seem to deny that he is the Saviour. Wait! A rich and honorable counselor, who has been a secret disciple, comes out of hiding and Hallelujah! Jesus is buried that day in a rich man's tomb. God's wisdom and Jesus is vindicated, by the fulfillment of prophecy, as saviour. THAT'S GOOD NEWS. As Bethlehem Ephratah brings the angel's shout, "Glory to God in the highest," so a rich man's tomb in a garden humbles my soul to say, "My God how great thou art."

The prophecy of Jesus himself demands fulfillment. Jesus, when pressed for a sign, answered the people that an evil and adulterous generation was the kind of generation that demands a sign. No sign was to be given except the sign of the prophet Jonah. "As Jonah was in the whale's belly three days and three nights so also Must the son of man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights." [The Old Testament witness of a true or false prophet is given in Deut. 18:20-22] For Jesus to be other than a false prophet it became necessary that he be buried.

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From my own study, I am thoroughly convinced that Christ fulfilled this prophecy. In Exodus 12:1-65 we find that the lamb for the Passover be presented for approval on the tenth day of the month, and killed on the fourteenth. In an examination of the final week of Jesus' life we find that his public presentation was on Sunday with the triumphant entry. He was examined by all segments of society for three more days and stood uncondemned by any. [Not all accepted him but this was not the requirement: only that none could find blemish.] Then either he was crucified on the next day at the time of the slaying of the paschal lamb or else, as commonly taught, there was a day of silence of which no one knows the events. This day is absolutely necessary if Christ was crucified on Friday.

A "Good Friday" crucifixion creates a kind of problem relating to three days and three nights in the tomb. This problem has been, through the years satisfactorily answered, for most scholars, with the fact that three days and three nights is a Hebraism which indicates an extended period of time, generally covering at least eighteen hours. This should put an end to any more speculation. Accepting this explanation does not, however put an end to the question and never has. The major problem, often overlooked, is not a seventy-two hour entombment.

The problem for me is the double sabbath following the crucifixion and still have a first day resurrection. John in his gospel (John 19:31) tells us that the sabbath for which they were hastening death and burial was an "HIGH DAY": not a regular sabbath. It was an extra sabbath commanded by the law of Moses (Lev. 23:5-6). Either Christ was crucified on the fourteenth, or if on the fifteenth, then on a sabbath day. The lack of Jewish scruples in crucifying Jesus is no question but their meticulous observances of Sabbaths cannot be called into question. The day following the Passover was an Holy convocation or high day and was a sabbath (Lev. 23:5-6).

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Luke 23:56 records a sabbath which is a sabbath indeed [to distinguish it] and one in which by commandment they must rest. No servile work could be done on an high day but rest is not the command except in the case of the day of Atonement. The passage in Luke, in the Greek, makes the sabbath he is considering an INDEED sabbath or a true sabbath.

The last week in Jesus' life to me runs:

However you choose to calendar the events in the last week of Jesus' earthly life it is beyond question that he was buried with the purpose of salvation in mind. Do not become so absorbed in three days and three nights that you miss the teaching of Jonah. The purpose of Jonah's being cast overboard was to rid the ship and the people in it of the retribution for sin. The miraculous preservation of Jonah in the

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fish's belly was the way God put Jonah and his sin out of sight. If Jesus was in the heart of the earth AS Jonah was in the fish's belly, and he was, then we must see that the burial was the removal of sin's consequences from us and the putting away of sin finally and forever. In his resurrection and appearances he could announce the destruction of the old man and the creation of a new man in himself: even as Jonah announced the destruction of Neniveh and God in mercy and forgiveness gave a new Neniveh.

PICTORIALLY, CHRIST'S BURIAL MUST MEET THE REQUIREMENTS WHICH WILL FULFILL THE PICTURE OR TYPE.

In the Old Testament section of this treatise we discussed the day of Atonement. Let us take up the picture in the New Testament. The day of Atonement was a picture of how God could be righteous in declaring a guilty sinner not guilty and impute to him his (God's) righteousness. All Old Testament righteousness was based on this picture of Atonement and the bearing away of sin.

Come with me to the banks of the Jordan river and meet a man, clothed in camel's hair and a leathern girdle about his loins. This man sent from God to perform a rite never before so done. His was a repentance baptism and only those who brought forth fruits worthy of repentance could partake of the rite (Matt.3:7-8). A deeper mission was his, however: for one would come to him that he did not know. The Holy Spirit at baptism would descend and remain on him. John says, "and I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God," (John 1:34). As Jesus approached John the Baptist to be baptized of him in Jordan, John forbade him. Confessing, in so far as Jesus was concerned, a need to be a recipient, not an administrator, of the rite. Jesus says to him; "suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness." (Matt. 3:15) I was taught by my Greek professor that the word fulfill does not always mean to Fill-Full: especially is this true in the early chapters of the book of Matthew.

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It has the connotation: "to allow to go on happening in a greater and more marvelous way." Jesus is saying to John "permit me to be baptized of you now," in order that the Old Testament picture of righteousness might go on happening in a greater and more marvelous way.

Baptism is a picture of a death, burial and resurrection. This public demonstration by Jesus at the beginning of his ministry was the means by which he was to be identified as, "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world'' (John l:29). That we not be confused by the term lamb in contrast to the term goat: we need to look at Exodus 12:5 "Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: Ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats." Your lamb may be either of the sheep or of the goats; nevertheless, it is your lamb.

The death of Jesus was the fulfillment of the sin offering. The sin offering, the trespass offering, and the burnt offering as they are considered in Leviticus, and described, as to performance, were always accompanied by the identification of the offerer with the offering by the laying on of hands, either by the offerer or by the priest, on his behalf. This laying on of hands was a confession of sin, an acceptance of the sacrifice, an identification with the sacrifice, and an appointing of the sacrifice to God. This act whether done by the individual or by the priest, on his behalf, also recognized the offering as expiatory, substitutional and efficacious in vindication, in the offerer's behalf.

On the day of atonement the goat for the sin offering and the ram for the burnt offering were offered with no mentioning of the laying on of hands. It is not unreasonable to assume that this sin offering and this burnt offering was not dealt with as all sin and burnt offerings were: i.e. by the laying on of hands. There seems to me to be purpose in the absence of the mentioning of the laying on of hands so that emphasis might be noted of sin with reference to the bearing away by the scape goat. To me it is as much as to say, "Pay special

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attention! For righteousness is had only as sin is borne away.''

If the sin offering and the burnt offering on the day of atonement were handled in the usual and appointed way then the priest by confession of the sins of the people and the placing of the hands upon the head of the sin offering transferred the sins of the people to the goat. The goat, with the sins of the people upon him, died for those sins, in the stead of, or as a substitute for the people. The blood of the goat was taken by the High Priest into the Holiest of Holies and sprinkled upon the mercy seat to cover the sins of the people. God dwelleth above the mercy seat between the cherubim. The blood upon the mercy seat allowed God to look upon that shed blood, the payment for the sins of the people, and on the grounds of that sacrifice to declare the guilty, not guilty or righteous. Of course, no mere animal's blood could ever satisfy God with respect to sin. It was only a picture of what God was going to do when HE became the lamb for sacrifice. Just so, the baptism of Jesus does not satisfy God with respect to sin. It is only a better picture, a more marvelous picture of what he, the lamb of God was going to do for us and did accomplish at Calvary when he offered himself totally to God to be consumed by the wrath (fire) and Holiness of God in our place as he died for our sins according to the scripture.

Remember that it took three animals on this day to represent the one lamb of God. What of the second goat on the day of atonement? The second goat was presented "Alive" before the Lord. After sprinkling the Mercy seat with the blood of the sin offering, the high priest came back from behind the veil confessing the same sins, that were confessed over the head of the first goat, over the head of the second goat. By laying both of his hands upon the head of the live goat and again naming their iniquities, transgressions and sins they were transferred to the goat. The goat was then sent away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness (Lev. 16:21).

What is there at the baptism of Jesus that would be a picture of the second goat?

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Remembering that chapters and verses in our Bible were added for our convenience and are not Divinely inspired, let us look at Matthew 3:17 following. "And low a voice from heaven, saying, this is my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness...."

The second goat is seen as a fit man, the Holy Spirit, leads Jesus into the wilderness. Here in a greater and more marvelous way we see the purpose of the second goat. He goes to do battle with Satan, (AZAZEL). He is no offering to Satan but an offering to defeat Satan in conflict. We see in Matthew the self denial of the lamb. The battle begins to rage as Satan appears to offer Jesus the opportunity to deny his Deity, and satisfy his appetite or hunger. Jesus defeats Satan here with God's word, the source of life. Another opportunity is given to deny his Deity and put his confidence in the Letter of the Word, not the spirit of the word. To this test Jesus reminds Satan of his inability to put God on the spot by a test. Finally, Satan offers Jesus the "outward manifestation" of the real thing for which Christ had come into the world. All this to be his for subservience to him. Satan is defeated in this temptation in that Christ chooses the will of God as his course. The manner of the struggle is not the important thing but the way of victory for himself and the defeat of Satan is. Jesus by tenaciously holding to his Deity, His confidence in the word of God, the nature of God, and the will of God defeated the Devil. All of this is but a clearer picture of the way of righteousness being shown in a greater and more marvelous way. Remember, that even this is only a picture.

The real sacrifice was made on Calvary. There, once for all, the sin offering was made on our behalf. Our sins were by his own action, as our high priest, placed on him. He upon the cross died in our place. He, as offerer and offering, becomes both altar and the mercy seat. (Hilastarion Rom. 3:25) The blood was to be sprinkled seven times before the altar, and upon the altar; upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat.

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It is no accident that there were seven wounds made on or in the body of Christ: the hands, two; the feet, two; the back on which "the plowers plowed upon my back: They made long their furrows." one; the head with the crown of thorns, one; the spear pierced side, one. Since he is altar and mercy seat and the blood of the sin offering must be sprinkled thereon seven times. Is it not wonderful to see the blood on him from seven sources? There is here the guarantee that in Christ God will meet with us and commune with us. We have both relationship and fellowship with the Father in Christ.

The sacrificial lamb of the goats has died for our sins. Now we need to see the scape goat with our sins upon him descend into the tomb where the Devil comes to assail him who is bearing my sins.

What rumblings of wrath had taken place on Calvary where God meted out wrath on Jesus for my sins. The sun refused to shine, the moon and stars gave no light, the earth convulsed in a quake, the rocks were torn forever asunder and Jesus died. The suffering being over he cried, "it is finished", the last dregs of God's wrath are spent. Never again will Christ feel wrath; it is finished. The closing words on the cross show that the eternal relation between the father and son had endured the cross untarnished: "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.'' Sweet eternal relationship, Father!

His spirit committed to the Father he is led of the Spirit to that solitary place, the tomb. Now the battle between the Son and the Devil takes place. Often, the world sees Calvary as the Devil's doing and victory but not so. Not once has the Devil ever for one moment of time gained any kind of victory over Jesus. Least of all was Calvary the Devil's doing. God used Satan to bring Jesus to the cross but none of the pain, none of the suffering was the Devil's doing. The Bible tells us that it pleased the Lord to bruise him, He hath put him to grief. The Devil at Calvary was an instrument, not a power. The struggle of the tomb pictured by the Mount of Temptation,

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makes us to know that here, in this tomb, sins must be forever put away or they never shall be. Who will be the victor? In the Old Testament the scape goat never came back but every year there was a remembrance again made of sin. The evidence says that the sins came back and had to be dealt with year after year. Ah! but here, when the experience of the tomb was over for Jesus, he came back. Where are the sins? They are not on Jesus.

The naked body of Jesus taken from the cross, when placed in the tomb, was covered only by the linen in which he was wrapped and a napkin which covered his face. These were found in the tomb by the disciples. "With what then was he clothed?", you ask. With the brightness of his holiness so that there was no shame of nakedness seen. Adam and Eve were clothed with a brilliance of purity which covered then-nakedness in the garden. A shinning which caused animals to fear and be subservient to man. Sin turned out the light for Adam and Eve. When Jesus came out of the grave our sins were not still on him. Else, he would need a loin cloth to be presentable to Mary at the tomb and to the women in the way. There was no sin on him or in him for the brightness of his holiness was his covering. [John says, "and we beheld his glory" - Shekinah.] If our sins were on Jesus when he went into the tomb and by the evidence they were. Then, where are our sins if they are not on him? Are they in the tomb? Let us hasten to see the content of that grave. The linen cloth and napkin are there. What else? Two men clothed in garments of light are there. What else? Nothing, it is empty. Where are my sins? They are gone. Are they in the depth of the sea? No. If they were, they would still exist at the bottom of the sea. Are they sealed in a bag? If they were they would be somewhere still in the bag. Where are they? Gone. Borne away forever. Someone said, "They are under the blood." The believer is under the blood but has been loosed from his sins. That is, the believer and his sins are not in the same place. AND THAT HE WAS BURIED, means my sins are gone: Paid for and borne away forever. My sins are gone forever gone. That's Good News - Gospel. Praise God!

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THE BURIAL OF JESUS IS ESSENTIAL TO SETTLE FOREVER THE QUESTION OF VENGEANCE. (Deut. 21:22-23; II Sam. 21:1-14)

The land, which was given as an inheritance, could be defiled if a criminal was punished by hanging him on a tree and he was not buried the same day. AND THAT HE WAS BURIED, means that there can be no defiling of my inheritance in Christ. Jesus died the death of the lowest criminal; I was and you were that criminal. The idea in Deuteronomy is that the crime was not settled until the criminal is buried out of sight. The end to the sin involved does not come until the dead body is put away. It is Paul who calls attention to this law in Galatians 3:13-14. As Jesus became accursed for us we became the inheritors of the blessings of Abraham and inherit the Holy Spirit through faith. If this becomes our inheritance then it becomes necessary for Christ to be buried that same day. Without Christ's burial the blessings of Abraham and the Possession of the Holy Spirit might be blighted and, or, defiled. Christ's burial and the putting away of my sins by that burial guarantees that nothing can rob me of the blessing or remove God's Spirit from me.

Nothing better illustrates this proposition than the vengeance of the Gibeonites in II Samuel 21:1-14 already discussed in the Old Testament section of this treatise. In the proper burial of Jesus there is no grounds upon which the Devil, the accuser of the brethren, can bring up my sins and justly demand vengeance for my crimes. My sins are gone, borne away by my scapegoat, never to return.

THE BURIAL OF JESUS MUST IN SOME WAY GIVE SIGNIFICANCE AND MEANING TO THE BURIAL OF MOSES TO DEFEAT SATAN'S PURPOSE WITH THE BODY OF MOSES.

Satan's defeat might simply be passed by with the remark, "God buried Moses and Satan lost." This statement is true beyond all question of doubt. Is there nothing more for us here? My contention is that there is more. Let us look carefully,

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"The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken:" (Deut. 18:15) [please read the rest of the chapter.] There are to be likenesses between Moses and the latter prophet. Christ alone meets the requirements of the latter prophet. There must be parallels between Moses and Jesus. There are many parallels which have been pointed out beautifully by others. It is my desire to point out one which I feel has not been clearly seen.

The burial of Moses is a unique happening in biblical writing; that the Lord should bury a man. The stringent requirements of God's law for ceremonial cleanliness are of such a nature that we must examine this event more closely.* The defiling touch of a dead body made every action of the one touching a dead body unclean. Can God violate his own law? Of course not. How then shall we deal with the event. It is my personal conviction from the nature of my God that he never has had anything to do with corruption and that nothing that God does is corrupt from his hand. [With God's permission it may be corrupted but never comes from God's own act.] Jesus touched the unclean lepers and they became clean, not he became defiled. It is my conviction that God buried Moses and that that burial was an incorruptible burial, the only picture in the Old Testament of the burial of Jesus as being incorruptible.

One other question remains: The resurrection of Moses. The time element is, so far as I can determine, out of revealed or pictured explanation. For the purpose of this treatise, time is not of great importance here. What is important is the nature of that resurrection.

 

I know of no reputable theologian and, or, scholar who does

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* Lev. 21:11 The high priest and a dead body; Num. 6:6 The Nazarite and a dead body; Num. 9:6-13 The Passover and a dead body; Num. 19:9-20 The red heifer, the water of separation, a purification for sin and a dead body; Hag. 2:13-14 The people and a dead body.

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not teach that Christ himself is the first one who was raised out from among the dead. You will usually find this statement in their discussion of the "first fruits" (I Cor. 15:20-23). It is to be noted that the comments relating to the first fruits are on this occasion the first fruits of the barley harvest offered as a sheaf on the morrow after the sabbath following the Passover. This first fruit picture would in no way negate an out resurrection for Moses. Farther, the firstborn of the dead, Rev. 1:5; Heb. 12:23; is a word taken from banking and reflects a deposit which can bear interest or interest on a deposit. That Moses resurrection does not amount to a deposit which can bear interest (this belongs to Christ alone) there should not be any reason not to show, the interest before time, that the deposit would bear.

My reason for stating this conviction is that it is the only satisfactory way of presenting Moses at the transfiguration. Did the body of Moses come from the grave as it appears on the mount, or was his body raised to a resurrection of the dead? If the body was raised in a resurrection of the dead: When was it changed into the spiritual glorified body, the kind of body the saints shall have at their resurrection out from among the dead? Farther, when was it or will it be again changed into a body that can and must die again? I raise these questions to be fair in my treatment of the subject. I have not special knowledge or revelation on the subject. I have, however, sought diligently and prayerfully the answer to these questions.

There are several first fruits offerings which do not significantly affect our discussion. The two which do are the barley harvest first fruits and the wheat harvest first fruits. The one was the sheaf waved on the morrow after the sabbath following the Passover. The other was not a sheaf but of wheat dough, baked in two loaves. The significance of the offerings vary because the occasion of the offerings vary. The teaching of the offering must not be separated from the occasion of the offering. The morrow after the sabbath following the Passover would indicate an offering following deliverance by the substitute. The offering could not be made until all the

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grain was ripe for only thus could the sheaf guarantee the like blessing.

Taken in order then until Christ had as our sacrifice delivered us there could be no real guarantee that we would be partakers of the resurrection. In I Corinthians 15 Paul in declaring the gospel, as how Christ died for our sins according to the scripture, emphasizes the substitutionary element of deliverance. In the burial we see a planting of a seed. In that he was raised again according to the scripture we see the sheaf of the wave offering offered the third day after Passover.

Then Paul sets forth negatively the benefits of that resurrection upon all believers, the rest of the now ripened grain. Coming to verse 20 he in one breath separates the chaff from the barley, leaving this inescapable truth that as Christ arose so every delivered one would rise. Christ alone could be the end of the picture in the first fruits of the barley harvest. The first fruits were not offered until deliverance was accomplished, "the morrow after the sabbath following the Passover" (Lev. 23:11). "In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week," (Matt.28:l), this sheaf was presented and until this was done none could eat bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears (Lev. 23:14).

The first fruits of the wheat harvest was not a sheaf offering but two loaves of bread baked from one dough. It was the final feast of harvest and indicated the consummation of blessings. It was possible and in fact commanded that there be leaven in the offering. Christ is not the object of the wheat harvest but the guarantee of its first fruits. For our purpose the resurrection of Moses in no way contradicts Christ being the first of the first fruits. Moses resurrection is the final picture of what the first fruits of barley harvest promises. Moses thus becomes the first and only picture in the Old Testament of the burial of Jesus as being incorruptible. It was foretold by the prophet David in Psalms 16:9-10 that his flesh should see no corruption. The apostle tells us in

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Acts 2:25-28 that Jesus in his burial and resurrection fulfills the words of David. Moses farther becomes the picture of the harvest home first fruits when in resurrected glory we become one dough. One dough, two loaves, whether raised incorruptible or changed at his coming.

I would not leave the scene without commenting upon the fact that with these grand facts in mind it is clear that Moses and Elijah were well chosen to discuss with Jesus his Exodus. Elijah with out a death or resurrection experience and Moses as visible proof of the incorruptibleness of the tomb experience present two loaves but one dough. To him who ever learned obedience through the things which he suffered how comforting must have been the appearance and talk of Moses and Elijah with him about his way out. As Moses lead the people from Egypt we find three significant things. The sacrifice of the Paschal lamb, showing his death. The Red Sea a picture of a burial, and the song of rejoicing on the other side of the grave picturing the resurrection. With his own experience and the pictures of deliverance how well he could discuss with Christ the exodus he was to accomplish at Jerusalem by his death, burial and resurrection.

John tells us that the burial was according to the custom or manner of the Jews. It is significant that at a Jewish burial the custom was for a near kinswoman to anoint and kiss the body for burial. The Gospels all agree that the women were looking from afar but were not present at the entombment. Where then is the kiss? In Luke 7:38 we have the account of the woman who anointed and kissed his feet. Mark 14:9 tells us that wheresoever the gospel is preached, what she has done shall be told as a memorial to her. If the gospel be preached and the burial emphasized then the anointing and kiss is brought up as a memorial to her. If the preaching of the burial is not a needful part of the gospel then the preaching of the gospel need not include the actions of this woman. It is my firm conviction that Christ intended the burial to be emphasized when ever the gospel is preached.

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When we fish for men we are often like Peter fishing at the command of Jesus after he had fished all night and taken nothing. Jesus said, "Launch out into the deep, and let down your NETS for a draught." Peter said, "Master we have toiled all night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the NET." Their net broke. Maybe we, not God, lose fish because we put down only the net of the cross while fishing, or maybe only the net of the resurrection. Nets are the command when we present the gospel. Maybe men for fear of not being able to handle sin in their lives hesitate to trust Christ. They need to see that their sins have been borne away: that their sins are gone. His burial proclaimed will show them this.

We look again to the declaration of Ruth to point to the fact that by faith, "I am crucified with him." When Christ died in my place I died with him. When Christ went into the grave there is a sense in which he did not go alone: I was buried with him. In the Old Testament we read the story of some men about to bury another but the enemy came upon them. They cast the body into the tomb of Elisha the prophet and when the man was let down and touched the bones of Elisha he revived and stood up on his feet. (II Kg. 13:21) When I went into the tomb and touched him, I, too, began to really live.

No sweeter thought could close this treatise than that each individual who reads this shall by faith declare: "Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried.''

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Appendage

Far be it from me, as glorious as it is "That he was buried," to leave the victory of the tomb unheralded by the glory of the resurrection. I shall not belabor the point as it is not the purpose of the present treatise to discuss the resurrection. We reserve this for a further treatise.

May I say, He Arose. What has been said in these two words? The picture behind the word arose comes from the market square in ancient Greece. The farmer or merchant would secure an assigned plot hi the market place in which he would display his goods or wares. Here he would do business to accomplish his purpose. All through the day he would display his goods in the assigned plot. At the close of the day he would collect all his goods and wares, leaving not so much as the straw of the wheat which was his. Gathering all that was his in that assigned plot he got up and went out. It was never necessary for him to return to the plot as he took all that was his with him when he left.

Let me translate this picture for you in my own way. Jesus was assigned a plot, a rich man's tomb. He entered that tomb to attend to the business of displaying to the spiritual world all the glories of His Divine person. All the perfections of his being were displayed before all principalities and powers. With the wonder of a completed redemption he defeated the enemies and chained them, like the ancient generals who chained the defeated kings and foes to his chariot, and went out of the battle into the victory of home leading the captives chained to his chariot as the spoils of his victory. So Christ got up from that tomb having accomplished his purpose and defeated Satan. I say, he got up having collected all his facilities, all that was his, and went out of that tomb never to return. Look at the tomb. You will find the linen cloth and a napkin, which were not his. You will not find any of his Deity, Holiness, Perfection, Glory or his humanity in that tomb. He gathered all that was his and went out: He Arose. Hallelujah! Christ arose.

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