Easter/ Resurrection Break

 Took a break from blogging during the season of Passover and Resurrection.

 Spent my posting time on my Facebook page posting various aspects of the Crucifixion along with my distaste for the bunny..  If you think you might be interested, look me up on Facebook,  Linda Rous.  My page is public.

 These particular posts run between April 13 and April 19 of this year (2025) on my Facebook page.

 You will find information regarding Jesus in his last hours, The Supper, the crucifixion, the resurrection, bread of life, the sign on the cross, the Centurian, the tomb and more.

 

 

I'll be back soon with more from the editing of my book. 

* My book begins with the post on Dec. 30, 2024

See "Entertaining Angels Unaware"

He Lives

MESSAGE for Easter: "He Lives"

From virgin womb to virgin tomb, Jn. 19:41.

“Who will roll the stone away?” was the question in Mark 16:3. 

 

> Often, these stones weighed in excess of a ton. The three Marys were willing to commit a great crime, to prep the body of Jesus, as subjects in the Roman empire with a government guarded grave. 

 

Let me point out right here and now that the stone was not rolled away to let Jesus out. The Son of God, in flesh or spirit, had no need of help to leave the cave of His entombment. He was gone BEFORE the stone was moved by an angel that created an earth quake so all might see Him gone. 

 

> This happened early on the first day of the week. By Hebrew calendars, that is Sunday, Mt. 28:1, Mk. 16:1 & 2, Lk. 24:1. The angel was sitting on the stone, waiting for them. “Come and see”, he said. “Tell his disciples”. I put to you that all believers today are His disciples; you and me. Come and see. His life and crucifixion are not disputed in history. 

 

> Common sense: Crucifixion is the most horrific type of torture and execution ever devised by the human race. In previous writings, I established that He was dead when removed from the cross. It is recorded that over 500 people saw, spoke to and/or heard Him after his crucifixion. How could a man who suffered such torture and endured hanging on a cross, for six hours in the sun, walk across the room? let alone TRAVEL to visit with over 500 people in different locations?????

 

> The priests of the temple had bribed the soldiers to say Jesus' disciples took His body, Mt. 28:12-15. This rumor continues to this very day. Those of us blessed to accept Him and have the Holy Spirit, that He gives to us dwelling in our body, know the truth. The truth has set us free.

 

 

> The angels instructed the women to tell His disciples, "AND PETER", in particular, Mk.16:7. First Corinthians 15:5 tells us He appeared to Peter first. This is a conversation only mentioned in Paul’s account. Nothing is mentioned of what was said; it was highly private and personal, just like our own relationship with our Savior. Jesus was very concerned about Peter and the burden of guilt he was carrying, Jn. 21:15-17. We all carry burdens of guilt. Just as we are all called to a purpose, with the gifts He gives us, Peter was chosen for His part in the life of Jesus and the teaching of the good news, of the beautiful grace of God.

 

> When the disciples heard, Peter and John ran to the tomb, Jn. 20:1-10. John reached the tomb first but hesitated at the door. Peter charged past him into the tomb and saw the burial wrappings. Then, John went in. The gospel tells that “He saw and believed.” In those four words, we are informed that John understood everything at that moment. Peter only saw Jesus gone, Lk. 24:12; John SAW AND BELIEVED. 

 

> When you see the account of the Passover, death and resurrection, do you see or do you believe? - truly, in your heart. Do you know beyond physical evidence? 

 

> After they left, Mary Magdalene stood outside the tomb crying, Jn. 20:11-12. When she stooped to look into the tomb, she saw TWO angels sitting where Jesus body had lain. This image reminds me of the Ark of the Covenant.

 

 

> The Ark was made with two angels on top, one at each end, guarding the Mercy Seat, where the annual sacrifice for sin was made every year in the Holy of Holies. This seat was where the innocent blood of a perfect lamb was shed that covered the sins of Israel (man), represented by the three items inside the ark. The Ark represents Jesus and His blood covering the sins of mankind.

 

These two angels were seated in the tomb, on the platform and the image is like the two angels seated on the top of the Ark of the Covenant. We are being told, the one who paid our sin debt is risen from death, under His own power, so we are free to live and walk with the Lord in peace, without fear of anything in this life. Since He is the "first born of many", we are sure to rise with Him in the near future to our promised place in the New Jerusalem.

Even so, come Lord Jesus.

 

Death of The Messiah

"Death of the Messiah"

(Second part of Friday's message)

Roman soldiers divided His clothes among them and cast lots for His under garment. His clothes must have been very nice for the Roman soldiers to want them and argue about His gown that was woven from one thread, Mt. 27:35, Mk. 15:24, Lk. 23:34. My point is, Jesus did not go around in rags or sack cloth as He is often portrayed.

* The time frame is very revealing: 

 

> His trial began early morning, He was nailed to the cross at 9:00 am and died at 3:00 pm. He hung for six hours; the seventh, He entered His rest - just like the seventh day of the week. Six hours of bleeding, sweating and joints being pulled apart.

 

> From noon to three, there was an eclipse, Mk. 15:25 & 34. Ancient Chinese history recorded this event; it happened just as written. When Jesus was born, the angels turned the night sky to day with their glowing light. When He died, day was turned to night by the hand of God. 

 

> Just after He gave His spirit back to the Father, there came an earth quake, Mt. 27:51. God’s hand tore the temple curtain (a large, tall, heavy drape) from the top to the bottom to open up the one place He occupied once each year so that we might now have direct access to the Father at all times, Mk. 15:38. We no longer need a priest to speak to God for us. We can speak to God directly, anytime, anywhere. Only Jesus can now serve as high priest in the heavenly temple and plead our petitions to the Father; only He has experienced physical life.

 

> Jesus died at 3:00 pm; the same time that the last sacrifice of the day was made in the temple. It was finished in the temple the moment He said, “It is finished”. The pure human sacrifice had been made. (Blood is created by a fetus, in the womb, from it's bone marrow; it has nothing to do with the babe's mother. Jesus blood was pure - His own divine blood, capable to atone for us.)

> A converted centurion is mentioned, Mt. 27:54, Mk. 15:39. His name was Manlius (Lat: “Morning”; a new beginning.) 

 

 

> There can be no dispute that Jesus was dead when taken from the cross. It is clear, by medical standards, that the sac of fluid around His heart ruptured, Jn. 19:34. Lambs were sacrificed; Jesus was young when He died so that we could live forever. His body was prepared and laid in the tomb before sunset. The next day was a Sabbath on which no work is done. Within 24 hours (from Last Supper to burial) God’s plan of salvation, devised before time began, was fulfilled and the enemy was thwarted - all according to His will. Every prophesied detail had been done. Magnificent!

 

 

> The sign on the cross was in three languages, Aramaic (a slang version of Hebrew), Greek and Latin. In the Aramaic, it read, “Jesus Nazareth King Jews” - four words. (The language had no vowels or used any articles.) If you take the first letter of each word, it would spell “YHWH”. **Reading Aramaic (the top line), right to left, compare to the Hebrew name, in the second image. Any Hebrew who could read, who saw this knew what it said. All the educated priests and Sanhedrin officials knew this name - the name of God in the burning bush, "I Am". They became livid. The sign on the cross, over Jesus read “Yahweh” (I Am, I Was, I Am Coming). This is why they demanded Pilot change the sign. He refused.

It is finished.

Friday: The Agony

MESSAGE for Friday of Easter week; "The Agony"

 

> The crucifixion starts with the scourging that literally skinned Jesus alive. This was not common with a crucifixion but I feel Pilot thought it would invoke pity from the crowd so they would release Jesus. During this physical ordeal, He was struck, mocked and spit on by a company of Roman soldiers. Mt. 27:26 and Mk. 15:16 - 19.

Shame is a big element of eastern cultures. It was shameful to be crucified naked in public; to one’s self, family and community, Jn. 19:23.

 

> There appears to be some conflict about who carried the cross and when. Reading the accounts in the first three gospels closely, Mt. 27:32 & 33, Mk. 15:20 & 21, and Lk. 23:26, we conclude the weakened Jesus carried the crossbar as far as the city gate, where they ran into Simon, the Cyrene, who was on his way into the city.

On the cross, Jesus was offered wine twice. The first time, was standard to crucifixion. Wine was mixed with “gall” (1 grain of frankincense) to numb the senses. He refused this wine mixture, Mt. 27:34. He was supposed to suffer in our stead.

 

> The second was after He stated He was thirsty. This was wine vinegar and He drank from the sponge on the stalk of hyssop. {Looking at Heb. 9:19, a cleansing ceremony was performed by Moses using the blood of a sacrifice (wine on the cross) with a red woolen cloth and hyssop to confirm the covenant between Israel and God. You can find this in Ex. 24:8. Jesus, the sacrifice, was redeeming that covenant.

 

> Jesus died at the time of day (3:00 pm) that the last sacrifice of the day was made in the temple. The last animal sacrifice of the day; Jesus the one true sacrifice for mankind. 

 

 

 

SEVEN LAST STATEMENTS:

1. “Father forgive them, they know not what they do”, Lk 23:34. Our glorious Savior was asking forgiveness for unrepentant people. In the language of the Bible, the number one represents the head of the house; the leader. Jesus is speaking, in His number one statement, to the head of our house, Father God.

 

2. “Today you will be with me in paradise”, Lk. 23:43. The number two, His second statement, represents a house. Jesus was assuring the repentant sinner that he has an eternal home with his Savior.

 

3. “Woman here is your son. . . Here is your mother”, Jn. 19:26 & 27. This perfect man was thinking of others as He hangs naked and stripped of His very skin, Ps. 22:17. The number three means to lift up in pride. The mother He was proud of and the apostle He was proud of were being lifted up to care for each other.

 

4. “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”, Mt. 27:45. This is a reference to Psalm 22. This is the only time Jesus refers to the Father as “My God”. He is a man taking the sins of the world for all time upon Himself; He was speaking for sinful man. For a brief heart wrenching moment, the Father became God in judgement of men. They were not speaking as the perfect son to a loving father; it was ultimate sinner, under judgement, to God. The number four references the earth. Jesus was man of the earth with the sins of the world upon Him.

 

5. “I thirst”, Jn. 19:28. Jesus thirsts for us to be with Him. How much do we thirst for Him? The number five is the number for grace. Jesus is the ultimate grace of God to us through His sacrifice.

 

6. “It is finished”, Jn. 19:30. The number six refers to mankind. Jesus work on this earth, as man, was over. He made His stand and finished what He was born for. Just as He created the universe in six days, His six statements summarize the reason for His life on earth. It is time to rest.

 

7. “Father into your hands I commit my spirit”, Lk. 23:46. The number seven means completion. His human life is now complete, cut off from this physical earth. Here is the power of our Lord Jesus. Then, He hung His head and GAVE up His spirit.

 

> Through archeological findings, we know that everyone who died on a cross died with their back or neck broken because they threw their head back so violently reaching for that last breath of air. Jesus was in complete control when He BOWED His head and He gave up His spirit. No one took His life. He died exactly the moment He was supposed to, under His own power; fully in control of the situation.

This is our Lord

Truth

Resurrection

Gethsemane

Last Supper

Crown of Thorns

Arrest in Gethsemane

Gethsemane translates from Aramaic Hebrew as “Oil Press”. It can be found at the foot of the Mt. Of Olives in Jerusalem, across the Kidron Valley. The name comes from two Hebrew words, “gat” (to press) and “sh’manim” (to grow fat). This last word is referencing the fat of riches or blessings. This garden was/is the press that makes rich with blessings. Interesting that Jesus prayed here frequently.

He prayed in a garden where His blood fell to the ground and cleansed it of the curse bestowed in Genesis 3:17.

He made three prayers in the garden; sometimes referred to as “Prayers of Agony”. He prayed to succeed and be glorified. He prayed for His disciples and He prayed for all believers - you and me. John goes into great detail to relate these prayers to us. John and Peter had been asked to stay nearest in the garden and Peter fell asleep. John overheard Jesus. 

In all His praying, He refers to His Father as “Abba”, in original text. This is a term of endearment from the Hebrew language which is best translated, “Daddy”. The Father is our “Daddy” God.

When Jesus prayed, He sweat blood and ask He be spared. Some have interpreted that He was dreading the lashing at the whipping post and the crucifixion itself. No so much as the sin of men. This perfect, holy being was dreading taking on the sins of the world. Luke 22:43 mentions an Angel encouraging Him. For a few hours on the cross, the holy was to become profane. 

Judas approached him with the greeting, “Shalom Rabbi” (“Peace, Teacher”) and gave Him a kiss, Mt. 26:49, Mk. 14:44 and Lk. 22:48, where Jesus confronts Judas about the kiss. What a beautiful greeting for an ugly deed.
In Hebrew, “kiss” has deep meaning that does not relate to man-woman relations. To kiss is to strengthen by making a close connection, more emotional or spiritual than physical. The word can also mean to arm for battle with weapons that will touch. Judas was not seeking to either strengthen or arm Jesus; just the opposite - weaken and disarm; he was lying through his actions.
We learn from our Gospels there was a large number of soldiers. John’s account tells us a detachment of soldiers came, with Judas, to arrest Jesus, Jn. 18:3 & 12. A detachment was also referred to as a “cohort” which was anywhere from 480 - 600 soldiers; minimum. There was a Centurion required for every 100 men. In addition, there were the temple officials in tow. We are talking about a lot of armed, trained for battle, Roman soldiers (the greatest army in the world at that time), Mt. 26:47, Mk. 14:43 and Jn. 18:3 - 5. Why so many? What had they been told? What were they led to expect? What were they afraid of?
Go to John 18 where the arrest of Jesus is recorded; the meat of my writing. Verse four tells us that Jesus approached the crowd and asked who they were looking for. They replied, “Jesus of Nazareth” (Heb: “Jeshua a Nazaree”). His reply was “I Am” (in original text, “he” is omitted from the answer), Ex. 3:13 & 14. This two word reply is reference to the name “Yahweh” which translates, “I Am, I Was, I Am Coming”. Jesus spoke His heavenly name and look what happened in verse six: this entire detachment of armed Roman soldiers, Centurions and temple officials fell to the ground at the mention of His name, Phil. 2:10. 

Note: Verse eight of John eighteen gives us a glimpse into the attitude of Jesus. He had faced them to ask who they wanted. Now he replied “I told you . . “. He made a stand. I see no fear in our Savior.

Praise God; thank you, Jesus

Last Supper

It was the time of Passover when the Last Supper was held, Mt. 26:17, Mk. 14:12, Lk. 22:7. After the ceremonies, Jesus went to the garden of Gethsemane and was arrested. He had his trial in the morning, was beaten and crucified all on the day of Passover, from evening (around 6:00 pm) to death at 3:00 pm.

Passover (Heb: “Pesach”), has a meal the evening before. In Jewish culture, a day begins at sundown the eve before. Traditionally, bitter herbs, washings, wine and matzah are used. Passover is also called The Festival of Matzah. (Matzah is a large unleavened cracker.) Washing hands and feet represent the need to be cleansed before approaching Holy God. 

A rabbi’s follower would consider it an honor to have his rabbi request the use of his home for him and his students to observe Passover service, Mt. 26:18.

In Matthew 26:20, we see they were reclining at the table. This is to show appreciation for the freedom from slavery in Egypt brought through the sacrificial lamb of Passover. We know this is an important element because it is listed in the first three books of the Gospels. Jesus, represented by the lamb’s blood over the wooden door posts on the first Passover is the perfect lamb sacrifice on the wooden cross for our sins today.

Matthew 26:23 refers to a bowl. It may have contained the paste called “maror” (Heb: bitter herb), made from horseradish or bitter lettuce. Judas and Jesus shared in this bowl of bitter herbs; both were about to face a bitter end.
Note: Judas always referred to Jesus as “teacher” while all the other apostles called him, “Lord”. Judas was a thief, Jn. 12:6 and an outsider, from Kiriot, easy prey for Satan. Note: In O.T. Kiriot was a town in Moab; in the N.T, it was a town on the southern boarder of Judah. 

Leavening, in the Bible, references sin. To eat unleavened bread during Passover week is to be a reminder of how we are to put sin out of our lives. The word bread has been translated to English Bibles in place of the original text, matzah. Matzah is made with piercings (Jesus was pierced in His side) and striped with slashes (Jesus was lashed with a whip). Bread itself is a reference to the flesh of Jesus that was stripped at the whipping post, where He took our infirmities upon Himself, Isa. 53:4-5, 1Cor. 11:29-30.

The wine represents the blood He shed from the Garden of Gethsemane all the way to the cross. Pure blood (not tainted by His human parents) that is holy enough to cover all of man’s sins from the beginning of time until His return.

Both bread and wine come from elements (wheat and grapes) that have to be crushed in order to be used just as we must be crushed into humility, through the trials of life, before God can use us.

The foot washing is addressed in all four gospels. Jesus told Peter, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” This makes a subtle reference to baptism as public confession and cleansing. Another aspect of foot washing, that makes it difficult for so many people, is the humbling effect. Pride has always been an issue with God and in the life of Jesus. God can use a repentant sinner but not a proud person.

They finished with a hymn (Heb: the Hallel) of praise, Mt. 26:30. We were created to praise God. The meaning of our life is not fulfilled until we learn what a blessing it is to praise God.

Crown of Thorns

Exodus 12 speaks of Passover. Among Jewish peoples Passover is considered the New Year for Kings. This is when kings were crowned.

In 1Kings 6:1 we learn Solomon began to build the Temple in the second month, Ziv, of his reign of four years. We can calculate that Solomon was crowned in the first month of the Hebrew calendar, Nisan.  Nisan is the month of Passover, the month of Redemption, the month of Salvation, the month of the Crucifixion and the month of the crowning of the Kings of Israel. 

Jesus came by the words of John the Baptist (the prophesied Ezekiel) who alerted people about the PRESENCE of the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus was not publicly crowned, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is AT HAND!”, Mt. 3:2.
Jesus came to prove His right to His thrown on this earth by sacrificing Himself for His bride, the church (all believing Jews and Gentiles). He will return to claim both, soon.  Coming to prove Himself for His kingdom as the God-man, He would not leave unless crowned as King.  Therefore, He was crowned!

Judges 8:26 tells us that the kings of Midian wore purple robes; a royal color. AND, the color of cloth God instructed to cover the altar in the ‘Holy of Holies’, in the Tent of Meeting was to be purple, Nu. 4:13. The crucifixion was where God received the most important offering ever sacrificed.

The ignorant Roman soldiers did not understand their crowning was a REAL crowning, performed according to the ancient traditions of Israel.  They crowned Jesus on the day of the day of the crowning of Kings of Israel, with crown and purple robe.  God used these ignorant Roman soldiers to crown Jesus, the King Messiah - at the exact time appointed by Him for this purpose.

 
Note: The curse of the earth, “ cursed is the ground for your sake; . . . Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to you . . ,” Gen. 3:17 & 18.  The thorns in Jesus crown also removed the curse from off the earth.

Never doubt God is in control for the best possible outcome of any situation. Praise God and thank you, Jesus.