2 Cor. 3:18-4:7, Our Morning Star

We started with the resurrection of Jesus early Sunday morning.  This was a “dawning” from the darkness of death and the tomb to the light of eternal life.  When Jesus returns there will be a dawning: from the judgment and Armageddon to Jesus’ reign in righteousness and peace.  There is also a dawning in our hearts.  We don’t think we are talking about the day we go to be with Christ, although that sounds like a dawning.  We think Peter is talking about a dawning in our hearts, one that is related to the presence of the Word of God in our lives. 

Isn’t Rom. 8:11 speaking of this event: But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.  This “resurrection” takes place in our “mortal bodies,” the body in which we live on this earth, the body which contained the irrepressible urge to sin, and the body which as believers in Christ we now present to Him as a living sacrifice.  This “life” we have is, of course, the life of Christ, the risen Christ, the One who defeated death.

Today’s passage also speaks of this “dawning,” in my view.  We are being transformed into the image of Christ, “from glory to glory.”   Christ is the source of the light, the energy that enlightens us.  This is all God’s work.  God, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.  And again, this is not talking about a future in heaven or our future bodily resurrection.  We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us!

Return to Mark 16 for one more thought.  It’s in a word, a place: Galilee (16:7).  At the Passover meal Jesus had told His disciples they would stumble and be scattered that night.  But immediately He added: But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee (Mt. 26:31-32).  Don’t get discouraged by your failures, He said.  After the “dawning” of the third day we will need to gather again.

Jesus appeared to the disciples on the two Sunday evenings after He was raised.  There were other appearances.  But Galilee was out there, a planned meeting, and Matthew tells us this meeting happened (28:16).  It would be fascinating to know how the “impromptu” meeting in John 21, where Jesus restored Peter, fits into the schedule.  It almost certainly happened before the planned meeting, with the plan to go fishing, and with Jesus helping Peter get past the denials/stumbling/scattering.

We get the basics in Mt. 28:18-20.  First, All authority has been given to Me.  Then, as you are going through your lives, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them … teaching them … and lo, I am with you always, even until the end of the age.  There is a purpose for the light that is growing in brightness in these men, and in us, the followers of Christ.  It is that we might be “the light of the world” wherever we go in this life, wherever our “earthen vessels” take us.  May our personal “Morning Star” shine brighter so that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

Malachi 4, “When the sun/Sun had risen”

According to Mark the women arrived at the tomb early Sunday morning “when the sun had risen.”  I cannot help it but this stirs a wonderful thought in my soul.  Jesus is deeply connected to the “dawn” or “sunrise.”  He Himself said, in His final recorded words in Scripture, in Rev. 22:16, I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.  “The Bright and Morning Star” is that last star still visible at the dawn.  And that is Jesus.  The resurrected, ascended Jesus!

The Biblical concept of the “Day of the LORD” depends on this truth about Jesus.  That day begins at sundown, with darkness, chastening of God’s people, and then the judgment of the nations.  It’s the terrible locust plague of Joel’s early prophecy, and then the judgment in the Valley of Jehoshaphat in Joel’s later prophecy.  It is terrible.

But daylight is coming.  There is a time coming when there will be peace and righteousness and the glory of God in all the earth.  That daylight is when the Kingdom of God has come to earth.  But the judgment cannot end until the Word of God rides out of heaven.  “Out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations” (Rev. 19:11-16).  Likewise, the Kingdom of God cannot come to earth in its fullness unless the King has arrived, the Prince of Peace.  “Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end.  Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order and establish it with judgment and justice, from that time forward, even forever” (Is. 9:6-7).  None of this happens without the “dawning.”

But it’s not just our future glory in Christ’s presence.  Listen to Peter: And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts (2 Pt. 1:19).  This speaks of a “dawning” in our hearts.  And a “morning star.”  Except a quick check of the Greek and we are surprised.  “Morning star” is not the same as Rev. 22:16. The word here is, literally, pronounced the same way we pronounce it: phosphorus.  For us, “phosphorus” is an element that emits light when it is energized by some energy source.  In Greek it referred to Venus, which is the “morning star” in our sky.  Like phosphorus, Venus has no light of its own; it reflects the sun. 

I confess I am still studying this out.  Commentaries are not particularly helpful.  There is, however, a connection with our resurrection with Christ, that in Christ we have received the One of whom it is said: In Him was life, and the life was the light of men (Jn. 1:4).  His Light is the energy that brightens our morning star.  Malichi’s prophecy promised, But to you who fear My name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings (4:2).  What Peter is telling us is that the word of God which we have (the prophetic word confirmed) is a light that shines in the darkness until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.  Through the “prophetic word” we learn Christ, and as we grow in His grace and knowledge His Light enlightens the “phosphorus” in us.  This is such a wonderful thought, but we must continue with it in our next post.

Mark 16:1-8, The Tomb of Jesus

Now, what does the Bible say about the tomb of Jesus?

1.  Near the place of crucifixion (John 19:41).  At the traditional site the place of crucifixion is upstairs and the place of resurrection on the main floor.  At the Garden Skull Hill and the tomb are part of the same rock cliff and just around the corner from each other.  Remember: the landscape was seriously altered at the Church in order to build the building over it.

 2.  In a garden (John 19:41).  See the previous post #8.

3.  In a new tomb that had never been used (John 19:41).  Neither site can prove that their tomb was new.  The claim of some is that the Garden Tomb is 500 years older than the time of Christ and thus could not have been new.

4.  In a cemetery (Luke 24:5).  Jesus had been buried “among the dead,” i.e. in a cemetery.  The Church claims there were other tombs.  The GT is located right next to St. Stephen’s Church where numerous tombs from the time of Christ have been uncovered.

From this beautiful winter photo of Garden Tomb you see the natural ridge with the additional brick wall on top.  On the other side of this is the Church of St. Stephen.

Church of St. Stephen has many tombs. In this drawing see the small Garden Tomb at top with a large complex with weeping chamber and several burial chambers on other side of ridge.

5.  A wealthy man’s tomb (Matt. 27:57; Isaiah 53:9).  Isaiah prophesied this.  The next point indicates this to be the case.

6.  Hewn out of the rock (Matt. 27:60; Mk. 15:46).  The tomb was not a cave turned into a tomb but was hewn from the rock.  That makes it a rich man’s tomb.  At the GT you can see clearly that a tool was used to make the tomb.  At the Church there’s nothing but a slab so not much to see or study on this question.

 

Weeping chamber, clearly made with a tool, not a natural cave.

Same can be said of the burial chamber.

7.  Sealed with a large rolling stone (Matt. 27:60; Mk. 15:46).  At the GT there is a good-sized trough for the stone.  The present day door into the tomb was probably half the height but still would have needed a good sized stone for covering.  The tomb at the Church may have had a stone covering but again, any evidence is gone.

Trough in front of door at GT.

 8.  The burial chamber visible from the door (John 20:5).  At the GT, if you stand at the door as John did while waiting for Peter, you can see the one and a half of the three burial ledges. Again, at the Church, we can’t tell.

 

Diagram of Garden Tomb.  Door enters to weeping chamber on left; burial chamber on right.

This is the view from the door, seeing the back ledge and part of the middle ledge.

9.  The burial chamber on the right side of the tomb (Mark 16:5).  The door at the GT enters into the weeping or preparation chamber.  Then, the burial ledges are to the right.  At the Church, again, not much to see, but the claim is that the weeping chamber was first with the ledges further into the tomb.  The claim is that there were ledges left and right where the angels could have sat.

10.After 3 days it was EMPTY! (Mt 28:6; Mk 16:6; Lk 24:6; Jn. 20:8f).  Amen!  There is evidence today in both spots: Christ is not in either one!

Again, which tomb is not critical.  This is not a matter of heresy.  But whatever the word of God says about the tomb of Jesus must be true.  The GT certainly has something that can be seen that helps to understand what Scripture says about Jesus’ tomb.

Gen. 22:1-14, The Cross of Jesus

The next two posts are “review,” by which I mean it has been a long time since we shared our lists answering two questions about the location of the cross of Jesus and the nature of the tomb of Jesus.  We shared these things recently with our church family, with loads of photos. These photos will not appear here, but when we move this to the Blog we might include some of those photos.  First, according to the Bible, where was the cross of Jesus located?

1.  At Jerusalem (Matt. 16:21).  Jesus said these words, that His death would require going to Jerusalem.  See also Luke 16:33, “a prophet must not die outside of Jerusalem.”  The traditional sight (Ch. of the Holy Sepulcher) and my favored spot (Skull Hill near the Garden Tomb) were in the environs of Jerusalem.

Skull Hill at top, North of Altar, outside Damascus Gate; 

Holy Sepulcher left, West of Altar, outside Jaffa Gate

2.  Near the city, outside the gate (Hebrews 13:12).  Outside the camp or city was where the location of trash, lepers and death (cemeteries, places of execution).  The traditional spot relies on the discovery of a wall-configuration that is at least slightly controversial.  The Church is outside Jaffa Gate, Skull Hill outside Damascus Gate.

3.  By a busy road (John 19:20).  This was Roman tradition, to do crucifixions in places where many people could be intimidated and the criminal shamed.  Being Passover, all the roads were busy.  Both sites claim this with good reason.

4.  Golgotha (Hb)/Calvary (Lat), Place of a Skull (Mk 15:22; Lk 23:33).  Skull Hill might have looked like a skull.  At the Church the claim is that Jesus’ blood from the cross dripped on the skull of Adam that was buried there.  There is a “Chapel of Adam” that is part of the church complex.

Skull Hill 2000 AD

Chapel of Adam at Holy Sepulcher

 5.  North of the temple (Leviticus 1:10-11).  This comes from a references to all sacrifices for sin (burnt offering, sin offering and trespass offering) that involved a lamb/kid of the goats.  They were always to be killed north of the altar.  Skull Hill is north; the Holy Sepulcher is west. (Cf. map.)

6.  In the Mountain of the Lord (Gen 22:2,14).  Moses said this as a comment on Abraham’s taking Isaac to the land of Moriah to sacrifice him on the hill chosen by God.  Moses understood that story to indicate the actual location of God’s ultimate provision of salvation.  Skull Hill is in “the Land of Moriah,” one of the four peaks.

Land of Moriah sits between Zion on west and Kidron & Olivet on east.

Moriah has 4 peaks, called in these drawings by Charles Gordon Spring (Gihon), Rock (where Abraham offered Isaac; Hill of Zion and Jeremiah's Knoll (cave to right of skull face was traditional sight where Jeremiah wept over destruction of temple and Jerusalem).

7.  Between two criminals (John 19:18).  This “location” reveals the two possible responses to God’s offer of salvation through the blood of Jesus.

8.  Near a garden with a tomb (John 19:41).  I saw recently there is some new archaeological evidence of a garden under the Church.  There are several indications that the area of the Garden Tomb has always been a location for a garden.  There’s a cistern and a winepress on the property, and in the mid-1800s the tomb was discovered while the owner of the land was looking for water to grow things.

Winepress from Roman/Byzantine time

Cistern at Garden Tomb, seen in photo, under red roof in background.

Map of Garden Tomb showing nearness of place of crucifixion and tomb.

What is at stake in this is the truth of God’s word.  The claim of the “archaeologist” is not the issue.  Like every other profession, it is subject to politics and money.  This list comes from Scripture.