42 It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. 44 Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. 45 When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. 46 So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where he was laid.
- Mark 15:42-47
This is one of those passages in the bible that I tend to gloss over really quickly, and forget about it after I read it. Mark 15 is a chapter that fully describes the death of Jesus, from being chosen instead of a real murder to be crucified, to being mocked, and finally being nailed to the cross. The chapter is filled with a ton of details and helps show the pain Jesus went through. It's a part of the bible that Christian's would say is very "fruitful" to read because it's so directly related to our faith and our own spiritual journeys. Then it comes to verses 42-47 which could simply be described as "Jesus was buried." And with the resurrection of Jesus coming right after this, it's easy to just quickly read it and move on to something more "fruitful."
This is one of those passages in the bible that I tend to gloss over really quickly, and forget about it after I read it. Mark 15 is a chapter that fully describes the death of Jesus, from being chosen instead of a real murder to be crucified, to being mocked, and finally being nailed to the cross. The chapter is filled with a ton of details and helps show the pain Jesus went through. It's a part of the bible that Christian's would say is very "fruitful" to read because it's so directly related to our faith and our own spiritual journeys. Then it comes to verses 42-47 which could simply be described as "Jesus was buried." And with the resurrection of Jesus coming right after this, it's easy to just quickly read it and move on to something more "fruitful."
However it's part of the bible, and I think if you look hard enough you can see God's beauty and power in every chapter, in every sentence. In 2nd Timothy Paul says, "All scripture is God-breathed..." and I think he means all, not just the parts that immediately inspire us. For me, I saw God's beauty and perfect timing here when Jesus is buried on Preparation Day. This is usually just a day when Jewish people would prepare for an upcoming Sabbath. They would get all their chores and cooking down before sunset, so they could observe the Sabbath properly. Instead in this case, it's Jesus' body that is being prepared for the most important day in all Christians' lives. It's being prepared for the day that Jesus conquers death by resurrecting. It's being prepared for the day that Jesus shows He is God, and He wants to be with us.
And as Christians, I think we need to do more of this in our lives: find God in the small things, in the unexpected things. It might be easiest to experience God where we expect him to be like Saranac, Church or bible studies. But God is everywhere. He's in our morning coffee, He's at the lunch tables at school, He's in every moment of our lives. Why miss a chance to experience God's greatness? Matthew 7:7 says, "...seek and you will find..." so let's seek God and find Him in our lives.
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