Sermon Central
-
Nicodemus Brought A Mixture Of Myrrh And Aloes, ...
Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Mar 27, 2008 (message contributor)
"Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds." - John 19:39b
"If the aloe and myrrh were in dried or powdered formed, a whole row of sacks would probably be necessary to make up this weight, and Nicodemus must have had assistance to be able to transport the load. The transport would have been even more difficult if the substances were dissolved in wine, vinegar or oil. The theologian Paul Billerbeck makes the event appear as if an embalming was to take place with the aromatic substances added to oil. But the Rabbinical texts refer only to an oiling of the bodies of the departed. The addition of spices is nowhere mentioned, let alone in these quantities, and was never part of Jewish custom; nor was embalming.
"Myrrh was used as an ingredient for embalming by the Egyptians, but not for the burial rites of the Jews. Instead the Jewish custom prescribed that the body of the departed be washed and oiled, the hair cut and tidied, the corpse dressed again and the face covered with a cloth. The washing of the body was of such crucial importance that it had to be carried out even if it was the Sabbath. Yet there is no mention of any of this, not even the oiling. Instead it is said that on Easter Sunday the women came to the tomb to oil the body."
- Holger Kersten & Elmar R. Gruber, The Jesus Conspiracy - The Turin Shroud & The Truth About the Resurrection (1992)
Related Sermon Illustrations
-
Speaking Of Church Attendance, Have You Ever ...
Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Apr 4, 2005
Speaking of church attendance, have you ever heard Murphy’s Law for Preachers: Law # 1: If the weather is extremely bad, church attendance will be down. Law #2: If the weather is extremely good church attendance will be down. Law #3: If the ...read more
-
Our Persistent Prayer PRO
Contributed by D. Greg Ebie on May 7, 2003
OUR PERSISTENT PRAYER Billy Graham said, “Heaven is full of answers to prayers for which no one ever bothered to ask.” Have faith in the God of the dream; let’s ask God to bring the dream to completion. God’s answer is ready; ...read more
-
One Of The Greatest Philosophers Of Our Age Is ...
Contributed by Scott Carmer on Jan 31, 2005
One of the greatest philosophers of our age is Andy Capp. I remember one comic strip several years ago in which Andy is up to his old tricks, always dodging his pastor because he is in the pub and not in church. One day after Andy’s wife Flo decided to take him back after one of his periodic ...read more
-
A Member Of Alcoholics Anonymous Once Sent ... PRO
Contributed by Paul Wallace on Aug 24, 2004
A member of Alcoholics Anonymous once sent columnist Ann Landers the following: 1. We drank for happiness and became unhappy. We drank for joy and became miserable. We drank for sociability and became argumentative. We drank for sophistication and became obnoxious. We drank for ...read more
-
The Juggler PRO
Contributed by Paul Wallace on Aug 24, 2004
The Juggler A juggler, driving to his next performance, is stopped by the police. “What are those machetes doing in your car?” asks the cop. “I juggle them in my act.” “Oh, yeah?” says the doubtful cop. “Let’s see you do it.” The juggler gets out and starts tossing and catching the knives. ...read more
Related Sermons
-
Redemption Series
Contributed by J. Brad Campbell on Jun 15, 2007
the fourth sermon in a series dealing with spiritual blessings we don’t often think of
-
The Gifts Of The Holy Spirit Series
Contributed by Steve Lombardo on Nov 24, 2009
Every believer receives at least one gift from the Holy Spirit to use in the body of Christ.
-
What Can God Do Through Me?
Contributed by Jim Butcher on Dec 6, 2011
A look at the calling God places on each of us as well as some of the excuses we use to try to avoid that calling.
-
Our Hallelujah Mission
Contributed by Gregg Bitter on Oct 23, 2009
One word, rightly understood, sums up our mission as Christians. Use the gifts the Spirit gives you to carry it out. Parts: A. What is the mission? B. How do we carry out the mission?
-
What It Means To Be A Committed Leader
Contributed by Ray Ellis on Sep 10, 2006
There are no insignificant ministries in the church. Every person serving in the church make up a network of volunteers for Jesus.
