Shalom and welcome to Ve’ahavta Israel, a Hebrew phrase, which means You Shall Love Israel. We hope you’ll stay with us for the next 30 minutes as our teacher, Dr. Baruch shares his expository teaching from the Bible. Dr. Baruch is the senior lecturer at the Zera Avraham Institute based in Israel. Although all courses are taught in Hebrew at the institute, Dr. Baruch is pleased to share this weekly address in English. To find out more about our work in Israel, please visit us on the web at LoveIsrael.org. That’s one word, LoveIsrael.org. Now, here’s Baruch with today’s lesson.

Dr. Baruch:

We have seen how important the Sanhedrin is in regard to the crucifixion of Messiah. The Sanhedrin was that ruling council in Jerusalem, the government, we might say for the Jewish people 2,000 years ago, and we need to understand a very important truth about how the Sanhedrin function. That is whenever they would release a verdict, it was always unanimously, but understand what they meant unanimously. That is a majority. A majority would convey a absolute unanimous decision from the Sanhedrin. What I want you to see is this, although in one gospel it says that they all condemned Yeshua, we know, for example, that there was at least one or two men who did not agree with this conviction, this plan, and this verdict to put Messiah to death. One was a very important leader, and his name was Joseph.

Dr. Baruch:

Take out your Bible and look with me to the book of Mark in chapter 15. Now in this message, we’re going to focus in on the resurrection of Messiah. But before we can deal with the resurrection, we need to first deal with the burial. When we deal with the burial, who comes to the forefront? Well, a man by the name of Joseph of Arimathea. Now, we’re going to see that when Messiah was on that cross, when He was hanging upon that tree, we see that there was a group of people watching. We saw last week that the high priests were there. The scribes were there, some of the members of the Sanhedrin. We also saw that there was a centurion who witness Messiah’s death and proclaimed truly this man was the son of God, but there was also women, and women play an important role in the resurrection. But then one I want to focus in on, at this time, is Joseph of Arimathea.

Dr. Baruch:

Look with me, as I said to the book of Mark chapter 15 in verse 43. Now, we read here that Joseph of Arimathea came and he was a honorable counselor. Now, what does that mean? It means not just that he was a member of the Sanhedrin, but he was one of the most respected members of the Sanhedrin, but there was something unique about him. The question I want us to ask ourselves is this, do we have that same unique quality? If you do, then you’re going to be very different from those around you. What makes Joseph of Arimathea so different than those around him? Notice what it says in verse 43, “For this one was waiting for the kingdom of God.” Now, let me point out that that word, wait also can do with expectation.

Dr. Baruch:

He was waiting because he had a sheer expectation of the kingdom of God. The question that we need to ask ourselves is this, do we really expect the kingdom to come? Do we really believe the promises of the living God? If we do, our life is going to be radically different from others. We’re going to see things from a different perspective. Certainly, Joseph of Arimathea did because we read in another gospel that he did not agree with the actions of the Sanhedrin. Verse 43, the second part, it says that this one who was waiting for the kingdom of God, he came with boldness. Another way that we could translate that is courage. See, when we understand the purposes, the plans of God, what God’s going to bring about, we’re going to have a boldness, a confidence that is going to drive us to behave very differently from others.

Dr. Baruch:

He came boldly to Pontius Pilate and he asked, and this is a strong word. It’s better translated. He demanded the body of Yeshua. Now, what do you think his fellow counselors would think those members of the Sanhedrin? Perhaps by doing that, and we’re going to see that he gives Messiah Yeshua a proper burial. What do you think those other members of the Sanhedrin might thought of him? I think the answer is Joseph of Arimathea did not care. He was not about pleasing men, but he was living in an expectation of the kingdom of God. Would this be a proper thing to do according to the kingdom characteristics, the kingdom law? He went to Pontius Pilate and he demanded the body of Yeshua, and look at Pontius Pilate’s response, verse 44, “And Pontius Pilate,” it says, “He was amazed.” Why? Because He had died so quickly.

Dr. Baruch:

Now, this is another example from the texts that Messiah did not die by suffocation, the normal way that someone would die upon a cross. He died because of other factors. We could look at it from a physical standpoint and attribute it to the harsh beating. Not just one, but beatings that He received, or we can look at it from a spiritual perspective and see that when He became sin for us, as Paul testifies to us, the one who knew no sin became sin for us, will send us anonymous with death and therefore He died. That’s why as we looked at last week, this statement, “My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me?” Relates to sin, Him becoming sin, this innocent one and His death. It all fits together. But look again, Pontius Pilate was marveling that He had already died and he called the centurion and he asked him if He had already died.

Dr. Baruch:

When it became known from the centurion, what happens? He gives the body of Yeshua to Pontius Pilate, verse… Excuse me. To Joseph, verse 46. What did Joseph do? Well, we read in verse 46, “And he bought a burial garment.” Now, here again, he followed the laws of burial in Judaism, giving someone a proper, honorable burial. In Judaism today, there is a society that oversees and make sure that every Jewish individual is buried according to Jewish law. I have been taught that this society goes all the way back several thousand years according to Jewish law, but where was that group to give Yeshua a proper burial? Well, it’s very significant that the one who had a kingdom expectation, He was there and He took it upon himself.

Dr. Baruch:

We read further on, not only did he buy this burial garment, but he brought him down from the cross. He wrapped him in this burial garment, and he set Him in a tomb that was hewed out of stone. We read here that he rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. Verse 47, we see that Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Joseph, it says that they perceived not only the place, but they perceived how He was buried. Now, understand a very important truth. It was coming close to the holiday, the high Sabbath. Because of law, you have to have someone buried before sundown. Now, even we read the high priest wanted his legs broken, so he would die quickly of suffocation. Why? He couldn’t push up to grab a breath so that his body would not remain upon the cross on the high Sabbath, but He had already died. But shortly before, by the time that Joseph got the permission, time was running out.

Dr. Baruch:

These women who viewed at a distance, they saw the place and they saw the manner He was buried. Because Joseph of Arimathea and we learned in another gospel, Nicodemus, both two important men from the Sanhedrin. They, not in darkness, Nicodemus anymore, but at the end of the day in a public manner, he and Joseph buried Messiah Yeshua. According to tradition, he buried him in Joseph’s tomb. Joseph had a large role in this burial process and the women saw it and the manner in which He was buried, and we read that they had determined to come back and bury Him, what we might say with a little bit more care and attention, verse one in chapter 16. Now, the timing is very important here. In order for us to understand what’s going to take place, why it’s taking place at that time, we have to pay close attention to the clues that the text is giving us.

Dr. Baruch:

Verse one, “And when the Sabbath had passed…” Now, most people hear that and they think the Sabbath, they think of Saturday. We’re talking about the first day of the week. This is not the case. Remember, Mark tells the story very quickly. His favorite word is immediately. One thing happens immediately after another. When it says here in verse 60 or verse one of chapter 16, when the Sabbath was over, we’re talking about the high Sabbath. Now, what did they do? Well, look again. “When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Joseph or Jacob, excuse me, and Solomon, they brought spices in order that they should come and anoint Him.” But there was a problem.

Dr. Baruch:

We read in Luke’s gospel, the very last verse, verse 23, there was a problem. That is by the time they bought the spices and prepared them, which was no simple and easy task, what happens? Well, the day was running out and the Sabbath was coming, but in Luke’s gospel, we’re talking about the seventh day Sabbath. Why is that so important? Well, with that information, we can put things together. We know that Messiah was crucified on passover, the 14th day of Nisan. The 15th day of Nisan was a holiday where no work could be done. It was treated as a high Sabbath. According to Mark’s gospel, after that Sabbath, which would have been the 16th, they went and they bought spices and they prepared them.

Dr. Baruch:

But then, it says at the end of Luke chapter 23, we read that after doing so, the Sabbath came. This would have been the second Sabbath, not a high Sabbath, but a seventh day Sabbath. What does that tell us? Well, it all brings things together. You see, Messiah was speaking once to a group of Jewish leadership and they asked for a sign and He said, “No sign would be given to you, except for the sign of Jonah. As Jonah was in the belly of a fish for three days and three nights, so shall the son of man be in the belly of the earth for three days and three nights.” Not parts of three days and three nights, but three days and three nights in a full sense.

Dr. Baruch:

Now, what we know is this. If they bought the spices and prepared them, and they ran out of time before the Sabbath, the seventh day Sabbath, that means that this good Friday is make belief. That is the crucifixion didn’t take place on a Friday. It tells us that the women bought the spices. They prepared the spices on Friday, but as the seventh day Sabbath was coming at sundown, they had to stop and wait until after the Sabbath. That means they bought and prepared the spices on a Friday, which would have been the 16th day of Nisan, which would mean that the 15th day of Nisan, that high Sabbath would have been on a Thursday, which would mean that passover, the preparation day, the day that he was crucified would have been on a Wednesday.

Dr. Baruch:

Here’s what we can lean from this, and that is He was crucified at the third hour. That is 9:00 in the morning. He was on that cross for six hours until 3:00 in the afternoon. That is the ninth hour. Then, He died. Shortly thereafter, we see the Joseph of Arimathea, he went to Pontius Pilate to demand the body. Pontius Pilate had to have it conveyed to him, confirmed in other words, that he died. All of this took time. Then, Joseph, he went, took down the body, but he had to buy a burial garment. He had to prepare the body, which he did also with an ointment. We read very carefully in the scripture, a very heavy amount of ointment, and they buried Him as the Sabbath, the high Sabbath of the 15th day of Nisan was coming in at sundown.

Dr. Baruch:

Messiah entered into the tomb on sundown Wednesday, the 14th. Sundown Thursday was one day. On Friday, the women prepared, bought the spices, prepared them, but sundown Friday was two days. Sundown Saturday, or Shabbat would have been three full nights and three full days. That means Saturday night. Now, when I say Saturday night, understand something. In Judaism, the day ends at sundown and a new day begins at darkness. The resurrection of Messiah, I believe from the scripture, it took place on the first day of the week, which is Saturday night.

Dr. Baruch:

That’s when Messiah rose from the dead after three days and three nights on the first day of the week. But the women, they came early. In fact, when I say women, we need to understand that there were several different groups of women. In fact, if you look at John’s gospel at the very end, you’ll find that Mary Magdalene, she came twice to the tomb. A lot of people don’t realize that. The first time she came, when it was still dark and what happens? Well, she saw the empty tomb. She saw that miracle had taken place. She didn’t know how to interpret it, but she ran back and she told the disciples, namely Peter. Then, she came back with another group of women, but there were several, if you read carefully the gospels, several different groups of women came to give Him that proper anointing, that burial on the first day of the week.

Dr. Baruch:

But what did they find? Well, it tells us. Look on if you would to verse one, “And when the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Jacob and Solomon, they bought the spices and they brought it to Him in order to anoint Him.” But what happens? Well, look. Verse two. Now, verse two, we see something happens. Verse one is on a Friday, but now we’re talking about in verse two, Sunday. Why do I say that? It tells us, “Early in the morning on the first of Shabbat.” Now, I say that because it’s important. This is written in Judaism. That is according to Jewish law. We need to understand that in Judaism, there’s a couple of different ways that you can express dates days of the week. For example, you can say about Sunday, you can call it the first day, Yom Rishon, but the most religious do not use a term, Yom Rishon. They talk about [foreign language 00:17:43], one in Sabbath, because the term Sabbath can also mean week.

Dr. Baruch:

For example, if you look on a marriage license and you get married on Wednesday, it will say [foreign language 00:17:58], the fourth day of the week, the fourth day of Sabbath. We see here, they’re using a very official, a legal terminology when they say [foreign language 00:18:09], or the first day of the week. That is Sunday in our thinking. Look again, verse two, “And very early on the first of Sabbath, that is the first day of the week, they came unto the tomb and they were wanting something. They were wondering…” Or excuse me. Here, it says, “They came when the sun had gone up.”

Dr. Baruch:

Now, in Mark’s gospel, this group of women come at the latest time when the sun was already up and they were saying to each other, verse three, “Whom for us will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb,” verse four. “But when they looked up and they saw…” What happens? “They see that the stone had been rolled away for it was very, very large, and they entered into the tomb and they saw a young man sitting on the right hand, clothed in a white stole.” Now, this angel, we read in another passage that he came in the midst of an earthquake. That earthquake was when that stone was removed. Why is that important? Well, as we’ve talked about earthquakes, oftentimes have to do with announcing something. When the earth would shake, it would have implications to the entire world. What we’re seeing here is the empty tomb. That is the fact that Messiah rose from the dead that has implications for the entire world.

Dr. Baruch:

We see that an angel’s there to announce it saying that this is an act of God, and that’s going to be important in a few minutes. Look again, verse five, “And they entered into the tomb and they saw a young man, which is literally an angel sitting on the right hand, clothed in a white stole. And he says, ‘Do not be alarmed.'” Now, they came there… The reason why I said that is because they came there expecting to see a dead body, a corpse, and what do they see? They see a young man and the one who they were expecting to see, He’s not there. Why not? Look onto the next verse, verse six. “And he said to them, ‘Do not be alarmed. Yeshu, whom you seek…” That is Yeshua [foreign language 00:20:39], Jesus of Nazareth. “He says the One who was crucified…” And here’s what I want you to see, says, “He has been raised.”

Dr. Baruch:

Now, most scriptures will say He is risen, meaning that He rose from the dead. Well, He did, but that’s not what this verb implies. Not that He rose from the dead, but He was raised from the dead. Why is that important? Because it speaks to the submissiveness of Messiah Yeshua, that He turned over everything, when it says into the Father, Ge conveyed His spirit, committed His spirit. That’s everything. He entered into death, and what we see is that it was Messiah Yeshua that what? Not that He rose from the dead, He did, but that God, the Father raised Him from the dead. Why is that so important? It’s important because it speaks of the fact that God, the Father had received Messiah’s work.

Dr. Baruch:

That is the fact that this is in the passive tells us that God, the Father accepted, He received, He certified Messiah’s death as the payment for sin. It was His approval of Yeshua’s work. That’s why this angel says, look again at verse six, that, “He is not here for He has been raised from the dead. See the place where He was laid,” verse seven, “But now, go away and tell to His disciples, even to Peter.” That’s emphasized. Why? Because Peter had denied Him those three times. They say, “Tell His disciples, even the Peter, Messiah is beginning that process of restoring Peter to be one of His disciples and to carry on that message.”

Dr. Baruch:

Look again, verse seven, “But rather go say to the disciples, His disciples, and to Peter, that I will go before you to where Galilee.” Now, why is that so important that Galilee is mentioned here. Very simple. The meaning of that word. Galilee comes from a word that means to roll, but it also can be related to rolling something like a scroll. When you unroll it, there’s revelation. Galilee is known as a place of revelation. You say, “Can you prove that in the scripture?” Yes, I can.

Dr. Baruch:

If you look for example, in the book of Isaiah chapter nine, it says, “In the place of darkness, that is where the light of Messiah is going to be revealed.” Where? It says in Galilee. Galilee is a place of revelation. In keeping with these Jewish traditions, all of these are taking place, so no one can be without excuse, so that everyone can see the truth. The traditions that are being fulfilled, even by Messiah’s words. Once again, “Go you into the Galilee, for there, you shall Him also as He said to you,” verse eight. Now, verse eight really gets to the heart of the resurrection. Now, I mentioned to you that there’s this inherent relationship between resurrection and the kingdom.

Dr. Baruch:

If we really believe in the kingdom, we’re going to have an expectation of that kingdom, which is going to cause us to be very different. We are going to be passionate about it, but what’s been emphasized here is that these women… Now, remember there were different groups. Each gospel deals differently with the women to manifest an additional biblical truth to us. In the same way that they were different groups of women, there’s different groups of individuals. That is to tell us that people are going to respond differently to the resurrection. How did these women here respond? Well, hopefully not like you and I, because verse eight, “And they went and fleeing from the tomb.” Now, it’s interesting because this implies fear. In actuality, we should be more fearful of death. That is the women should have come to the tomb and entered into it with fear around death, the consequence of sin, but they just boldly went right in.

Dr. Baruch:

But when they hear about the kingdom reality, that is the resurrection. What happens? They left from that place. They fled from it and they were given instructions. What was that? “Go and tell the disciples.” Now, in another gospel, some of the women did that, but not here and here again, we have four gospels to reveal to us additional truth, different perspectives, so we have a fuller understanding. What did these women do or I should say, what these women did not do? Well, we read. “They fled from the tomb because fear and trembling had seized them.” They had that. Now, they did not have fear and trembling before God. The fact that this Holy God is going to establish a holy kingdom. They were fearful and trembling based upon their expectations were not met. They expected death. They expected that to be an end of Messiah, but there is no end. It’s eternal.

Dr. Baruch:

That is related to that kingdom, that eternal kingdom. Verse eight at end, “And none them said anything to no one, nothing to know when they said.” Why? Because of fear. They did not have a fear of God, but a fear of what? They had a fear where death, the message of death consume them rather than the message of life. That message of life is inherently related to the kingdom. Well, I want to close with this because in many of your Bibles, the gospel continues from verses nine, all the way to verse 20. But I want to share with you that hose additional verses are not original to the text. They were written later on by the early church father.

Dr. Baruch:

We’re not going to deal with them. We’re going to end with a very sobering question. Are you going to respond to this angelic proclamation? Are you going to go and tell people that He has been raised from the dead and the implications of that resurrection, or are you going to be like these women that flee in fear and disobey the angelic proclamation to go and proclaim that Messiah showed that He has risen from the dead and He has the keys to the kingdom of God. Well, it’s only a question that you can answer for yourself. We’ll stop now and we’ll begin next week with the new study of the book of Zechariah.

Speaker 1:

Well, we hope you will benefit from today’s message and share it with others. Please plan to join us each week at this time and on this channel for our broadcast of LoveIsrael.org. Again, to find out more about us, please visit our website, LoveIsrael.org. There, you’ll find articles and numerous other lectures by Baruch. These teachings are in video form. You may download them or watch them in streaming video. Until next week, may the Lord bless you in our Messiah Yeshua. That is Jesus, as you walk with Him. Shalom from Israel.